to other
people, but not me. I’m faster and stronger.”
As if to show him, Kylah raised her fist and slammed it onto the ground
right next to his head. She literally made the earth shake. Her eyes continued
to glow. He noticed there was a fresh cut on her forehead. It healed as he
stared.
Rune forced himself to stay calm. Could Kylah be the human the
Xphens searched for? It would make sense. She was unlike any Earthling he’d
encountered or been told about. The eyes, the strength, the speed and the
incredible healing, all of them were unheard of. Now he had a decision to
make—did he still look for an opportunity to escape or did he stay with her and
hope to somehow contact his employers to tell them he’d found what they wanted.
The latter didn’t sit well with him. He knew what they’d do to her. She’d be
experimented on. At the very least, caged and used by the Xphens in any way
they wished. They were known for their cruelties to the inhabitants of the
planets they conquered.
And then there was the fact he couldn’t deny he was attracted to
Kylah. He couldn’t deny that in an ideal situation he’d like to get to know her
better. Maybe see where this attraction would lead them. She’d felt something
toward him, but that was before what had just happened.
Rune decided he needed to defuse the situation first. He took off
the sunglasses, reached up and captured Kylah’s face in his hands and met her
gaze with his. “Kylah, calm down. We can talk. I promise I won’t run again.”
She punched the ground again, which had the same result as the first time.
“Kylah, your eyes are glowing.”
That brought her up short. Kylah jerked away and then slid off him.
She fisted his shirt, dragged him to his feet and ran with him to the stream.
She kneeled at the water’s edge and looked at her reflection.
She gasped. “What’s happening to me?” she asked softly. As she
seemed to calm down, the glowing faded away. She stood, turned to face him and
drew her sword. Kylah rested the tip of the blade at the hollow of his throat.
“We’re leaving. If you think to run or try that stunt with the men again, I
will hurt you.”
“You have my word. I’ll behave. I now know you’ll catch me before I
get very far.”
Kylah sheathed her sword, then pushed him toward the pile of
supplies. She loaded him down even more than she had the day before, but this
time he didn’t have his hands bond behind his back and a rope tied around his
waist. She shouldered the rest of the gear.
She took the lead as they left the stream and headed into the deeper
woods. Rune quietly followed Kylah, deciding it was best if he kept his mouth
shut. She made no attempts to start a conversation, and seemed to withdraw into
herself. He found he missed her chatter.
Chapter Five
They walked for hours in silence. Kylah allowed them one break
during midday to eat something she called a protein bar and have some water. So
far, Rune found the Earth food strange but edible.
It was on the verge of getting dark, and they were higher up on the
mountain, when Kylah finally stopped once more. They were in a grassy clearing
that had a small waterfall at the back of it. There was also a small pool of
water that the fall emptied into. There hadn’t been any signs of other humans
around, only the tracks of the local wildlife.
Kylah unshouldered what she carried. “I think this is where we’ll
set up a permanent camp. Let’s get the tent up, then I’ll make us something to
eat.”
Rune placed his load next to hers. “All right. Tell me what you want
me to do.”
She reached for an oblong bag, then opened it. Kylah took everything
out of it. There were a bunch of poles, two large sections of heavy material
and some pegs. Rune assumed that had to be the tent.
He did everything Kylah told him, and in a short amount of time they
had the tent up. It was bigger than his shelter pod, but the fabric walls
offered no protection from outside forces. With
people, but not me. I’m faster and stronger.”
As if to show him, Kylah raised her fist and slammed it onto the ground
right next to his head. She literally made the earth shake. Her eyes continued
to glow. He noticed there was a fresh cut on her forehead. It healed as he
stared.
Rune forced himself to stay calm. Could Kylah be the human the
Xphens searched for? It would make sense. She was unlike any Earthling he’d
encountered or been told about. The eyes, the strength, the speed and the
incredible healing, all of them were unheard of. Now he had a decision to
make—did he still look for an opportunity to escape or did he stay with her and
hope to somehow contact his employers to tell them he’d found what they wanted.
The latter didn’t sit well with him. He knew what they’d do to her. She’d be
experimented on. At the very least, caged and used by the Xphens in any way
they wished. They were known for their cruelties to the inhabitants of the
planets they conquered.
And then there was the fact he couldn’t deny he was attracted to
Kylah. He couldn’t deny that in an ideal situation he’d like to get to know her
better. Maybe see where this attraction would lead them. She’d felt something
toward him, but that was before what had just happened.
Rune decided he needed to defuse the situation first. He took off
the sunglasses, reached up and captured Kylah’s face in his hands and met her
gaze with his. “Kylah, calm down. We can talk. I promise I won’t run again.”
She punched the ground again, which had the same result as the first time.
“Kylah, your eyes are glowing.”
That brought her up short. Kylah jerked away and then slid off him.
She fisted his shirt, dragged him to his feet and ran with him to the stream.
She kneeled at the water’s edge and looked at her reflection.
She gasped. “What’s happening to me?” she asked softly. As she
seemed to calm down, the glowing faded away. She stood, turned to face him and
drew her sword. Kylah rested the tip of the blade at the hollow of his throat.
“We’re leaving. If you think to run or try that stunt with the men again, I
will hurt you.”
“You have my word. I’ll behave. I now know you’ll catch me before I
get very far.”
Kylah sheathed her sword, then pushed him toward the pile of
supplies. She loaded him down even more than she had the day before, but this
time he didn’t have his hands bond behind his back and a rope tied around his
waist. She shouldered the rest of the gear.
She took the lead as they left the stream and headed into the deeper
woods. Rune quietly followed Kylah, deciding it was best if he kept his mouth
shut. She made no attempts to start a conversation, and seemed to withdraw into
herself. He found he missed her chatter.
Chapter Five
They walked for hours in silence. Kylah allowed them one break
during midday to eat something she called a protein bar and have some water. So
far, Rune found the Earth food strange but edible.
It was on the verge of getting dark, and they were higher up on the
mountain, when Kylah finally stopped once more. They were in a grassy clearing
that had a small waterfall at the back of it. There was also a small pool of
water that the fall emptied into. There hadn’t been any signs of other humans
around, only the tracks of the local wildlife.
Kylah unshouldered what she carried. “I think this is where we’ll
set up a permanent camp. Let’s get the tent up, then I’ll make us something to
eat.”
Rune placed his load next to hers. “All right. Tell me what you want
me to do.”
She reached for an oblong bag, then opened it. Kylah took everything
out of it. There were a bunch of poles, two large sections of heavy material
and some pegs. Rune assumed that had to be the tent.
He did everything Kylah told him, and in a short amount of time they
had the tent up. It was bigger than his shelter pod, but the fabric walls
offered no protection from outside forces. With
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