by Sophie Stern
Most Sapphirans don’t want to take the risk.
Dagger walks beside me, but doesn’t speak. There’s a comfortable silence as we walk along. Every so often, I check my communications bracelet to make sure we’re going in the right direction. She stays close as we duck under low-hanging branches and every once in awhile she’ll jump at a strange sound or sight.
Dagger fascinates me. She’s so curious and cautious in some ways, but so wild and reckless in others. She’s a complete contradiction unlike anything or anyone I’ve ever seen.
“We’ll stay here,” I say when we reach a small clearing. There are several large oliaoneve trees surrounding it. They’re more than big enough for a sleeping nest.
“Where?” Dagger stops walking and looks around the clearing. She shrugs, then motions strangely with her hands. Humans are an extraordinary species, I think. There’s so much to learn about them. Even though I’ve spent several hours walking with Dagger, she’s still so intriguing.
“What are you doing?”
“What?”
“With your hands. What are you doing?”
She looks at her tiny palms and then back at me. “Nothing. I was motioning. You know, because there’s nowhere to sleep. Unless you mean…” She looks up at the trees and her face goes pale. “Oh, no.”
“We’ll sleep in the oliaoneve trees,” I tell her simply. They’re the safest and sturdiest of the trees. Nothing will hurt us in the nest.”
“The nest?” She raises an eyebrow. Does she not know what I mean or is she being sarcastic? Her body language is too confusing for me, especially when I’m tired. Right now, I wish Dagger would just say what she means because I say what I mean, and what I mean is that we need to get in our nest before night falls.
“Woman,” I’m frustrated. “What are you trying to ask me?”
“What the hell are you talking about, Ezra?” She motions around again, and my head is starting to ache. “What do you mean we’re going to sleep in a nest? Like a bird’s nest?” She squats down and moves her arms so her hands are toward her chest and her elbows are pointing out. She vaguely resembles some sort of air-born creature and I can’t help myself.
I laugh.
I chuckle at the idea that she’s trying to be a bird, and my laughter fills the area. Dagger seems to be a little embarrassed at my laughter, but after a moment, she starts to laugh, too, and we both enjoy the joke together.
It’s been so long since I felt comfortable around a woman. Hell, it’s been a long time since I spent time with a woman who wasn’t my sister or sister-in-law. Women and me don’t seem to get along.
I’m too gruff.
I’m too mean.
I’m too dark.
I’ve been called heartless and evil and terrible.
I’ve been called broken.
I’ve been called a killer.
I’ve been called so many things that right now, just being around Dagger is like a breath of fresh air. She might be scared of me, but she doesn’t judge me, and that makes me feel good, right. It makes me feel like even though we’re different, maybe spending time together isn’t such a bad thing. Maybe we can create some sort of comfortable companionship, at least until I find the fereers and get back to Diamond.
But then what will happen to her?
The thought saddens me because I wonder if Dagger will want to return to Mars. I wonder if she’ll want to return to her home, where she came from. I’ve only just met her, but the thought of saying goodbye breaks my heart a little, and that concerns me. Why does she have such an effect on me?
“Yes,” I finally say. “We’re going to stay in a nest. Not like the birds, though.” I walk around and look at the trees. Several look sturdy at first glance, but the branches are weak or damaged from storms. Those won’t do. The tree we sleep in needs to be able to keep us in the same place overnight, needs to be able to keep us safe and secure through the darkness.
There are plenty of animals who hunt in the darkness. There are plenty of creatures who come roaming at night, looking for prey. Fereers aren’t one of them, otherwise I’d be hunting at night instead of in the daylight. I like that I don’t have to hunt at night during this journey. Night hunting makes everything more difficult. I have to be more concerned about safety and food and watching my back at all times. During the day, I still need to be cautious, but things are a bit simpler.
Finally, I locate a branch that is thick, wide, and high. I pull my nesting rope from my bag and shoot it. The end of the rope ties automatically around the branch I’ve selected.
“What the hell?” Dagger says. “Did that rope just tie itself?”
“It’s nesting rope,” I say, which seems like it should be obvious. Next, I pull the nest from my pack. Pressing a small button on the side, the nest quickly expands and forms a small box. It’s about eight feet long and three feet wide. The exterior is completely camouflaged.
“Woah,” Dagger lets out a low whistle. “That’s incredible. It’s like a little tent, but better.”
I shove my pack inside the nest and motion for Dagger to follow suit.
“Wait,” I say, realizing she’s human and things might be different where she comes from. “Do you need to…?”
“Do I need to what?”
How do I put this delicately?
“Do you need to, um, use the bathroom before we go in?”
“Oh,” Dagger blushes. “Yeah, that would be a good idea. Hang tight.”
