The Yarian (Women of Dor Nye Book 3)

by Poppy Rhys

  He handed her a round, striped, purple fruit. She recognized it as the same kind she chose not to eat earlier that morning.

  When she gave him the evil eye, he lifted her hand to her mouth, the fruit touching her lips.

  “Eat the saesoni,” he told her, tapping the fruit. “It’s good for you.”

  “That’s debatable…” she mumbled, turning the fruit over in her hands before she begrudgingly took a bite.

  Ugh.

  The musty flavor spread over her taste buds and slid down her throat when she gulped forcefully. It wasn’t a crisp fruit, but rather soft and gritty. She shivered, taking another chomp as the alien stood there and made sure she ate it all.

  “Where’s yours? It doesn’t seem fair I’m the only one enduring this torture.”

  He crossed his arms over his massive chest.

  Fucker.

  No doubt he knew it tasted like shit. What a sadist.

  When he gestured for her to get into the canoe, she did. Finley sat near the front on her knees, as instructed, and then Hunter was pushing the canoe into the water and hopping in.

  “What about Joh?” she pointed to his pet beast.

  “He’ll follow.”

  He picked up the paddle and spurred them forward. She watched as Joh hurried along the bank. Sometimes he’d disappear and show up a few minutes later. He probably knew the jungle pretty well.

  She gripped the sides of the canoe, trailing her fingers in the clear water every once in a while. When they were in a deeper, quieter part of the river, she kept her limbs inside the boat after she noticed long, yellow, snake-like creatures darting around under the surface.

  Alien water monsters.

  Multiple times she tilted her head back, closing her eyes and letting the sun shine down upon her face in spots where the canopy of trees opened up over the river.

  It wasn’t as suffocating, being on the water, as it was traipsing through the bush. There was even the occasional cool breeze that brushed her skin.

  She wondered how Dana was doing, and her family. Finley tried not to, but they just kept creeping into her mind, souring her mood before she coached herself to remain calm.

  She would get home, somehow.

  “What’s a Shu’Lee?” Fin asked, resuming her interrogation from the day before.

  “A warrior,” Hunter responded as she rearranged herself to face him. When his eyes dipped to her naked breasts, she quickly remembered her nudity and snapped her fingers.

  “My eyes are up here, buddy.”

  He smirked.

  Asshole.

  “A warrior who has completed the Shuluh.”

  “What’s the Shuluh?”

  She sighed, wondering if she’d ever get to the bottom of all this.

  “A long quest to complete, set forth by the Tishani,” he paused, offering up an explanation. “A spiritual leader.”

  Finally, he said it before I had to ask.

  “How long?”

  “One term.”

  “You went on a year long quest?”

  Fin narrowed her eyes. It sounded like a video game.

  He gave a short nod.

  “What was it for? What did you do? Did you get a prize or something?”

  Hunter huffed a single breathy laugh, startling her. At least, she thought it was a laugh. She’d never heard him do it before.

  Progress!

  She was one step closer to convincing him to take her home. Her real home.

  He continued dipping the paddle into the river with a steady rhythm. “It was to become a Shu’Lee. I did many things, spent the entire term away from my tribe, alone, to survive Yari, her terrain, her creations, to prove I was worthy to outsmart and kill the weqna beast…” he trailed, his eyes falling on her.

  No… no!

  His gaze was morphing back into that emotionally constipated stage. A dissatisfied glint to his eyes when he glared at the mark on her neck.

  “To breathe new life and blood into our people, to prove I was worthy to have you.” He ended that last bit with an unabashed sneer.

  Fin shifted uncomfortably.

  “You are my prize.”

  The hairs on her nape rose when he began to open his mouth.

  Don’t say it. Don’t say it!

  “Unsure if it was a fair deal.”

  Goddammit.

  “Ya know,” Fin started, her cheeks heating with embarrassment. “You’re no fabulous catch either. In fact, I’ll gladly get the hell out of this armpit of a planet if you just point me to the nearest transport!”

