Page 11 of Healer
Hakkar took a sip of water before hanging the skin on his belt. When he grabbed my hand, it seemed like the most natural thing in the world.
I fell into step beside him, concentrating on the feel of my fingers wound with his. He didn’t just hold my hand to lead me. His grip offered the promise of protection and safety. Hakkar walked a step ahead, kicking away stones and pushing back underbrush that would make my traversing harder.
Damn! Human men could take a lesson in chivalry from this guy. Most didn’t even hold doors for women anymore.
We walked for a few more minutes. The air became incrementally cooler as the faint sound of rushing water increased in volume. The idea of dousing myself in cool water made me want to dash forward like a dehydrated horse.
Hakkar held me still.
“Near water is very dangerous. Many creatures lurk nearby.”
How could he tell?
The pathway meandered through a lush forest adorned with verdant leaves and twisting vines that seemed to reach out and embrace the trail. Anything bigger than a cat would have to be an escape artist to get through the foliage.
We took a few more steps, the ground beneath our feet shifting from soft grass to rugged rocks as we emerged into a small clearing dotted with boulders of various sizes. Hakkar paused momentarily, taking in the surroundings before guiding me towards a towering conglomeration of boulders that reached skyward.
“There is a crack between the rocks.” Hakkar pointed to a fissure just wide enough for me to squeeze into. “Wait here, and I will go scout the area.”
I stared up at him, an argument on my tongue. I shifted my foot to glare at him more fully, and the pain of a dozen tiny pebbles dug into my heel. Following Hakkar in this terrain would prove painful.
“Don’t leave me for long.” I acquiesced, squeezing into the hole. It wasn’t deep but would provide some protection.
Hakkar smiled, trailing his finger down my nose, and giving the end a gentle boop.
“You won’t even have time to miss me.”
Well, he was a big liar. My heart began hammering the second he moved out of sight, though I suspect he remained in earshot. Especially with how good those elf-like ears of his worked.
I pushed myself further into the fissure. Underfoot, tiny pebbles dug into my sole. I shifted, glancing downward at shoes that were barely more than a couple of pieces of cloth and bad stitching. My feet were black with dirt, toenails ragged.
“I wonder what the alien version of a pedicure looks like,” I sighed, finding a ledge to prop on.
A rustling came from my left, where the jungle remained thick—the sound of something large moving about. I ventured to step from between rocks to greet him, wondering why Hakkar hadn’t used the pathway for his return whenitemerged.
I’d always been a fan of the Jurassic Park movies, and what stood a few feet away sniffing the air looked like an oversized velociraptor.
An oversized velociraptor with beaver teeth.
Sharp beaver teeth.
I cowered into the crevice, the palm of my hand stifling my screech of surprise and fear.
The creature raised its head, sniffing, and I prayed that the scents of nature overrode mytwo days of traipsing through a tropical junglesmell.
The creature cocked its head, red eyes blinking as it rolled its snout in my direction.
And despite my growing terror, a small voice whispered that while being killed by a dinosaur in an alien jungle might prove painful... it would still be better than wasting away with ALS.
Surely, Hakkar wouldn’t blame himself. At least he wouldn’t have to hunt for my body. It would be quick and, while perhaps, not painless…quick enough.
I drew in a shuddering breath.
Only a few steps would put me outside the safety of the boulders.
I attempted to shore up my courage and determination, but any attempt at bravery faltered when the creature roared. The Jurassic Park movies might have gotten the appearance correct, but they had the sound all wrong. The high-pitched rolling shriek slammed against my eardrums, bringing me to my knees.
“Hide!”
