Unleashed

by Tiffany Roberts

  Finally, the sun set, moving with the same surreal speed it had when it rose. Nina hurried to the water, took a final drink, and quickly slathered cool mud over her exposed skin. It soothed her burns and would provide more protection than she’d had thus far when the sun came up again.

  By the time the last sliver of the sun disappeared over the distant rocks, the group was ready to move.

  Aduun took the lead once more, the head of their triangle with Balir and Vortok at the other corners and Nina in the center. The darkness had brought an immediate chill, so in contrast to the heat of the day that it was maddening. How could the temperature change so drastically in such a short amount of time? Did real deserts have such extremes?

  Unease flitted through her as they moved, deepening with each step. Soon, she realized she wasn’t the only one unsettled — the valos were, too, on some instinctual level. Wetting her lips, she placed her hand on Aduun’s shoulder, using the physical contact to guide her movement, and expanded her awareness.

  “Oh, no,” she whispered. “They’re everywhere.”

  Hundreds, perhaps thousands of primitive minds — some so simple that she couldn’t even describe them as minds at all — pulsed around them. When she looked from side to side, she saw them. Countless dark shapes crawling from their hiding places. Emboldened by the relative darkness, the creatures scurried across the sand, some with eyes gleaming red or yellow with reflected starlight. All in pursuit of Nina and her valos.

  “We need to move faster,” Balir said.

  Aduun quickened their pace, and though it was little more than a jog, Nina was grateful for the water they’d found and the nap she’d taken, even if her sleep had been broken. She doubted she’d have been able to keep even this relatively easy pace otherwise.

  She chanced a peek over her shoulder to see the critters following, moving like a massive, living shadow across the ground. The creatures closed in on Nina and her companions, their beaks, pincers, and jaws snapping, a ravenous swarm that would not be deterred.

  “There are more in front,” Aduun snarled. Increasing his pace, he veered to the side, leading them toward the cliff face.

  Nina stumbled along behind him, the exertion of their increasingly panicked flight finally awakening the exhaustion she’d experienced earlier. Vortok’s strong hands closed around her shoulders. She leaned on him, pumping her legs, and he half-carried her forward.

  When they reached the rock, Aduun positioned their group at a spot where the stone curved inward, creating a shallow semicircle. He swept Nina behind him while he and the other valos completed the circle with their bodies, closing her in and facing the charging swarm.

  The fight erupted in a chorus of growls, snarls, and roars. The valos moved with speed and ferocity, clawing, stomping, and kicking the small but vicious creatures.

  Nina felt helpless as she watched their backs, but she cast that feeling aside when a few of the creatures slipped past her valos. Raising her foot, she stomped on them, cracking carapaces and silencing their squeals. Even with her boots on, her feet soon ached.

  Despite the savagery of Nina’s mates, the critters kept coming in an endless tide, breaking against the wall of valos; each time, a few of the creatures trickled between the gaps. How long could they keep this up? Some blood glistening on her valos was undoubtedly their own.

  No matter the consequences, she needed to try to help them.

  Steeling herself, she opened her mind and imagined a wall. She expanded it, lifting her hands to aid in her visualization, and shoved it through Aduun, Balir, and Vortok, stopping just beyond them.

  You cannot pass, she shouted in her mind, clenching her jaw as she poured all her concentration into the wall, into making it reality in the minds of the creatures.

  The critters at the wall halted, some rearing back and clawing at the air as though trying to climb. As the valos killed the creatures remaining within the wall’s bounds, the barrier was marked by the ring of frantic bug-things, all of which were in motion but none of which were able to move forward.

  Stepping forward, she expanded the psychic wall farther. The creatures reeled back as though pushed, flopping and scrambling over each other.

  “What is this, Nina?” Aduun asked, his confusion apparent despite his ragged breathing.

  But her jaw was clenched in concentration. She couldn’t risk speaking, couldn’t risk leaving the mind space she’d plunged into for fear of the barrier breaking and the creatures flooding through. She forced the wall wider still, closing her eyes, psychically marking the positions of thousands of ravenous critters roiling on the sand all around.

