Page 31 of Tharn's Hunt
Whatever it takes.
Jah-kee will live.
I will accept nothing less.
Chapter 11
WHEN YOUR ALIEN KNIGHT IN SHINING GLOW STARTS TO DIM
JACQUI
Iwake up smothered in golden warmth.
For a blissful moment, I'm floating in that perfect space between dreams and reality. My body feels heavy, worn out, but the raging fire that had been consuming me from the inside has subsided to a dull warmth. My head is pillowed against something firm but comfortable, and there's a steady rhythm beneath my ear that lulls me back toward sleep.
Then memory crashes through the haze.
The shadow creature. The fight. Goldilocks bleeding as he defended me. The fever taking hold. Being carried across endless dunes. The light beneath his skin when he touched me. The conversations we had.
My eyes fly open.
I'm curled against his chest, my body tucked between his arm and torso like a child's stuffed animal. His copper-red hair falls across his face, his breathing shallow but steady. The wound onhis shoulder looks angry and swollen, dark streaks extending from it like tendrils reaching for his heart.
That doesn't look good.
I try to move, but my limbs feel like they're filled with sand. But the fever has broken. I can tell by the way my skin no longer feels like it's trying to crawl off my body.
"Goldi?" I whisper, my voice a ragged scrape.
He doesn't stir.
I manage to push myself up slightly, wincing at the protest from my muscles. "Hey. Alien guy. Wake up."
Nothing.
Panic flutters in my chest. I press a hand to his face, feeling the cool, smooth texture of his skin. Too cool.
"Oh God," I mutter. "Don't you dare die on me, you big, golden idiot."Because I need you,my brain supplies.To get to Justine,I add quickly, as if that's the only reason my heart is trying to beat its way out of my chest.
I check for a pulse, my fingers fumbling at his neck. It takes me a moment to find it. Thank God his anatomy is similar to a human’s. When I finally locate the steady thrum of his heartbeat, relief washes through me so intensely that I slump against him.
Not dead. Just unconscious.
But not good. Definitely not good.
I need to help him. He's saved my life multiple times now; the least I can do is return the favor. But how? I don't know the first thing about alien medicine. The paste he used on my wounds seemed to work, but I don't know what plants he used or how to prepare them.
Water. Water is a good start.
I spot the waterskin nearby and reach for it, my arm feeling like it weighs a thousand pounds. The effort leaves me dizzy, but I manage to grasp it and bring it to Goldi’s lips.
"Drink," I murmur, tipping a small amount into his mouth.
Most of it spills down his chin, but his throat works slightly, swallowing some. I take it as a good sign.
The irony isn't lost on me. Not long ago, he was doing this for me, and now our roles are reversed. I guess we're taking turns saving each other.
"Okay, big guy," I say, setting the waterskin aside. "What next?"
