Sol Page 5

  “No! Keep facing forward. I’m okay! I’m okay! No harm done. I’m not hurt. I’m good. Keep going.”

  I stop on the way to gather her from the floor and turn back to the front.

  “I’ll be fine,” she continues behind me. “You just worry about yourself. Just pretend like I’m not even here.”

  I turn back, ignoring her instruction. She scowls.

  I cannot do this.

  “Why the hell not?”

  Because when you are near, you are all that I see.

  CHAPTER 6

  LASHAY

  Sol starts walking again, and I follow, watching the ground. My palms sting, but I push the discomfort away, focusing instead on where I’m going, so I don’t fall again. I stay close to the face of the mountain as we get higher up the narrow path. And I wonder about what he just said.

  When you are near, you are all that I see.

  I don’t think he meant it like it sounds, but I’m gonna take it that way because that’s the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me. In my head, I imagine Ah’dan, giving me his sexy little smirk.

  When you are near, LaShay, you are all I see.

  I smile. Then suddenly, Ah’dan’s narrow face gets strong and silver. His dark, curly hair morphs into Sol’s slicked back, wavy gray locks.

  When you are near, you are all that I see.

  The words replay in Sol’s deep, even voice.

  Wait here. I will inspect the inside to be sure it is safe.

  I blink out of my head, and let the goofy grin drop from my mouth. Sol’s stopped a few feet ahead of me at a lopsided opening in the side of the mountain, just big enough for him to walk through.

  I come to stand beside him. The dark inside of the cave echoes the howl of the wind whipping around us. I angle my head back to see his blank face.

  “We’re gonna stay in there?”

  The entrance is narrow enough to allow for a fire while keeping the wind out. From this ledge, I can watch for anyone coming up the mountain. It will suffice.

  I look back to the dark cave.

  “I guess.”

  Stay here.

  He steps into the cave and gets swallowed by the darkness. I stare at the space where he disappears and listen for any sounds of him being torn apart by wild animals.

  After a few minutes, anxiety gets the best of me and I shuffle from foot to foot. Maybe I should go in and make sure he’s okay.

  In the midst of the inky darkness, a warm yellow glow flares out. It gets brighter and brighter, until the first few feet of the cave come into view.

  You can come in now.

  Sol’s easy voice sends a rush of relief through me, and I step up to the opening.

  The inside is larger than I expect. It extends in a wide circle while the roof slopes at a sharp angle toward the back. In the middle of cave, Sol sits on his heels in front of a growing fire. Like in the forest, he’s arranged several large chunks of rock into a circle. The sticks he carried up the mountain crackle around the flames that lick up from the pile. Already, the cave feels warm. He tosses another stick into the pile and looks up at me through the flames. The orange of his eyes and the glow from the fire, coupled with the bright feathers fanning over his chest, make him look magical and kind of beautiful.

  A different, surprising kind of warmth settles in my belly, and I groan inside.

  “God, Shay, you’re such a hornball. You will not get the hots for this dude. Control yourself.”

  If you are getting the hots, you can remove my kesh. The cave will warm quickly.

  I blink up in surprise when I realize he was reading my thoughts, but then a laugh rumbles in my chest. He’s kind of adorable. He’s also not lying. I can already feel a trickle of sweat at my forehead, even though my body doesn’t feel particularly hot. I shimmy my arms, working the cloth loose, and attempt to shrug it off my shoulders. It bunches up around my neck, obscuring my view.

  “Pish, that didn’t work,” I chuckle and reach up to pull the cloth back down. I search at my shoulder for the place where he tucked it secure.

  I will help you.

  Sol stands in front of me. He’s so quiet, I didn’t even hear him move. I drop my hands, and he reaches to my shoulder, pulling the fabric away easily and unwrapping it from my body. Once my arms are free, I rotate my shoulders, enjoying the feeling of having full use of my limbs again.

  He lifts the cloth away and walks toward the opening of the cave. He spreads it across the entrance, tucking the corners into crevices in the rock until it’s secure.