I don’t know what that means, but she hurries behind a tree and comes back a minute later looking a bit red.
“Sorry,” she says, but I’m not sure why she’s so apologetic. Humans are so tricky, so strange. I shake my head at her for a second. Should I ask what she’s sorry about? Something about her embarrassment makes me think twice, though, and I decide to let this one go.
“In you go,” I point to the nest and she climbs in. Once Dagger is inside, I finish connecting the nest to the nesting rope and make sure the entire thing is secure. Then I glance around the area once more. There shouldn’t be too many predators here, but you never can be too safe. I pull a couple of small alarms and cameras out of my pockets and walk the perimeter of the clearing. I set them up in several places. If anything tries to follow us or get to the nest, I’ll know before it happens.
Satisfied, I climb into the nest with Dagger, close the door, and push a button to lock the door.
“What happens now?” She asks. Dagger is sitting in the corner of the nest and has her legs curled up to her chest. There’s not a lot of room with both of us in here. Once we lie down to sleep, there will be even less space. I try not to think about how that makes me feel.
The last thing this woman needs is to know how attracted to her I am.
“Hang on to something,” I say. She reaches for a handle on the ceiling and grips it. Once I’m satisfied that she’s holding on tightly, I press another button and turn a knob. Then the nest lifts into the air toward the tree.
“Woah!” Dagger whispers as the nest moves. There are two small windows on the nest: one on each side. She peeks out the one at her end watches as we’re lifted up and away from the ground. “This is incredible. We’re so high.”
I chuckle because we’re only about 15 feet off the ground. It’s high enough that the lellianes can’t get us, but low enough that we won’t be seriously injured if something happens and the branch breaks or the nest falls. That won’t happen, but I like to be prepared, just in case.
Once the nest reaches its stopping point, I relax. Now it’s time to have a snack and go to sleep for the night. I glance at Dagger, but she’s peering out of the window still. The moonlight pours in the nest and illuminates her hair, casting a lovely glow on her, and suddenly, I realize I’m going to be lucky if I sleep at all.
Chapter 6
Dagger
A nest.
I’m sleeping on a nest that’s hanging from a tree with a huge blue alien I met in the middle of the jungle.<
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And for the first time in days, I feel myself physically relax. For the first time since I overheard Stremon and Mrs. Finkle talking about their plan, I feel like everything might be okay. For the first time in what seems like forever, I can breathe normally.
I can rest.
I can have some peace.
I barely know this guy, Ezra, but he makes me feel safe in a way I never have before. It doesn’t hurt that he’s super fine, too. Seriously. It’s not fair that aliens are so damn sexy. As a human, I have to watch every bite I eat. I have to exercise. I have to take strict care of my body or I’ll gain weight and lose my strength. Ezra doesn’t seem to have that problem, I think, as he reaches into his pack and pulls out some food.
I get the feeling he can eat whatever he wants and still look like a god.
And I don’t mind looking at him.
Not at all.
“Are you hungry?” He asks after a second. There’s plenty of room to sit up in the nest. We’re sitting at opposite ends, but our legs are touching, and I’m curious as to how sleeping is going to work. I mean, will we sleep with our heads at either end of the nest? Will we cuddle? Do I want to?
There are so many questions racing through my head, but right now, I need to focus on the one he just asked me.
Am I hungry?
Yes, but I think I’m going to throw up from nervousness and excitement if I eat anything.
“No,” I shake my head, but Ezra’s eyes narrow.
“When was the last time you ate?”
I can’t remember.
“Um…”
My stomach chooses that moment to growl loudly, betraying me. I glare at no one in particular, frustrated at my body.
“You should eat, human,” Ezra says. Then he softens his voice, breaks off a bit of the food he’s eating, and hands it to me. “It’ll give you energy.”
“What is this?” I ask, accepting the food. It looks like fresh baked bread and smells just as good, but it doesn’t smell like bread. It smells like fruit.
“My sister made it,” Ezra smiles. “Try some.”
Gingerly, I stick out my tongue and lick the fruit bread thing.
“It’s good,” I say, suddenly realizing it tastes like candy. I eat the entire thing and hold out my hand for more. I know I look like a hungry little kid, but I don’t care. That stuff is incredible.
Ezra just laughs and hands me more.
“It’s made from several fruits that are native to Sapphira,” he explains. “Along with common bread ingredients, such as flour and eggs. Everything is mixed together and baked with herbs and spices. Sometimes, meat is added for extra protein.”
Somehow, it doesn’t even sound gross to add meat. This is too delicious. I take another bite, enjoying the savory flavor.
“We don’t have anything like this on Mars,” I say regretfully.