  Nina squeezed between Aduun and Vortok and moved in front of them; stunned, they made no move to stop her.

  She projected two images to Aduun — her fire starter, tucked away in her bag, and roaring flames.

  It was the only thing she could think of that might scare the creatures away. The only thing that could turn this tide after her mind couldn’t hold it back any longer.

  “Gather brush, quickly!” Aduun shouted. She felt him at her back, her body swaying slightly as he opened her bag and removed the fire starter.

  Nina’s raised arms trembled. She was aware of the valos behind her, aware of their frantic thoughts and emotions, but she had to keep her focus elsewhere. Had to keep her focus on the danger. Piercing, throbbing pain pulsed at her temples, more intense than she’d ever known.

  Hurry.

  Warmth blossomed at her back. She opened her eyes to see the creatures at the front of the writhing ring cast in the orange light of a fire. Many of them screeched, squealed, and chittered in panic, but it wasn’t enough.

  Squeezing her eyes shut one more time, she imagined the fire growing, spreading, roaring in a wave toward the critters. At the same time, she grasped her connections with her valos, reached into their heartstones and took hold of all their fury, pumping it into the mind-fire.

  She screamed all that rage, all that defiance, at the sand creatures, at this unnatural place, at the evil being who’d created all this. The fire swept out in a flash, blasting over the creatures’ mind pulses, engulfing them and climbing toward the heavens.

  Nina dropped to her knees, catching herself on her hands to keep from falling face down in the sand. She panted, head throbbing as something wet trickled from her nose.

  “Nina!”

  She wasn’t sure which of the valos had called her name; it might have been all of them.

  The warm, comforting, secure presences of her mates closed in around her. Their hands moved gently over her back and her arms, soothing her. They spoke in hurried, worried voices, but their words were muffled by the lingering roar of flames within her mind.

  She’d failed. She couldn’t hold the creatures back any longer, couldn’t strain her mind any further. At any moment, they’d be back, clawing and biting and pecking. And even her valos would be overwhelmed.

  “Nina,” someone repeated. Was it Balir?

  “I’m sorry,” she said, voice broken with despair. “I tried.”

  “She is bleeding. Move her closer to the fire.”

  Strong arms slipped under her, lifting her off the ground. She was unable to do anything but cling to them.

  No more fire. Too much fire…

  She was lowered onto a warm lap and drawn against a hard chest — Vortok was holding her. She sank into his embrace and waited for the inevitable, for the pain that would soon come, though the throbbing in her skull made it difficult to focus on anything apart from the feel of Vortok’s body against hers.

  Nina concentrated on his heartbeat as his big hands moved gently up and down her back. She eased gradually as the throbbing in her head faded. No other pain followed. The crackling fire nearby cast soothing warmth on her, combining with Vortok’s body heat to chase away the chill of the night air.

  Eventually, she opened her eyes and lifted her head. Vortok was staring down at her with concern gleaming in his gaze. When she looked at Bal
ir and Aduun, who were crouched not two feet away, she saw the same concern mirrored in their expressions.

  “Where are the creatures?” she asked. They’d been sitting here for so long, undisturbed. Too long.

  Aduun lifted his gaze to Vortok for a moment and then tapped Balir’s shoulder. He and Balir scooted aside, expanding her field of view.

  There was a patch of sand immediately behind them, a semicircle that extended for perhaps twenty feet from where Nina sat, that was scattered with a few crushed bodies. The ground on the other side of that semicircle was blanketed by dark, unmoving creatures. Legs, pincers, and tails jutted into the air, and many of the critters were piled atop each other. If she and the valos spent all day counting, they would not get through all the carcasses.

  “I…” Her brows furrowed in confusion. Had she done that?

