Page 39 of Unleashed

“Are you sure it is them?” he asked.

Nina frowned and lowered her gaze, spreading her hands out in front of her, palms up. “No, but who else would it be? They’re crying for help.” She glanced at Vortok. “The first time I heard them was when I shared a dream with Vortok and Balir, but I think they’re too far away for me to make a solid connection. Every time I try, it’s like there’s a wall blocking me from getting through.”

Aduun appreciated her honesty, but was it enough to justify following this mysterious call?

Up to this point, they’d simply been trudging forward, pushed on by the notion of saving their people. They’d had no leads, no direction, no idea of where or how they would find their people. Whether it could be trusted or not, this wassomekind of guidance. That had to be better than nothing.

And even if he didn’t trust the voices or their source, he trusted Nina.

“If you think it is the way, that is where we will go,” he said.

They had no more food, and the only thing to pack was Nina’s still-damp blanket. After a quick search of the nearby branches for lurking treeclaws, the group set out toward the growing light of dawn.

It was difficult traveling; the huge tree limbs did not always overlap, and more than once the valos encountered dead or rotting branches that would not support their weight. Somehow, they managed to avoid any falls. The disconcerting calls of treeclaws gave the group pause on several occasions, but the sounds were always distant, and none of the beasts showed themselves. Aduun and Balir took turns scouting ahead, seeking the best places to cross from tree to tree.

Near midday, Vortok — who had the hardest time of the four thanks to his size, weight, and the shape of his hands and feet — spotted a cluster of riverfruit drifting among the debris on the water’s surface. Aduun broke off the from the group and retrieved it; the move wasn’t without risks, but they were all able to think sharper when they were fed, and Nina needed to eat to survive.

They stopped briefly to tear into the fruit. Aduun’s beast protested, demanding blood, meat, and marrow, but the riverfruit was sweet and satisfying enough to the man to drown out the beast’s complaints. The meal triggered faded memories of Aduun’s prior life. Riverfruit had always been a welcome treat, and the pieces that fell into the water tended to be the ripest and sweetest of all. His tribe would’ve considered this good fortune.

After eating, they resumed their journey. Nina corrected their course as the sun passed its zenith and began its descent to the far, unseen horizon. Before long, Aduun spotted something far ahead, barely visible through the trees. By late afternoon, they’d drawn close enough to tell what it was — a rockface that stretched on as far as they could see in either direction.

Aduun grew increasingly uneasy as they neared the cliff. It seemed to tower over the trees, a massive wall of jagged, craggy rock, and it ran too straight, too even, to be natural. The sunlight had taken on the first orangey tones of evening when the valos and their female reached the cliffside.

Aduun walked along a branch that led directly to the rock, craning his neck back to look up through the gaps in the canopy — which brushed against the stone — to see the cliff looming high overhead. He reached out and tentatively pressed a hand to the surface. Itfeltlike stone, but could he even trust his own senses anymore?

“Now what?” Vortok asked.

Turning toward his companions, Aduun met Nina’s gaze and lifted his brow.

She combed her fingers through her head-fur to sweep it out of her face. “Still the same direction.”

“There may be an opening somewhere that leads through,” Balir said, “but I cannot detect anything nearby.”

“So we go up,” Nina said softly. The color had drained from her face, and an uncertain gleam sparked in her eyes, which were still directed up at the cliff.

“What’s wrong, Nina?” Vortok moved to stand beside her, placing one of his big hands on her back.

Aduun’s beast snarled inwardly; it wanted the female for itself and bristled at seeing another male touch her. When had it begun this shift toward possessiveness?

Nina’s eyes widened, directed at Aduun for a moment before she looked at Vortok. “High places make me feel ill.”

Vortok grunted, turning his face up to follow her gaze. “Me, too. I am made for the ground. But we’ll make it through this together.”

Balir stopped beside Nina and crouched down. “Get on my back and wrap your arms around my neck.”

“What?” Nina frowned, brows furrowing. “You can’t carry me the whole way. That’s—”

“Necessary,” Aduun said. “Our strength is well beyond what it was before the change. Unless you know you can make it yourself, Balir will carry you up.” He longed to do it himself, to be the one to have her arms around him, her body pressed against him, but his quills made it too dangerous for her.

“You will not hinder me, Nina,” Balir said gently, brushing his tail against the back of her knee.

Aduun’s beast responded again; he clenched his teeth against its rage and turned away from his companions. “I will climb first to ensure there is a path…and that there is something at the top. Await me here.”

Chapter Nine

Nina clung to Balir as though her very life depended upon it — which it did. Her legs encircled his waist, her arms were around his neck, and though his tail was curled around her middle, she still felt the irresistible downward tug of gravity on her body. Her muscles were on fire, strained from maintaining her desperate hold as he moved. She shook with fear.

They’d been climbing steadily higher for some time, though Nina didn’t know how long it had been or how high they’d come; she kept her face pressed against Balir’s back with her eyes squeezed shut. Based on the increasingly chilled bite of the wind, she guessed they were well above the canopy by now.

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