  Fin wasn’t a prize to be won, a possession to be owned. Her logical mind didn’t like that insinuation, at all, but some niggling annoyance in her body, or the back of her brain, felt impressed.

  “So, go fuck yourself.” She smoothed her long hair, lifting her chin.

  He laughed in earnest now, that smooth, rough around the fringe, deep tone rolling over her ears and catching her off guard.

  Fin rolled her eyes, hating that she kind of loved the way it sounded. Rich, hypnotic, and warm. She felt her own lips twitching, quivering, as she tried to keep herself from laughing right along with him.

  The skin around his eyes crinkled when he laughed, and he almost looked handsome. Albeit in an alien way, but still. Even the multiple fangs adorning the inside of his smiling mouth didn’t frighten her.

  “You have guts, human,” he finally said, a last chuckle making him shake his head.

  Fin rolled a shoulder, shrugging.

  “So,” she eventually said, “you completed the Shuluh, killed the beast, became Shu’Lee, traveled far, far away, kidnapped me, and now…?”

  He raised his brows but remained silent, dipping the paddle in, out, in again. When he didn’t say anything, she decided to fill in the blank for him.

  “And now, you plan to turn me into some barefoot and pregnant wild woman?”

  She pursed her lips, squinting when that smug light to his eyes came back.

  “Well, I’ve got news for you,” Fin sang. “I can’t have younglings.”

  More silence, though she had his attention now.

  “Surprise,” she said flatly.

  “Is this truth?” he thundered, his brow pulled low and tone disbelieving.

  The tendrils of regret eked up her spine, and she wondered if he was debating on throwing her overboard since she wouldn’t have much use if she couldn’t ‘breathe new life and blood’ into his people.

  She should’ve waited to drop that bomb once they were back on land.

  “If I say yes,” she hedged, “do you plan to take me back home?”

  “No.” She could hear the suspicion creeping into his tone.

  “Well, yes,” Fin huffed, deciding it was worth a try to see if he’d take her back. “My answer is still yes.”

  “I’m having a hard time believing you.”

  “That doesn’t make it any less true,” she shrugged. “You won’t get any younglings outta me.”

  She lied.

  Semi-lied.

  Truth was, she’d just received her restriction serum two weeks before her visit to Vishik. Technically, she could eventually conceive, just not for another eight to ten months.

  Not that she was going to tell him that.

  She planned to be off this backward planet, and back home, before the serum wore off and he figured out she was only telling half truths. Someway, somehow, she was leaving. The clock was ticking.

  Part of her hoped he’d see her as useless, and take her back to Dor Nye. Actually, she was really praying for it.

  But the Universe, as the wicked bitch liked to conspire against her, must’ve thought that was just too easy.

  They fell into silence, Hunter going back to concentrating on guiding the canoe, though he looked wrathful after her revelation.

  She pushed her ring round and round upon her finger with the edge of her thumb, stuffing down the annoying sliver of guilt at her half truth.

  Her conscienc
e was really beginning to peeve her, considering it wasn’t taking into account the fact that he kidnapped her.

  That little detail seemed to be overlooked time and time again.

  When they passed a bend in the river, Finley’s eyes widened.

  A large creature stood on one side of the bank, its front legs like sharp, curved spears while its two rear legs had three toes adorned with thick, black talons.

  The skin upon its skeletal body was a leathery orange, some of it bunching and wrinkling down its hind like it might slide off at any moment. Its boney head lifted from the water, red eyes staring her down.

  The evil looking thing startled her when its lips curled back on its teeth, rows of jagged, yellowed carnivorous instruments, and barked a deep, rattling cry.

  “Hunter?” she said shakily.

  “Ruxvin won’t cross the water.”

  She wasn’t sure she believed him, because the ruxvin looked like he was really contemplating getting wet if it meant an easy meal.