  “Just as we were being overwhelmed, the creatures began to back away,” Aduun said. “Like some unseen force was pushing them. When you stepped forward, they only moved farther back. They remained in a ring, just like that, none of them coming closer. And then…”

  “They panicked.” Vortok’s voice rumbled into her through his chest. “They panicked, and died, screeching in pain. Just like that.”

  Nina stared at the creatures in wonder. The fire. She’d…she’d killed them by making them believe they’d burned to death.

  For a moment, terror filled her. Not once in her life had she thought she’d ever be capable of something like this. She read minds, she heard thoughts, she felt emotions, and sometimes she projected into other people’s heads. Once, she’d hurt other children, Zoya’s daughters...but what was that compared to this? When she thought of what might have happened due to her inability to control her power, to restrain herself, it made her blood run cold.

  I could have killed my mates.

  But…I saved them.

  That was her only comfort. She’d saved them, kept them from harm, and they were here now because of her.

  Could she have prevented some of the other hardships they’d endured during their journey if she’d been willing to push herself sooner? If, instead of fearing what she could do, she’d embraced it, strengthened it, mastered it? Could she have turned away the treeclaws, or killed the worm before it harmed anyone?

  She looked back at her valos, and her resolve hardened. She would ensure they found their people and their freedom from this place if it was the last thing she did.

  Chapter Sixteen

  By the time Nina felt well enough to continue — she didn’t think more than fifteen or twenty minutes could’ve passed, at most — the first hints of dawn were lighting the sky. She and her companions checked that their bags were packed and secured and set out immediately.

  The chill in the air bled away with disorienting speed, replaced by the same dry, overwhelming heat from yesterday. She felt like she was walking through one of the ovens back in Bahmet.

  Time again lost meaning during their trek over scorching rock and sand. As they moved farther from the site of the nighttime massacre, they noticed living critters lurking nearby, but never in concentrated numbers. Without groups to bolster their courage, the creatures were easily frightened off.

  Nina tried not to think about what she’d done as she walked. She knew it was important, something she needed to explore, but it would require too much mental energy to reflect upon at this moment. All her concentration was required to keep her feet moving.

  Regardless, she didn’t regret protecting her mates.

  As before, she drank when the valos insisted, and they refused water when she demanded they do the same. Were it not so hot, she’d have argued with them.

  Time passed without meaning thanks to the seemingly unmoving sun. The mud she’d caked on her skin was dry and cracked, flaking off in little bits, but it was better than no protection at all. Still, even with frequent sips of water, the relentless sun quickly sapped her strength. She was silently grateful when Balir called them to a stop.

  He stepped in front of Aduun and turned his head as though listening. “There is running water nearby,” he said quietly.

  They followed Balir with renewed energy, and soon Nina heard the sound, too — flowing water. The ground descended and grew increasingly rocky, leading them down broad, step-like formations and across low rises.

  Finally, they found it — a wide stream, flowing from beneath a cliff face and outward to tumble over the edge of the rocky landscape. The sound of the water landing somewhere below was at once a rumble and a sigh. They hurried to the bank, where all four knelt and drank gratefully from the cool water.

  When her thirst was sated, Nina turned her attention downstream, to the point where the water flowed over the cliff. There was a subtle change to the sky beyond; it was blanketed with a shimmering gray sheen that seemed to fade when she focused on it.

  She rose and followed the stream until she reached the edge of the cliff. Leaning forward, she cautiously peered over. Lush greenery spread out from the mist below. Trees with giant leaves, vines, and hanging moss, and even farther out a faint glimmer of water amidst the green. A wave of vertigo struck her; she swayed forward unsteadily and would likely have fallen were it not for a heavy hand clasping onto her shoulder. She started, looking back to find Vortok with her.

  “Easy, Nina,” he said, offering her a smile. “There are safer ways down. They just take a little longer.”

  Once her heart settled, Nina released a long, slow breath, and chuckled. “I wouldn’t have fallen. Really.”

  Well… I might have.

