Page 43 of Cherished By the Alien Outlaw

As we finished collecting what we could carry, I shared stories of my life before the mine—tales of my clan's floating islands, the gorgeous creatures we tamed that flew through the sky, and the way we harnessed the power of the wind and the sea.

I told her about my role as traedor in my clan and what that would mean for her as my mate. We spoke of my brother and how we could visit him as well as the other clans, especially those where males had found love with human mates.

We didn’t need to announce that we wanted to be together always. That knowledge rested in our hearts.

I told her more about the stone gods that watched over us, how they were a constant source of guidance and strength. Talia hung on every word, her curiosity about my world making me gush about everything I adored about my life.

“It sounds beautiful,” she said, her gaze distant. “I’ll see it one day.”

I stopped, taking her face in my hands and meeting her eyes with a fierceness that left no room for doubt. “You will, Talia. I swear it.”

Her smile was all the encouragement I needed to keep going, to keep fighting for our future, a future I was determined to share with her.

By the time we returned to the shore, the sun had started to slip toward the horizon, its rays creating shimmering patterns on the water's surface. We laid out our bounty on a bed of soft grass and feasted, washing it down with cool water.

Talia laughed as a bit of zunberry juice dribbled down her chin, and I leaned in to catch it with my tongue. Of course, we kissed after that, and I savored the sweetness on her lips. It was a simple moment, a fleeting slice of happiness in a world that had shown us nothing but hardship and danger. But in that instant, we were free to love, free to dream, and free to simply be ourselves.

We packed away the remaining food, making sure our supplies were well-stocked for the journey ahead. I watched as Talia carefully tucked a tunic full of provisions into her pack, her movements efficient and purposeful. There was a newfound confidence in the way she carried herself, a strength that shone from within.

As the sun began sliding toward the horizon and painting the sky in fiery orange and deep purple, we made sure we hadn’t left anything behind, though our possessions were few.

The sun disappeared, and night fell, bringing with it a chilly breeze and the scent of sand.

“We’ll challenge the desert again,” I said quietly, my arms tightening around her. “We’ll travel as far and as fast as we can without exhausting ourselves. We’ll take breaks, but we need to keep going. We’ll stop again at sunrise.”

“How do you know what way to go?”

“South, always south. Use the sun during the day and the stars at night to guide you.”

“Guide us, Firion. Us,” she said firmly, guessing where I was going with this.

She was right. But I had to tell her what to do in case something happened to me. That would be bad enough, but the thought of her being unable to survive alone gutted me.

“See that constellation shaped like a partial moon?” I pointed to the cluster on our right. “Always keep it to your left as you travel at night, and that’ll take you south. When you reach the edge of the desert, you’ll find scrubby brush and eventually lush forests. My brother, Nevarn, lives there, and his clan will welcome us and give us shelter.”

“Will the Veerenads follow us into the forest?”

“If they do, they’ll regret it,” I said grimly. “We can rest with my brother’s clan and then continue to my own, which is a few days walk to the coast.”

“I can’t wait to be home.”

I loved that she considered my home hers as well. “We’ll take time to rest again there, and then we’ll travel to the central god island and make them tell us where Maggie is.”

Tears filled her eyes. “Thank you. I love you.”

I pulled her into my arms. “I love you too.”

Chapter 23

Talia

We traveled through the night, stopping in the shelter of a steep, rocky outcropping as the sun started peeking above the horizon. We saw no signs of pursuit, and maybe the Veerenads had given up. They would be busy fighting off the rebellion.

Or, even better, the rebellion had succeeded, and Brax was now in control. He wouldn’t hunt us.

With each safe step I took, my heart lightened. Hope grew inside me that we’d get away. That this would be the end of it. That we’d reach the forest, recover with his brother, then stride into our new life together at his clan.

That I’d find Maggie.

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