Soldier's Runaway (Korystus Aliens Book 2)

by Avery Rae

  The moment Kolyr chose to sacrifice everything to save me from Solys, he carved out a place for himself in my heart. Whether it was for his own motivations or not, that spot was his. But that didn't mean I was entirely comfortable with a Korysti taking up that spot, especially since I barely knew him.

  7

  We'd been traveling through the glowing forests of Korystus for a few days. Apparently, Kolyr hadn't been exaggerating when he said it would be a long journey. We had yet to hear a peep from Solys and his men, though, so it was worth the detour. Besides, it wasn't just the distance that made this journey take forever. We had to make frequent stops so I could rest and eat, both of which I needed to do much more often than Kolyr, and we took detours to nearby caves to sleep each night.

  And every morning, it seemed as if Kolyr was a little closer than when we went to bed. I didn't know if it was me moving or him, but the past two mornings, I'd woken with his arms wound around me. We both pretended like it was nothing, yet even when we were walking, we kept on brushing and bumping into each other. As if we didn't have an entire forest worth of space to share.

  Perhaps that was it, though. We were all alone out here. It was as if the rest of Korystus didn't exist.

  We were taking one of our many rests, sitting beneath lush trees that glowed varying shades of blue. Kolyr bumped my shoulder and pointed toward a nearby bush that was spilling over with blood-red berries, their centers emanating a harsh light.

  "Those didn't look at all, I don't know, out of place to you?" Kolyr asked, with a laugh barely muffled beneath his words. "You thought those looked inviting? Like they wanted to be eaten?"

  I pursed my lips to hide a smile. "Are you really making fun of me for poisoning myself?"

  "That would be rude, wouldn't it?"

  "Mhm," I agreed. "And you're supposed to be proving to me that Korysti don't suck."

  I'd learned that when he thought he was being cute, he'd put his bottom lip between his teeth and smile. He did it when he was lost in thought, too. I'd taken a real liking to it. Far more than I should've. To the point where no matter when he did it or why, I'd catch myself smiling every single time.

  I had to get a handle on myself, I knew that much, but it was hard when it was just the two of us out here. Where I could pretend that his people didn't treat mine awfully. It was easy. Too easy. Especially when he was so unfailingly kind to me.

  I knew for certain that sitting beneath romantic, glowing trees and damn near cuddling each other wasn't going to help matters. I cleared my throat, got to my feet, and stretched. I paused as I caught a whiff of myself. That's one way to ruin the moment. It'd been several days since I took that shower at Kolyr's, and I was badly in need of another.

  "Why didn't you tell me I smell so bad?" I asked with a wrinkle of my nose.

  "Odor-blindness at this point, probably," he said with a slow grin. "I thought about telling you yesterday, but—"

  "Like you smell so much better."

  "I'm joking. Mostly." Kolyr got to his feet, that infectious grin growing wider. "You want to take a few and get clean? Might be a little risky, but Solys has no idea where we are."

  "It has seemed pretty quiet, hasn't it?"

  He lifted a brow. "You might say I'm just that good."

  I rolled my eyes and sighed. "Is this about the Defense Force thing again?"

  "No, just the honest truth. Has this not been the most leisurely escape of your life?"

  "If you keep on making me roll my eyes like this, they will get stuck up here."

  "Just admit that I'm your hero. Without the sarcasm this time."

  "No can do. I couldn't possibly say that with a straight face."

  "I'll just assume you're thinking it then." He grabbed my hand, pulling me away from our little campsite.

  "Hold on, I can't go without my stick." I slid my hand from his and doubled back to pick up my stolen staff. When I was back at his side, I held my hand out once more. "Lead the way."

  Kolyr's eyes dropped for a moment, studying my fingers, then he linked his own fingers through them. As we walked forward, I looked back at our campsite with a hint of a frown.

  "Should we really leave our stuff out in the open?"

  Kolyr looked down at me. "No, but we'll just go for a quick dip and come back."

  "A quick dip where?"

  "Through here," he said as he pulled me through a thick line of trees. There was the faint sound of rushing water just up ahead.