  It will keep the wind out.

  He turns back, and we stand in silence for a moment. Now that we’re here, I don’t really know what to do. I wait for Sol to say something, but he just stands at the entrance, staring at me. After a while, it gets weird, so I turn away and settle down in front of the fire. He’s left the extra twigs on the ground, I pick one up and pretend to check it out as he continues to watch me in awkward silence.

  “You gonna tell me why those frog dudes grabbed me?”

  They wish to make me fight.

  He finally moves from the entrance and settles across the fire from me. He never looks away though. His eyes flare through the flames.

  “Okay, and how is grabbing some stranger going to make you fight?”

  You are no stranger to me, Sheh.

  “I mean, we’ve met once, but that was for like two seconds. How does that even matter?”

  I very much enjoyed that day. Being that close to you. I never could have imagined that you would be so beautiful.

  “What?”

  I’m so confused. Nothing he’s saying makes a lick of sense.

  I came to Lyqa to know you, Sheh. I met Tee on Qiton with Bati. When she was drowning, I saw into her mind and you were there. Laughing and beautiful. It did something to me. It was strange and unfamiliar. Perhaps, it was—nice. I had never felt this before. I had never felt before. I wanted to understand why you triggered these feelings.

  His voice changes in my head. The flat intonation softens, like it does when he says my name. I swallow around the lump of nervousness in my throat.

  “I don’t get it. You came to Lyqa because you saw me in Tee’s head, and that’s why they took me?”

  They took you to make me fight.

  “Why would you fight for me?”

  This is all really weird.

  I believe I have formed an attachment to you, Sheh.

  “An attachment like?”

  An attachment that makes me want to be close to you. An attachment that makes it difficult to look away when you are near.

  I blink on his calm face as what he’s trying to tell me becomes clear.

  “Wait, you have a crush on me?”

  I do not understand what this means.

  “I mean, you came to Lyqa because you saw me and you liked me?”

  Does that mean you make me feel nice?

  I shrug.

  “Yeah, kinda.”

  Then, yes, Sheh. I very much have a crush on you.

  ***

  Grrrrrrrggh.

  For the tenth time, my stomach grumbles. I wrap my arms around my waist and bend over, willing it to stop.

  What is that noise?

  We’ve been sitting in silence for the better part of probably an hour. I’ve been pretending to be busy getting warm, and Sol has been watching me. His eyes are like two bright flames in the semi-darkness of the cave.

  “It’s nothing.”

  As if to call out my lie, my stomach growls again.

  Is this a function of your biology? Do you need to relieve yourself?

  I groan and wrap my arms tighter.

  “No, Sol. I don’t have to go to the bathroom. It’s nothing. Ignore it.”

  I’m starving. I don’t know how long it’s been since I was snatched, but it feels like I haven’t eaten in days. I was waiting for Sol to mention food, but since he hasn’t, I assume that isn’t an option right now. After all, we’re on the side of a frozen mountain in a cave running from crazy, angry frog guys. It’s not like we can make a run to the market. The thought reminds me of the sawa I bought before the froggies grabbed me. What I wouldn’t do for some juicy sawa right now. A sharp cramp cuts through my empty stomach, and I lean over a bit more.

  “It’s okay, Shay. You’re not gonna whither away. You got hips for days and ass for weeks. You’ll be fine.”

  My stomach seems to listen and settle into a quiet kind of hollowness. I wait to see if it’s going to make anymore of a fuss, and when it doesn’t, I straighten. Sol is still watching me.

  Are you well, Sheh?

  “I’m fine.”

  My stomach cramps again, and I have to make myself ignore it. Across from me, I think I see him flinch. I push my hunger to the back of my mind and turn to face him.

  “So what’s our plan?”

  We will stay here overnight. Once I am sure the Zefr have not risked following us, we will travel around the northern pass, staying at the edge of the wood until we reach Somii land. My home is protected. You will be safe there.

