Page 30 of Orri

And that means that some asshole does have her.

With murder in my veins, I whistle for my mount Alyx and hop onto her back, running after the faint trail at top speed. I’m not going to let her go through that pain again.

Whoever has her, he’s going to die by my hand.

PLANNING AHEAD

ISABELLA

Iwish I could say that I was used to getting kidnapped by now. It is the second time in such a short span, but this time it’s almost worse because I know my captor. I fled the entire planet to get away from him, and here he is.

Never thought I’d have to face him again. Never even planned what I would do if I did. Brief, painful flashbacks haunt my memory, but I have to focus. I have to figure out where we’re going.

And I have to figure out a way out of this one. Alone.

No highly-trained squadron of alpha warriors are coming to rescue me this time. No knight in shining armor is going to swoop in at the last minute. This is my battle to face, and I’m going to tackle it head on.

I’m no longer the scared little girl I was back then. I’ve gone through so much, and learned and become stronger because of it. I’ve trained with Orri, and faced my fears, and dammit, came to open my heart to someone even though I swore I never would again. I’m so much stronger now, and he just doesn’t realize it yet. I can get my way out of this. I just have to make him think I’m going to be a weak pushover like I used to be, and then escape when I have the chance…

Pushing the panic to the side, I take in our surroundings as the hover bike speeds away from the space port and away from the cottages. He’s heading for the mountains, away from the patrolled areas and toward the border of what Orri called the ‘safe zone’.

Adik must have done his research. How he even got maps or information about Aesirheim is beyond me, not to mention how he got on the shuttle and found me here in the first place, but none of that matters right now. I try to think amidst the fog of fear and determination. The mountains.

Didn’t Orri say something about a group of migrating creatures, just at the edge of the safe zone? I try to remember, but the facts all run together. I know from our talks that there are many different types of creatures here on Aesirheim, and not all of them are friendly. But these, a type of flying lizard called dactyls, look a lot scarier than they actually are.

“They’re quite docile most of the time,” he explained to me when we were walking near the lake. It seems like ages ago now. “But when their mating cycles come on — much like yours and mine — they get very aggressive. Very hostile toward anyone who might harm their young. Especially alphas like us.”

I remember blushing at the time, but this little tidbit of information might be just the thing that will save my hide.

We come to a fork in the road. One side goes to the mountains. The other deeper into the forest. If we get stuck in the forest, it will be even harder for anyone to find us, but I know the dactyls like to nest in those trees.

If I can just trick him into going that way… “Adik,” I speak up over the roar of the wind in my ears. “You don’t want to go that way!” I point toward the forest instead of toward the mountains.

He snorts. “And why’s that? You got your buddies waiting in ambush or something? I looked at the maps. I know what I’m doing. No way am I gonna stay out in the open there in the valley.”

“No, I’m serious!” I try to sound as convincing as possible, reminding myself that my very life’s on the line. “The forest’s cursed!”

“Ha, I’m not going to fall for that.” Adik sneers. “It’s just a shortcut, that’s all. Once we get through the forest and past the river, we’ll be out of your little friends’ borders. They can’t touch us there.”

“Adik, please!” I beg, and to my surprise real tears start to well up. “The mountains have huge cave systems. They talk about people getting lost there all the time. Wouldn’t that be better if you wanted to hide me?”

“You talk too much.” His grip tightens on my waist, so much that I can barely breathe. “We’re going through the forest, and that’s final.”

As he turns the bike and we speed toward the forest, I go over the plan again in my mind.

Adik bursts through the forest on the hover bike. The dactyls take notice. They swarm Adik since he’s the male and is causing the damage. Get back to the bike somehow. Make a run for it. And then…I haven’t thought that far yet.

I just hope the dactyls are still there…

WARNED AWAY

ORRI

“Yeah, I got the feeds.” Ulfar beeps me through the comm. If the ISA isn’t going to help me on their own, I have other methods to try. “Cams show your girl getting on a hover bike with some human guy. Never seen him before. Had this weird striped tattoo down his left arm, but that’s about all I can tell at this resolution.”

My heart nearly stops. It can’t be. “Repeat that,” I say, voice shaking.

“A striped tattoo? It’s not that uncommon, I guess. But all I got was the back of him, so I don’t know what his face looks like. He’s a piece of work, though, I can tell you that much. Listen — don’t do anything stupid. The ISA’s sending out a team. I already volunteered. We’ll be on our way for backup, just…hold out till then.”

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