  I winced as the branches caught in my already-knotted hair. "Isn't there an easier path somewhere? This is so—" I gasped at the sight awaiting us on the other side of the trees. "Beautiful. This is so beautiful."

  Hidden within a dense circle of trees which glowed soft purples and blues was a large pond with a slow-moving waterfall set against white rock, leisurely pouring down into it. The surface of the water rippled slightly, reflecting the hues of the trees all around it. There was just enough of a gap in the canopy above for the soft glow of Korystus' moons to send a beam of light shining down into the middle of it all.

  "How'd you know this was here?" I asked, unable to take my eyes away from the surface of the water.

  "I know nearly every inch of these forests." Kolyr stood beside me. "What else do you think I have to do living all the way out here?"

  "I'm not even sure how far out we are, remember?"

  "True. Trust me, I live very far away from everything."

  "I really do trust you." The words surprised me just as much as him. But I meant it. I trusted him. A Korysti. It felt as weird as it sounded.

  "Are you sure about that?"

  "Actually, I am."

  I slid my eyes to the side and quirked my lips up into a smirk. Before he could reply, I pulled my baggy dress over my head, dropping it to the ground as I turned to face him. I was feeling cocky because I'd easily put on a few ounces of weight in our travels thanks to Kolyr making sure I ate a little more each day.

  Sure, it wasn't much, but I felt more like myself again, and that was all that mattered. I must've been looking pretty alright, too, because Kolyr was staring openly, his eyes slightly widened.

  I held my arms out wide. "What? It's not like you haven't seen all this before."

  He opened his mouth but no words came out. Turning around, I bit down on my inner cheek to control the smile that wanted to spill over and walked toward the waterline. I was about to dip in a toe when Kolyr suddenly shouted, "Stop!"

  I whirled back around, my heart hammering against my chest. "What's going on? Did you hear something?"

  There was a big smile on his face, his bright eyes shining. "You didn't let me appreciate the view long enough."

  "Seriously?" I replied with a laugh as I started to back into the water. "I thought there was something in the water."

  The moment my feet hit the water, his expression turned serious. "Wait! There really is something in there!"

  I nearly jumped back out, but not before I caught the mirth in his eyes. Narrowing my own, I continued backward, slowly sinking my nude form into the water. It was surprisingly warm, and it felt so wonderful I wanted to moan.

  "Feast your eyes, Kolyr," I called out, "because you just ensured this is the most you're ever going to get."

  "You're saying I had a chance?"

  It was my turn to smile, an eyebrow raised. "Maybe. But now you'll never know."

  He moved to the edge of the water, biting at his lip as he studied me. Something wicked flashed in his eyes, and his hands moved to his clothes. I tried to avert my eyes as he slowly stripped, revealing his perfect, muscled flesh an inch at a time, and failed. Spectacularly.

  "I definitely had a chance," he said with a knowing look.

  I wanted to tell him he was wrong, but I instead proved him right by falling silent as he removed the last of his clothing and stood completely bare before me, his skin shining beautiful, rich shades of color in the glow of the trees. I thought back to those moments in the cave when I wanted to
innocently rest my head against his chest. My thoughts were nowhere near that pure anymore.

  There was a shining, deep purple tattoo that curved down from one shoulder and between his pecs. It was a simple design, a thick line capped with rounded arrowhead-like points at each end. Right about the time Kolr started to smirk, I realized my lips were hanging open, and I was only moving enough to stay afloat. He reveled in that small victory a little too much, taking his time moving to the water. I arched a brow and turned around in the water to swim away.

  "Don't try and fake like you're not interested now," he called out with a laugh. "The drooling gave you away."

  He was so damn cute. Handsome, funny, strong, and protective of some angry, paranoid human woman who wasn't very nice to him. I would've made a joke about him being made in a lab or something, but he really was, just like every other Korysti.

  It was no wonder I couldn't stop myself from feeling all these . . . things. I groaned and sank beneath the water. Feelings, Naomi, they're called feelings. It was true whether I could admit it to myself or not. I had feelings for him when I knew I shouldn't, because the moment I could leave Korystus, I was gone. I could never be happy here, even if the forever-looming threat of Solys was magically resolved. At least, I couldn't imagine that ever being the case.

