Unless he dies.
My jaw tightens. Killing Eneko too soon would cause the whole mission to fail. But once the mission is done, we will have what we need, and the giant slaver will be all mine.
“If that’s how you feel, then fine. Everyone is grateful for your sacrifice.”
Sacrifice is one of the many things that a man should be comfortable with. Yet, seeing her take on this burden makes my gut churn.
I felt the same when my brother Tirin sacrificed himself for the humans.
No one tells you how agonizing such gifts of self are for those left behind.
Memories of the past swirl as I stir the dried meat into a stew, and silence settles around us.
A small beast emerges from the bushes and bounds through camp, only to stop in front of Melisa. It has strange ears and a white coat. Another one of those mesmerizing smiles graces her lips as she reaches out and pets the creature.
“When we traveled before, Niht was always inundated with animals. It seems they like you, too.”
She nods. “Animals have always come to me.”
I smile.
“I used to work with them before,” she says, almost hesitantly. “I enjoyed their company.”
A part of me wonders if that is true, as so much of her is shrouded in mystery, but she says it with such reverence. I can’t help but believe her.
“What is that one called?” I ask lightly.
She brushes back one ear of the animal and laughs. “A rabbit. Sometimes I forget how much you don’t know about the world outside of your pretty caves.”
“You think me an ignorant hermit because I have little family and no mate?”
I shouldn’t be so bitter, but I am stuck between duty and desire.
It’s becoming agonizing.
She stops petting the creature, and it bounds away.
“I didn’t mean my words to sound so cruel,” she says.
I shake my head. “It is fine. Rest.”
We are quiet for the rest of the night, and when I approach my bedroll, I slip in and put as much space between us as possible.
Chapter 12
RA’SA
Terror claws at me as dark shadows pass before my eyes.
When one of the cold monsters reaches out and grabs at my neck, I black out. I see Teo’s face as he approaches my mother and me.
He tells us that Tirin is dead.
Young Ra’Tirin. My baby brother. I held him in my arms when my mother and I escaped the volcano.
No…
I bolt upright, panting. The tent is cold, the space humid. I drag a hand over my face, looking over at Melisa.