  Some of my anxiety lifts. That sounds solid enough.

  “So, how long is that going to take?”

  Not long. If we travel at a cautious pace, we will reach my home in twelve rotations.

  Twelve hours? I can make it for twelve hours.

  “So what are we gonna do? Wait until tomorrow and then just make a straight shot of it after that? Or are we going to break it up?”

  Are you able to travel that long without stopping?

  “Sure. You said about twelve hours? I can do that.”

  I did not. I said twelve rotations. A single rotation here is equivalent to one and a half Earth rotations.

  “What the fuck is a ro
tation?”

  A day.

  My internal groan is loud, and I wonder if he hears it.

  “A day! What about food and water?”

  I do not require nourishment at the moment and will not for several days. I can sustain myself until we reach safety. Do you require sustenance?

  I want to say yes, but I know there isn’t anything to eat. The land in the woods was like a barren wasteland, and that was before we got close to the mountains.

  If I say I’m hungry, he’s going to feel obligated to find me some food. If he goes out and gets caught, those frog dudes are probably going to kill us.

  “No, I’m good. I can wait.”

  My stomach grumbles, and I lift my face to the roof of the cave.

  “Dear, Black Jesus, I want to change my order. I don’t want an alien to eat me out. I just want something to eat.”

  SOLUANITIAT’TI SOMIITI’UN

  Sheh is not well. She has said she is fine, but the sporadic throb at the back of my skull tells me something is amiss and she is keeping it from me. In the hours since I shared our plan to reach safety, she has not spoken but maintained her position at the fire with her arms wrapped around her middle. Every inch of her form is tense.

  Sheh, you seem to be in discomfort. Are you sure you are well?

  She releases a great sigh and cuts her eyes to me. There is annoyance in her expression.

  “Dude, would you stop asking me that? I’m fine!”

  The intensity of her agitation is unexpected.

  I apologize, Sheh. I did not mean to bother you.

  She groans and drops her chin to her chest.

  “No, I’m sorry. I’m hangry. It’s not your fault, but don’t keep asking me if I’m okay. I’m barely hanging on over here.”

  I do not understand what she means, but this word, “hangry,” catches my interest. Across from me, her body produces that rumble it has been emitting over the past several hours. She presses her eyes closed and further folds herself over.

  I have not looked into Sheh’s mind since we arrived in the cave, but I do now, curious as to what ails her.

  As always, Sheh’s thoughts are an assortment of bizarre information, but at the forefront is her desire for food. She is currently thinking of the large, purple fruits she purchase at the market on Lyqa and something called a berghur.

  She requires nourishment? Why would she deny needing sustenance?

  “You’ll be fine, Shay. You aren’t going to starve to death. Maybe once he goes to sleep, you can sneak out and find some plants to eat. No, those frog guys are looking for you. If they get you, Sol won’t be there to help. Shit. You’re going to starve to death. No, you won’t. If you get desperate, you can eat one of the sticks he got for the fire.”

  As she thinks this, she grabs a thin twig from the pile and holds it up in front of her.

  “What if it’s poisonous? What if it gives you the shits? Then we’ll both just be stuck in a stankin, shitty cave.”

  Scrunching her nose, she tosses the twig back into the pile.

  “I’ll just wait. I can wait. I’ll be fine.”

  That agitation returns, hot in the pit of my stomach. Sheh has been suffering because she believes her need for nourishment puts us at risk. I should have anticipated this circumstance. I should have prepared for the possibility that the Zefr would force us into the mountains and away from most food sources. However, I want Sheh to feel comfortable asking me for anything. I am here for her. I will take care of her.

  I stand, and Sheh’s head snaps up. Her eyes flicker down to my hanging cock, and like every time she has focused on it, they widen. Although she denied it, I believe my nakedness discomforts her.

  I go to my kesh and lift the bottom, ripping a long narrow piece of cloth. I wrap it about my hips, weaving it between my legs to cup my cock and sack until I am covered. When I turn back, Sheh’s wearing a small frown.