  When I resurfaced, Kolyr was nowhere to be seen. I swiveled my head around as I brushed the water from my face.

  "Kolyr?" I called out.

  I heard nothing but the rush of the waterfall and the gentle sway of the trees, their leaves rustling with the faint breeze. My stomach sank. He left me? I shouldn't have cared. It was what I'd wanted from the start, right? I told him to go and leave me out here to die alone. And yet, suddenly, I wasn't so sure I wanted that anymore.

  A second later, I was yanked beneath the water. I opened my eyes and saw the silvery shine of Kolyr's eyes, and I'd be a liar if I said my heart didn't skip a beat. He wrapped his arms around me and jettisoned toward the surface with a powerful kick, laughing as we breached the water.

  "You should've seen your face."

  "You should see yours," I murmured, bringing my hand to his cheek. I leaned forward, almost brushing my lips against his. He inhaled sharply—and I used my other hand to splash at him wildly before swimming away.

  "What was that?" he said with a laugh.

  "Didn't they teach you in defense school to never let your guard down?"

  "Defense school? Really?"

  I was trying to play it off like a joke, but the truth was . . . I'd wanted to kiss him. I sank beneath the water, vaguely hoping I could drown myself before my embarrassment had the chance to.

  When I said I fell fast, I meant it, and I wanted nothing more than to kiss Kolyr's stupid, handsome face. Which was making it increasingly hard for me to act like a normal person in front of him. I couldn't help it. When I had a crush, I had two modes. Wanton sex goddess, and bumbling, love-drunk idiot.

  When my lungs cried out for air and I dared to surface, Kolyr was at the end of the pond, plucking something from a bush along the edge of the water. He swam back to me and lifted a hand above the water. A light shone brightly from between his closed fingers.

  He unfurled them, showing me what was in his palm, and I had to look away for a moment, blinking to adjust my eyes to the light. He was holding perfectly spherical little berries. They were the source of light.

  "Try one," he said, offering them to me.

  I picked one up and studied it with pursed lips. "I don't know. The last time I ate berries on this planet, I poisoned myself, so . . ."

  He placed one of the berries on the center of his tongue before closing his mouth and chewing. "Your turn."

  "Well, if you're going to do it, I can't be made to look like a coward."

  I ate one, and the moment the flavor hit my tongue, I wanted more. I reached out to grab another, but Kolyr pulled his hand back and swam back just a little.

  "Careful. We need to see how you react to one first."

  I frowned. "It's not doing anything yet. It just tastes really—oh."

  My body flushed with warmth, and although the edges of my mind grew fuzzy, my senses seemed sharper. The water lapping against my skin was warmer. The purple and blue hues of the trees were more vivid. I could better hear the sound of the gentle breeze cooling my face and wet hair. And I was happy, so very happy. I no longer cared that I was on the run. That Solys could come for me at any minute. It didn't matter as long as I was here.

  I looked at Kolyr with a delighted laugh. "This is amazing."

  "I told you."

  "Another one."

  That wicked look crossed Kolyr's face again. He moved a little farther away. "If you want more, then come get them."

  With a smile, I dove beneath the warm water and swam to him. The moment I surfaced, he placed the last two berries in his mouth and flashed me a glowing smile.

  "You think that's going to stop me?" I moved in so close that we were nearly touching. Kolyr's eyes dipped down, looking through the water at my bare chest. When he lifted his eyes back to mine, I gave him a slow smile. "You're about to learn that I'm not one to back down from a challenge."

  He arched a brow and I draped my arms over his shoulders, then slid my hands up to the back of his head, bringing him down for a kiss. The moment our lips met, I pressed my chest against his and he groaned low in his throat, lips parting. I deepened our kiss, sneaking my tongue in to claim one of the berries waiting on his tongue.