  She was so weary, so overheated, that a drop into the cooling mist below almost sounded preferable to another second in this unforgiving desert air. Even her fear of heights hadn’t kept her away from the edge.

  Guess I’ve been a lot higher than this already.

  Balir and Aduun joined them. After looking out over the new landscape, Aduun pointed to the side. Her eyes followed the gesture to the sloped, descending rock formations to their left. “We might be able to get down that way. Are you ready to try, or do you need some more rest?”

  “I’m fine. We can rest once we’re out of this heat.” She could just feel the mist floating up from below, teasing her, beckoning her, lighting on her skin in cold, fleeting prickles.

  Together, the four moved upstream, crossed the water, and walked to the spot Aduun had indicated. Their descent was slow. Several times, the valos had to hold onto her as she climbed down the steeper outcroppings of rock, and Vortok carried her in two spots. Even though the air cooled a bit as they neared the base of the waterfall, even though the cliffs now towering over them blocked the direct sunlight, sweat was dripping down her face and torso by the time they arrived at the bottom.

  She walked to the edge of the wide pool that the waterfall emptied into, closed her eyes, and tipped her head back, relishing the feel of the mist on her skin. Without waiting another moment, she dropped her bag, divested herself of her clothing and boots, and stepped into the water. It sloshed around her legs, washing away sweat and mud and soothing her heated skin. When the water reached her waist, she dove under. It was a shock to her senses, but she quickly overcame it, swimming farther out before kicking back to the surface.

  Sweeping her wet hair back from her face, she turned toward the shore to find her valos wading toward her. Aduun was the first to submerge himself. Balir and Vortok followed his example soon after. Anticipation sparked new heat inside her as their blurred forms approached beneath the surface.

  Aduun rose from the water immediately in front of her. Balir surfaced to his left, and Vortok to his right. Rivulets ran over their fur and scales, and she traced the water’s movement over their broad, powerful muscles before looking them each in the eye, one after another.

  Despite her weariness, she felt refreshed, and Aduun, Vortok, and Balir looked better than they had in days, finally rinsed of the blood and dirt from their arduous journey.

  “I think this is the right place,�
�� Balir said.

  “Right place for what?” she asked.

  Aduun stepped forward and placed his hands on her hips before moving backward, drawing her gently toward the shallower water until she stood with her waist above the surface. Vortok and Balir remained beside him. Releasing his soft hold on her, Aduun shifted back so he was between the other two valos. His bright amber eyes held her gaze.

  “We wish to solidify our bond with you,” he said.

  “In the old way,” Balir added.

  “What?” she rasped. Eyes wide, heart quickening, she looked between her mates. “You…you don’t want to wait until…” What if they found their people and regretted this choice? What if they came to resent her for what she’d already forced upon them by inadvertently blooding their heartstones?

  Vortok grunted. “Why wait any longer? You are our mate in all but ceremony.”

  “You want a lifebond? With me?” Tears misted her eyes.

  All three valos lifted their hands, holding their left palms up. Balir slid a claw over his open palm; Aduun did the same for himself before assisting Vortok, who did not have claws of his own. Nina’s breath hitched at the sight of blood welling on their skin; it was their life force, their essence, and they wanted to share it with her.

  With no blade of her own, she held her left hand out, wincing when Aduun flicked his claw across it to slit her skin. He extended a hand and grazed the back of his finger down her cheek, along her jaw and neck, until he reached her chest, where he sliced another shallow cut over her heart. Stunned, she watched as the valos made the same cuts on their own chests.

  Aduun placed his bleeding hand over her heart and gently clasped her wrist to flatten her palm against his chest.

  “Heart of my heart,” he said, voice low, “you are mine until Sonhadra claims me.”

  Nina smiled through her tears, fingers curling in his fur. “Heart of my heart, you are mine until Sonhadra claims me.”

  Aduun stepped back, breaking the contact between them, and Vortok moved forward. She turned to the big valo as they placed their hands on each other’s chests and repeated the same words, staring into one another’s eyes.