  “Got cold?”

  I did not.

  Her full bottom pokes out. I stare at the plump bit of flesh, overcome by the desire to feel it, to hold it in my mouth, to taste it.

  I shake off the feeling and pull back my kesh. Sheh rises to her knees as alarm settles over her expression.

  “Where are you going?”

  I will return. Do not worry.

  Her round eyes widen further as she begins to scoot forward on her knees.

  “How long are you going to be? Should I come? What if you get lost?”

  She rambles off these questions as her mind flashes with images of her withering away in the cave by herself. They are ridiculous thoughts. I would never leave her alone. I halt her progress toward me with a raised hand, and she stops.

  “Please don’t forget me here.”

  I go to where she kneels and drop to my heels in front of her. Her eyes are dimmed with worry, and I do not like it. I do not know why I do it, but I brush my hand across her cheek, cupping the warm, soft flesh.

  I am here for you Sheh. I will return.

  ***

  For the third time, the sharpened end of the stick cracks as I stab it into the frozen earth. I am three hundred leagues into the wood. My mind is trained to the thoughts of any approaching Zefr, but my focus is on freeing the skua root buried under the ice. Skua is not the best tasting vegetable, but it will provide the nutrients Sheh needs.

  I toss the ruined spear to the side with the two other blunted sticks. I have barely made a dent in the thick layer of frozen dew. The frosted leaves of the skua hang limply above the ice. That agitation returns in a fierce flurry, and before I realize it, my fisted hands comes down hard on the ground. A wide crack splinters where I have made contact. I fling back the plates of ice and pull on the stem until the skua comes free. I am pleased to see that the root is large. It will provided Sheh with several meals.

  I rise from the ground. Although I have been listening for sounds of danger, I pause a moment and close my eyes, reaching out for anything. After several moments of silence, I feel confident that the Zefr have not followed and start jogging back to the mountain.

  As I move quickly and silently through the trees, I think of Sheh. Despite the danger of our current situation, I cannot fend off the sense of anticipation at having her so close. During all my time on Lyqa, I never imagined I would get close enough to speak to her, to feel her warmth against my body, to know her. Unlike on Lyqa, she no longer shows discomfort with my presence. I think of how she looked at me before I left to search for food. There was trust in her gaze. I grip the skua and move faster to get back to her. I still cannot believe it.

  Sheh is with me, and she is safe.

  CHAPTER 7

  LASHAY

  Sol’s been gone for a long time. The froggies took my comm when they picked me up, so I can’t tell exactly how long it’s been, but it feels like hours. At one point, I went to the cave opening to check if I could see anything, but the biting cold chased me back.

  Since then, I’ve been huddled at the fire convinced that he isn’t coming back. In that moment when he cradled my cheek and said he would return, I believed him, but it’s been ages. I figure, I can stay and wait for him, or I can wrap myself up as best I can and try to make it back through the woods. I don’t know where I’m going to go from there, but if I don’t make a decision soon, I’ll probably freeze to death.

  As I rise from the ground, another thought occurs to me. What if those froggies got him? What if he’s dead or hurt? What if he’s waiting for me to come help him and I’m sitting here looking stupid?

  For some reason, I’m bothered by the idea of him being out there alone. I don’t like the idea of him being hurt. I rush toward the opening of the cave. Just when I’m about to yank down his kilt, the fabric shifts to the side and Sol steps through. A wave of relief washes over me, and I have to stop from launching myself against him.

  “Oh my god, dude! Where were you?”

  I strike out, punching against his shoulder. The shock of making contact with the solid muscle radiates up my arm. I flinch and he winces with me.

  Try not to hurt yourself, Sheh.

  “It’s your fault! You were gone forever.”

  I was not gone forever.

  I roll my eyes.

  “I know it wasn’t literally forever. But it was a long time. I was worried.”

  The slash of gray over his eyes jumps slightly.

  You were concerned for me?