  I pulled back, smiling as I bit down on the sweet fruit. Kolyr's gaze was unfocused, his breathing heavier. His eyes dropped to my lips as he leaned forward. I moved my hands to his shoulders, then kicked my legs in the water, rushing toward the surface as I sank him underneath.

  Laughing, I raced away, cutting through the water with long strokes. But I wasn't nearly fast enough. I took a deep breath as I felt a hand encircle my ankle, then I was pulled under. Kolyr took me in his arms and kissed me as he kicked us back to the surface. Our lips parted, eyes meeting instead.

  Through heavy breaths which matched mine, Kolyr spoke, something conflicted in his expression. "Naomi, are you sure—"

  I touched a finger to his soft lips. "Don't ruin it."

  Eyes heavy-lidded, he went to kiss me, but he stopped. There was no longer any conflict in his expression. It'd been replaced by a hard, calculating alertness. Something wasn't right. Through the fog of the berries clouding my mind, I realized I should probably be panicking. But I smiled instead. Surely he was playing another joke on me?

  "Kolyr, I'm not falling for the creature-in-the-water thing again."

  He clamped a hand over my mouth and held me against him. His heart pounded against his chest so hard I could feel it through mine.

  Moving his lips close to my ear, he whispered, "Dive under and swim straight ahead. There's a branch there; try to get up and hide in the bushes."

  I wanted to giggle. Tell him he was being dramatic. However, with my hearing sharpened by the mind-altering fruit, I heard rustling in the trees around us. Someone was coming. More than one person. The trees began to visibly shake as they drew closer.

  Kolyr gave me a gentle push. "Go."

  After taking in a breath, I sank deep below the surface and swam straight ahead, just like he told me to. I rose as slowly as I could, my lungs burning for air. Peeking my eyes above the waterline, I saw no one. With quick movements, I clung to the branch hanging over the water and strained to pull myself up. By some miracle, I soon ended up safely tucked within the gently glowing bushes, hoping they concealed me well enough.

  As I looked out from my vantage point, my stomach churned. I recognized the navy uniforms of the Korysti emerging from the trees. Guards. Korystus was littered with them. For a peaceful planet, they sure seemed to have a lot of security. Or maybe it was because my only experience was a government lab followed by a politician's mansion. Either way, they'd found me once more. Of course they did. I would never be free as long as I was on Kory
stus.

  Although I had to stifle another inappropriate giggle, I was thankful I was drugged. It made it easier to remain still as I sat there, just hoping I wasn't found. I stared at the guards as they paced the pond's small bank. They'd found our discarded clothes at the waterline.

  "They have to be nearby," one of the guards shouted, holding up the oversized dress I'd been wearing.

  No way, you think? I clamped a second hand over my mouth, desperately holding back a laugh. My smile just as soon gave way to a frown. I realized I hadn't seen Kolyr since I hid. I was starting to worry they'd gotten him in the trees, somewhere I couldn't see him. I pictured him writhing on the ground after getting hit with one of those awful staves.

  Wait a second. I looked back at the guard rifling through our clothes. My staff was gone. The moment the realization hit me, the guard was on the ground. He convulsed as Kolyr kept the staff jammed into the base of his spine. He'd attacked from the trees right behind the guard. How did he get behind him?!

  From the tremble of the branches behind Kolyr, it was obvious he was about to get the same treatment. He was alert, though. The moment the first guard breached the trees, Kolyr whipped around and caught the guard's staff with his own and shoved.

  As the guard toppled back into the trees, two more appeared, flanking Kolyr from either side. I told myself it wasn't funny, but the stupid berries had me wanting to giggle madly at the sight of Kolyr standing there, so very serious and so very naked.

  My breath hitched at the sight of a third guard appearing behind him. Plus, the one that had fallen was slowly getting back to his feet. Even through the silly haze clouding my mind, I knew he was in too deep. He might've been a trained soldier but there was no way four to one was going to end in his favor.

  I ventured into the trees and began making my way toward him, my heart hammering as I heard cries, shouts, thumps, and zaps from those staves. I didn't know what I was going to do, but before Korystus, I'd been a badass who would've never hidden away while someone needed my help. I wanted to be that woman again.