Page 113 of Sohut's Protection

“Sohut, what is that?” Her gaze fell to the device blinking in his hands.

But he didn’t answer. The next thing she knew, she was being hoisted over his shoulder as he dashed into the bushes.

If she could see in the dark, her view would be that of the back of his legs because she was upside down.

She could feel his chest heaving, feel the fear in his bones and even though she’d consider herself a mentally sturdy gal, his response was beginning to terrify her.

“Where are you going?!” He didn’t answer. He was running. Running much faster than he was supposed to be able to in the darkness in a jungle, but he was managing it anyway.

Vines and bushes slapped against them, as he all but flew through the darkness.

He was moving as if he was running away from something, and that scared her.

This was the same alien who’d told her to run while he fought the literal darkness-come-to-life.

He wasn’t afraid of anything.

“Sohut! We left our stuff…and Wawa…”

She didn’t understand what was happening, but whatever it was, it clearly had something to do with the device he carried in his hand.

“Wawa will find us. He knows your scent. The little phekker has bonded to you.” It didn’t sound like the Sohut she knew.

His voice sounded…strained.

“Sohut…talk to me…” She swallowed hard and reached up to touch her neck. There was no physical thing there, but it felt like a chain was around her neck, constricting against her vocal cords. And the more she fought it, the harder it squeezed.

“What’s happening to me?” Fear was laced in her voice and at her question, it was as if his breaths started to come harder, harsher—and not because of his exertion.

It was almost as if he was hyperventilating.

She could feel the huge, hurried breaths he was taking as her upper body was pressed against his back.

But Sohut didn’t stop. He kept on running.

She didn’t know how he knew where he was headed in the pitch black of the jungle, but he somehow did.

She didn’t hear it at first, not from the sound of her own blood beating in her ears, but as soon as she picked it up, her senses began screaming that something dangerous was happening.

There was a sound above them, like an engine of some sort and Cleo forced herself to think rationally.

She didn’t just hear that.

She hadn’t heard an engine in so long, the sound was…alien.

But it was definitely an engine.

She could hear it clearer now, as if whatever vessel it was, was lowering from the sky.

“Sohut?”

He swallowed hard. She could feel that even in his back.

“Clee-yo…” His voice was hoarse and so, so pained. “I’m sorry, Clee-yo.”

Her mouth spoke the words in her mind without much input from her. She suddenly felt…numb.

“What’s happening, Sohut?”

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