Page 33 of Time Forged


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“I get it,” she snapped.“We need distance, so where to now?”She stomped ahead, leaving him to follow.“Hiossu mentioned a cave, but I have to tell you, we’ll be sitting ducks.”

“Ducks?”Cylo’s O.D.I.hurried to share images and details of a strange bird.“Is that bad?”

She stared at him then giggled.Running a hand over her face wiped away her mirth.“It means we’ll be fixed targets.”

“Ah,” he said.“Under the circumstances, we must be far from here.”He scanned the beach, noted its shape, and headed south.

The sand made running harder, his knee pinging with every step he managed.Her heavy breathing trailed him, her uneven gait a concern.He chanced a glance over his shoulder at her pale and glistening face and pinched his lips.On the horizon was a jagged line of rock, pitted from centuries of waves crashing against it.

Sweltering heat pouring off the sand added a layer of sweat to his battered body.His armor’s automatic temperature adjustment must have failed.As they neared the cavern’s entrance, he swung Hiossu off his shoulder and rested the male against the warm rock wall.Through a narrow crack, a breeze cooled his skin.

“I’ll go ahead and check.I don’t want any surprises,” she said, dropping a blaster at his feet then hefting the other with both hands.

He stared at the discarded weapon then glared at her.“I will do it.”

“Why?”She met his gaze even as she swayed on her feet.

“I am a trained warrior.”He tried to fold his arms across his chest, but his left arm didn’t budge.

“Fine.We’ll both go.”She pointed her chin at Hiossu.“Drag him inside.”And through the gap she slipped.

“Cursed female,” Cylo muttered.

He scooped up the blaster and tossed it in after her.It clattered across the rock floor and ended with a splatter.Grunting, he grabbed Hiossu by the wrist and pulled him across the sand.The moment he stepped into the cave, Cylo swallowed a moan of relief at the lower temperature.His eyes adjusted in an instant, granting him a clear view of the interior.Toward the darker rear, yellow, curl-like plants glowed from the ceiling in what he assumed was some sort of bioluminescence.They wouldn’t be in complete darkness, not with the cave opening on the ocean to the right.After propping Hiossu against a natural pillar, Cylo ventured farther into their temporary haven.

Tiny echoing footsteps marked her location in what sounded like a series of caves.Silence fell, only marred by the ocean’s waves lapping at the rock floor.Had something happened to her?Panic cinched his heart, stilling his breathing.He found her on a rock-pool’s ledge, staring out at the horizon.She fiddled with her boots, cast a glance at him, then removed them.Into the water she shoved her feet, throwing her head back on a moan.The delicate arch of her throat drew his focus again.

“If I didn’t think I’d pass out, I’d go for a swim.”

He angled his head, unsure he’d heard correctly.“It is best that you find a place to rest.The blasts could—”

Booms thundered—too loud for comfort.A wave of hot air and sand hit him.He raised his arm to shield his face, then froze.Whirling in her direction, he lunged for her.Protected by his armor, he could bear the brunt of the abrasions but not her soft skin…

A splash halted him in his tracks as the ground trembled beneath his boots.Chunks of rock broke off the ceiling and clattered down, a few hitting the pool she’d dived into.

A white light consumed his vision, almost blinding him.He wasn’t sure it was a symptom from the explosions or…fear since he’d never experienced the latter.

“Female,” he roared, stumbling to the pool’s edge.Wedging his hips against the side, he shoved his good arm into the green depths, caught something wispy, and yanked it up.

“Ow,” she said when she breached the surface.

Cylo scowled but released her hair.He wasn’t about to admit she’d scared him.“What are you doing?”

She met and held his gaze.While he waited for her to respond, red blood trickled down her temple.His heart lodged in his throat.He looped his arm under hers and hoisted her out of the water.She squeaked but clung to him, her wet clothing cooling his body further.

“You are bleeding,” he whispered, setting her down.A quick dig in his pocket had him taking out one of two med-guns on his person.“Stand still,” he said as he ran it over her temple.

She tilted her chin up, her gaze traveling over his features.Her breathing evened out, and so did her heartbeat, but her pallor remained the same.With the shush of the waves and the tensions thick post-explosion, he couldn’t drag his attention from her.The wound sealed, so he wiped away the blood trickle, not liking the sight or smell of it.That she’d been harmed had barely restrained anger threatening his control.He focused on the bruises across her face and the tiny cuts along her arms.The purple changing to a horrid yellow brought him some peace.The smooth skin when her wounds healed deepened his gratitude.

“Any more explosions?”She peered over his shoulder in Hiossu’s direction.

“No,” Cylo said.“I will not apologize for it.We had to hide our presence.”

She harrumphed.“Did you get all the women?”

“Seven?”He arched a brow and waited, content to admire her unusual beauty.

She chewed on her bottom lip, her focus distant.“Yeah.There weren’t others?”