Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 97459 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 487(@200wpm)___ 390(@250wpm)___ 325(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 97459 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 487(@200wpm)___ 390(@250wpm)___ 325(@300wpm)
“Bring T’ia here,” I say, indicating at my feet. “Bring her to me.” She will not be happy in the slightest to see R’slind, or to hear my singing chest, but here I can try to protect her, at least.
Set’nef shakes his head. “She is not cursed, and my chief will be fascinated by her. She will be kept separate to see if she has the khui sickness, and if she does not, she will be presented to the chief.”
“No! Bring her here!” I gesture angrily again. T’ia will be frightened and upset, and it is my duty to protect her, even if she is not mine. Set’nef might be reasonable, but he is still holding us captive.
Set’nef ignores my words. He turns and walks away. “I will be back tomorrow to see if you live.”
I stare at his retreating back, helpless. These bars that cross the front of the cave have me trapped beyond anything I can do, and T’ia is with these people, somewhere. I cannot sit and simply wait. I must do something.
But what?
R’slind’s teeth begin to chatter again and she touches my leg. “Hey, um, R’jaal? What did he mean when he said I was cursed?”
The fear in her voice makes me ache. I cannot help T’ia right now, but I can try to protect my mate. I turn to her and crouch, so that our eyes meet. “You are not cursed. He does not understand why you do not have a khui. He has never met a hyoo-man before. You are fine.” I hesitate and then add, because I must, “You are perfect.”
I do not tell her that we must get her a khui soon or she will die. I must take this slowly, and somehow, I must make Set’nef understand that keeping R’slind captive will kill her.
“Come,” I say to R’slind. “Let us taste the food. You must be hungry.”
We retreat back from the bars at the front of the cave into the shadows. I open the pouch and find two pieces of fruit that were likely stolen from the fruit cave, a strange bit of fluffy moss, and several mushrooms of varying sizes.
“Do you think it’s safe to eat?” R’slind asks.
“The fruit should be, as he stole it from my people,” I say, offering one large red fruit to her. My words do not entirely sit right, though. Did he steal it from us? Or did we assume the cave was abandoned when in reality both tribes claim it? For Set’nef must have a tribe. He mentioned a chief and the khui sickness. I remember V’ktal and his people speaking of the khui sickness as well, and how they lost a great many in their tribe at that time.
Where do his people live? In a strange hidden cave high in the mountains? If so, how has no one discovered them yet? It makes no sense.
“We should share the food,” R’slind says, holding the fruit out to me. “That’s only fair.”
Her stomach growls even as she offers me the fruit, and I am humbled at how lucky I am to have such a female. After all this time, truly my khui has chosen well for me. I want to fall upon her and kiss every bit of her. But she is skittish and exhausted, and she has no khui to keep her healthy or even to make her feel the things I feel.
She might not even like me.
The thought is a crushing one.
“R’jaal?” R’slind asks gently. She touches my hand. “Hey. It’s going to be okay. We’ll figure out a way to get out and get your friend, all right?”
She…thinks to comfort me? I bite back a groan of sheer pleasure and rub my thrumming, singing chest, where my khui has come to life for the first time. “We will eat and see if we can find a way out, yes.” I pick up one of the mushrooms and take a small bite out of it. “I will taste them to see if they are safe for you to eat.”
“That kinda doesn’t matter,” R’slind says with a wry smile. “Maybe I have a human food allergy that you won’t. The only way we’ll know is by eating things.” She gazes down at the scatter of food. “But we should definitely make it last if he’s not going to be back until tomorrow at the earliest. He…”
“He what?” I ask, squinting at one of the mushrooms in the strange, soft light of the cave.
She licks her lips. “Behind you,” she whispers. “Another.”
I turn, my camouflage shifting to hide R’slind once more as I get to my feet and step in front of her. It is another one of the ancestors, and he makes no sound as he pads forward on silent feet, moving towards the bars of our cage. I cannot smell him, either.