  Her muscles tensed, ready to scramble back toward her captor when the ruxvin’s sharp front leg stepped into the water.

  It made another bone rattling call and then backed away from the bank, though its demon eyes followed them until they were out of sight.

  She was officially done with planet Yari after seeing that.

  It really hadn’t dawned on her what type of creatures could be lurking in the jungle that seemed to never end, but now it was all she could think about.

  Each time her eyes would scan the foliage on either side of the river, she’d conjure up some new nightmare beast that was lurking just out of view.

  It set her on edge, stoking the fire in her belly that insisted she get the hell out of dodge.

  Hunter steered them to the bank further down the channel, pulling the canoe up and out of the water as the sun sunk lower and lower.

  The bugs were in full force at the new part of the jungle they were in, their whining and buzzing creating the background music. It was darker, creepier, and it wasn’t just the nightly fog that made it feel like so.

  The plants looked meaner.

  Large barbs and thorns mottled thick stalks of flora, vines tangling and twisting at their bases. A small, fuzzy, blue critter was caught in its trap, already dead and being digested by the plant.

  Finley took a step back, bumping into Hunter as she stared, unable to look away.

  “Dangerous place,” he said from behind. “Keep close.”

  He didn’t have to tell her twice. Being eaten by a carnivorous plant taller than she was, was not on her agenda.

  Nope. Not today, Yari. Not today!

  When there was a rustling nearby, the fine hairs along her arms stood on end.

  Quickly, Hunter moved her behind him, and Finley jumped when the ridges along his spine, forearms, and calves pushed a black, curved hook out of each protrusion.

  It was as if each rounded bulge contained an individual claw.

  So that’s what those are.

  She remembered wondering what the ridges had been for, when she’d first examined him in the cell. Now she knew, and a part of her wished she didn’t.

  Not human.

  The black spines on his forearms curled backward toward his elbow, and the ones along his calves curled upward toward his knee, while the ones along his back curved down. Those were longer, more like bowed daggers.

  The bush rustled again, her fingers curling in on themselves as she laid them on Hunter’s back, her feet aching in preparation to bolt.

  Joh popped out of the shrubs.

  Fin shook, and then let out a trapped sigh.

  “Joh has a habit of making an entrance,” she whispered, scowling at the creature.

  Hunter grunted, agreeing, and slowly, the black spines retracted.

  Finley hadn’t noticed his hand had reached back until his three fingers were stroking the skin along her ribs. She flinched when she registered this, smacking the hand away.

  “Stop touching me,” she whispered harshly.

  When he sunk down to his haunches, he pointed to his back. “Hold on while I climb.”

  Her eyes traveled up the large, gnarly tree with its winding branches that snaked out further into the jungle. “Why?”

  “Ground isn’t safe.”

  She didn’t need any further explanation.

  The night was already upon them, and she was feeling more uneasy by the second. Her fingers slid over his muscled shoulders, arms wrapping around the front of his neck as she pressed her body to his back.

  There was that scent again. The smoky, clean smell of his skin that had a drug like effect on her brain. Her eyelids drooped before she snapped herself out of it.

  Holding onto his back was as uncomfortable as she remembered from their escape on Vishik, as once she wrapped her legs around his middle, his spine ridges were prodding her from breastbone to abdomen.

  “Just don’t do the freaky spikey thing,” she said close to the back of his ear, “or I’ll be skewered.”

  “If you die, human, it won’t be by my hand.”

  Fin rolled her eyes.

  Up the tree he climbed, surprising her with his speed. In a matter of moments, they were up high, and when she looked down, the arches of her feet quivered and began to feel tight. They always did that whenever she was up high. A quirk of her fear.

  “Ooookay,” she exhaled roughly, counting to five. “I will not panic.”

  Hopefully.

  “Such little faith in me,” Hunter snorted, crawling along the thick, wide branch until they reached a large nest.

