Page 39 of Claimed By the Alien Barbarian

Gravity appeared the same here as it did on Earth. I jumped to prove it and landed back on the everlipe quickly. So how in the world did the islands remain in the sky? There had to be somesort of propulsion system. There was no such thing as magic. Yet, there it was, floating in the sky above us.

He tugged on a vine. “This one will do.”

“Are we going to climb? I flunked that part of gym class.”

“No climbing necessary.”

I walked carefully over to the edge of the everlipe and studied the tips of the roots swaying in the water. “The ocean’s salty.” I’d tasted that in the spray as we traveled. “Yet the roots dip into the water. Are they drinking?”

“The island gods thrive on the salt. They’re part of the sea.”

I scooped Molly up and plunked her on my shoulder. About the size of a Yorkie, she was heavy, but I loved carrying her like this. Her tiny hind claws sunk into my shirt, and she leaned against my head to maintain her balance. Turning to face Nevarn, I frowned. “Are the islands this clan’s gods?”

“That’s what I was always told. They live within the structure, supporting it while taking sustenance from the sea.”

With each step I took further into this alien world, I was reminded of how other it was. This wasn’t Earth, and whatever we had there had evolved to what we lived with today. The same had happened on Zuldrux. Since I was no scientist, it might be easier if I just accepted how things were. Went with the flow.

“If we’re not going to climb, how will we reach the top?” I asked.

With a vine in his hand, he strode over to stand in front of me. “Hold on to me, both you and Molly.”

My pet peeped, though I doubted she understood his words.

He scooped me up in his arms and tugged on the vine.

It shot us up toward the island.

Chapter 20

Nevarn

The vine I clung to yanked us toward the underside of the island. While Kerry tightened her grip on my shoulders and her legs around my torso, Molly peeped in distress. She scrambled from Kerry’s shoulder and onto mine, digging her claws into my skin and leaning against my neck.

Kerry’s eyes grew wider as we flew toward the vegetation-covered underside of the enormous structure.

“Hold on,” I called, my heart thumping in a wild rhythm. “I’ll never get used to the thrill I get when I approach the island in this manner,” I cried out over the roar of the wind.

“We’re going to hit the underside,” Kerry shouted. “Tuck in your head!”

Unsure of what she meant, I glanced down at her. “We won’t hit.”

She stopped wiggling and looked up at me. “We won’t?”

I shook my head.

As we got closer to the base, the vine’s momentum slowed. Before we could hit, it came to a stop.

“We’re going to fall,” she gasped, peering down. “I love heights. Or I used to. I think I don’t like them when I’m clingingto an alien guy with only a vine keeping us from plunging into the sea.”

“We’ll soon be on the surface. Keep a good hold on me. I can’t hold onto you.”

She scowled up at me. “You think I’ll let go?”

I blinked. “Well, no. It was just a suggestion.”

“Get me to the surface now.”

I wasn’t sure why she sounded stressed, but now wasn’t the time for a lengthy conversation.

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