Page 66 of Caged

I must have dozed off because I snort myself awake as Sylas comes to a halt. Up ahead our home rises up on tall legs, which lift it into the canopy.

“Home.” I smile up at him.

Sylas is not smiling. He gazes ahead, unblinking, his muscles tense.

“What is it? Another one of those things?” I whisper, my limbs trembling slightly.

“No,” Sylas says, as he lowers me to the ground, keeping tight hold of me as he does. “There’s someone here.”

“The Tref?” I ask, my heart beating out like a drum.

I want it to be the Tref, or anyone from the settlement, come to check on us, to make sure we made it here safely. Because having the biggest predator around doesn’t mean you’re always safe.

We are not safe. It is not the Tref. I see the glint of a weapon, and then a Habosu steps into the clearing. My relief it isn’t Ixor is immediately ripped from me as two other creatures come out of the forest. Part spider, part scorpion, and utterly, utterly terrifying, they clack their jaws as they advance.

“Bognarok,” Sylas murmurs. “Don’t make any sudden moves.”

“I genuinely don’t think I could move if I wanted to,” I respond with chattering teeth.

A tall biped with short horns and teal skin comes out from underneath our home.

His face is, on first glance, quite benign, but then there is a flicker of something else, something so terrible my brain rebelsat the sight, and once again the even, boring looking creature stares at us.

“Medius,” Sylas snarls, the sound shaking through him.

“You remember.” He shoves his hands into the strange vest he’s wearing and sighs. “That’s such a shame. You were doing so well, Commander Sylas.”

“How did you find me?” Sylas asks, slowly flicking out each one of his claws as he eyes the Habosu and the Bognarok. “Was it the Tref healer?”

“No.” Medius removes his hands and stares at them before looking over at where Sylas bristles with his weaponry. “The Tref seem to have taken to you for some reason. They wouldn’t betray you. I had an implant installed so if your memory alterations were disturbed, I’d be able to track you.”

Sylas’ chest heaves, and a quick glance up at him shows a muscle ticking dangerously in his jaw. Before I can do anything, I’m being slowly pushed into his wing as he attempts to hide me from this Medius, whom he seems to know.

“I should have expected as much from you,” Sylas says.

“You shouldn’t have remembered enough to be able to expect anything,” Medius says, his mouth filled, for a second, with needle sharp teeth. “But you have, and we have to deal with it, with you and with your little…” He leans forward even as Sylas snarls up a storm and eyes me. “Female?”

“Alex is mine. Do not look at her,” Sylas says through fangs which seem to have extended in size.

“A mate for the Gryn? But not a Gryn female, interesting.” Medius rubs his chin. “Take them both. If the Gryn resists, kill her.”

“No!” I cry out. “Run, Sylas, run!”

I duck back under his wing. There is no way, absolutely no way, my sweet Sylas is ever going to end up in the hands of anyone again, not because of me.

I get so far when something heavy hits my shoulder, stopping me.

“Little feather,” Sylas rasps, and I turn to see he has one of the Bognarok at arm’s length, its shorter forelegs slashing at his flesh. “I will never let anyone harm you, not now, not in the future. We must surrender. It’s the only option if you are to stay safe.”

I go limp in his grasp, at once hating his logic and seeing it.

“I won’t let them hurt you,” I say.

“My fierce little mate.” Sylas smiles at me. “I know you won’t.”

He tosses away the Bognarok as if it’s weightless, and it slams into a tree and slides down, unmoving.

“Now, Gryn, the hard way or the easy way?” Medius says in his whiny, even voice.

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