  It was a round mess of intertwined twigs, vines, and leaves. She didn’t want to think of how massive the bird was that abandoned it. If it was even a bird. If it was even abandoned.

  “We can rest here.” He helped her off his back, his strong hands supporting her until she was safely crouching down in the nest.

  Fin felt around, noticing the leaves and vines gave it some cushion.

  “What if the creature who lives here comes back?”

  “It won’t,” he said distractedly as his eyes roved their surroundings with purpose, like he was searching for something. “The Iribo only nests in the cold season.”

  She didn’t even want to know what an iribo was.

  Hunter’s expression turned to one of satisfaction as he spotted something from above. Her eyes lifted as she cranked her head back upon her neck, trying to figure out what it was he was watching.

  “What is it?”

  She didn’t see anything.

  “Stay here.”

  “Wait, what? Alone?” she blanched, watching him crawl out of the nest. “Where are you going?”

  He didn’t bother answering her, as he was already scurrying away and climbing further up the tree.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  It was so dark Fin could barely see anything. Her ears strained to hear what he might be doing, her breath shallow, faint, as she waited for some awful screech to signify a fight breaking out.

  Why else would he leave the nest?

  Leaves from the tree sprinkled down over her, and when she looked up, nothing was there.

  Damn that alien, she inwardly fumed. Leaving her in an oversized basket of debris, in the dark, in a tree, with only God knew what lurking about.

  A squawk from deeper within the forest nearly jolted her out of her skin, goosebumps breaking along her arms. It was getting colder, but that wasn’t why her skin pebbled.

  When she was beginning to contemplate calling out for him, she saw a flash of shadow near the tree trunk.

  Her captor.

  She expelled the breath she’d been holding when he sunk back into what was supposed to be their bed for the night.

  “You can’t just leave me by myself in the middle of a jungle,” she whisper-yelled, not wanting to disturb any night lurkers. “In a tree by the way, in case you forgot.”

  Hunter leaned forward, smashing whatever was in his hand against the thick br
anch, the sharp sound of something hard cracking rang through the darkness like a loudspeaker.

  Fin’s eyes darted around, anticipating some nightmarish creature to swoop in and attack.

  He did it again, the sound rattling her spine. She clenched her teeth, her breath quickening. Just as she was about to tell him to cut it out before they got eaten, he turned, depositing a hard, smooth shell into her hands.

  “What is this?” she asked, barely able to make out whatever it was in the dark.

  “Food,” he simply said.

  At the word, her stomach woke up with a gurgle, as if to say ‘finally, you’re listening to me now’.

  She lifted it to her nose, sniffing. It didn’t have a distinct odor, other than a plantlike scent. It was neither good, or bad.

  Sticking a finger into the half shell that doubled as a bowl, she swished the contents around, cringing at the slimy, clumpy innards.

  “Ugh, what is it?”

  Whatever it was, it didn’t feel appetizing.

  “Nutrition,” he cupped her hand, lifting the bowl closer to her face. “Eat.”

  “I’m beginning to think you have bad taste in food,” she grimaced, taking a few breaths as she built up her resolve and then lifted the bowl to her lips.

  She heard him slurp up his portion of the slop, her stomach lurching.

  Another breath and she was tipping the shell up, letting the gooey mess slide onto her tongue.

  Its salty flavor made her body shiver and her mouth water as she coached herself to swallow. It was liquid enough to forgo chewing whatever the chunks were.

  She paused, gulping air, trying to ride out her newfound gumption to finish off the food so she didn’t appear unthankful, or starve.

  Starving was her main concern.

  Fin didn’t know if he could see her facial expression or not, but she glared daggers his way before she tilted the bowl again and took several gulps to finish it off.

  “Ugh,” she groaned, holding a hand to her mouth while she willed the chunks down her esophagus. They needed to stay in her stomach, not make their way back up. She was determined. “What was that?”

  Hunter took the shell from her, tossing it out into the jungle.