Ezra laughs. “I’ve heard Earthlings are quite selective about the food they will ingest.”
“Picky,” I say. “You mean humans are picky.”
Ezra shrugs and takes another bite of his food. Somehow, he even looks graceful while he’s eating. Why can’t I be more like that? I feel like a fumbling slob, but somehow, I manage to finish my bread without dropping too many crumbs.
We finish eating in silence. Then Ezra pulls out a little pillow from his pack. He pushes the pack into the corner of the nest, then he turns around so he’s lying with his head near me.
“I only have one comfort item,” he says. “I’ll share with you. Lie down.”
Awkwardly, I manage to wiggle down so I’m lying beside him and our heads are on the pillow. I feel small compared to Ezra. I feel tiny.
But I feel safe.
There’s no way Stremon can find me here in this nest. He can’t possibly find me up here hanging in a tree. There’s simply no way. Even if he crosses the entire planet, he won’t think to look for me up here.
“You’re worried,” Ezra says.
“What makes you say that?” I bite my bottom lip, but don’t look at him.
“Your heart is racing,” he says. Then Ezra turns on his side so he’s facing me. I don’t move, but he places his hand on my chest. I’m not sure if he’s trying to find my heartbeat, but he’s definitely making it go even faster than it was before.
“How could you tell?”
“I can hear it.”
“You can hear my heartbeat? Do you have super hearing or something?”
“Something like that.” He keeps his hand in place and doesn’t move it. The touch isn’t sexual, but it lights up my body like fireworks. I shouldn’t be so turned on from this touch that is meant to comfort and calm, but I do.
I do.
I don’t want to be honest with myself and admit how much I want someone like Ezra. I’ve been alone on Mars for a very long time and I haven’t had a boyfriend in many years. I haven’t wanted one or needed one, but then again, none of the boys I’ve been with have ever made me feel the way Ezra is making me feel right now.
“I’m worried,” I finally say. I’m trapped in a hanging nest with this guy, for dragon’s sake. I might as well be open with him so he knows what he’s getting into. If Stremon does make his way to Sapphira and does make his way through the woods, Ezra needs to know that he could be in danger.
The idea of putting someone as kind and caring as Ezra in danger makes me uncomfortable. It’s not fair to him to expect him to stay by my side even when things are rough. We’re strangers, really, and he’s already saved my life once.
Could I really ask him to do it again?
“What troubles you, human?” His hand is still on my chest. He can obviously tell my heart is racing. He has super hearing, but I wonder if he has super smell, too. Can he smell that I’m aroused right now? Does he know how turned on I am? Does he know that I’m about five minutes away from ripping my clothes off and trying to climb on him?
I wonder what a man like Ezra is like in bed.
I bet he’s dominating, but gentle, too.
“Dagger?” He says, bringing me back to the present. There’s a little smirk on Ezra’s face. I feel like he does know I’m aroused right now.
Good for me.
Classy, Dagger. Classy.
“Someone is after me,” I finally say.
“Who?”
“His name is Martin Stremon,” I tell Ezra. “He’s the reason I left Mars.” The memories come back in droves, suddenly, and I have a fierce headache. Ezra seems to notice and moves his hand from my chest to my forehead. He begins to rub in small, gentle circles.
“Tell me,” Ezra says. “But go slowly. Be gentle on yourself, Dagger. There’s no rush for this information. Take your time, human. Take your time.”
His words shouldn’t calm me down, but they do. Ezra is so rough around the edges, so dark at times, but he’s weirdly gentle with me. He treats me like I’m delicate and it’s been a long time since anyone viewed me that way. I think the last person who thought I was fragile was my father.
Everyone else just pushes me around, trying to figure out how long it’ll be before I break.
“On Mars, I was a nanny. Do you know what that is?”
“A most highly respected position,” Ezra nods. “Caring for a family’s children.”
“It’s not very respected on Mars, just like it wasn’t very well respected on Earth. I suppose that despite the fact humans migrated to a new planet, we brought all of our cultural and societal norms with us.”
“Tell me what you mean. Explain this.”
“I mean that nannies aren’t respected. People think all we do is play with children, that nannying requires no skill.”
“These people are stupid.”
“I agree,” I smile slightly. “But it doesn’t change the fact that where I come from, nannies are viewed as worthless and ignorant and stupid.”
Ezra tenses and his eyes flash several different colors all at once.
“What’s wrong with your eyes?”
“Nothing.”
“The color changed.”
“I am angry that you have been treated with such disrespect. On Sapphira, nannies are viewed with the utmost respect, Dagger. The nannies are the ones raising the next generation of Sapphirans. They’re the ones ensuring the children learn all the necessary skills to survive. They’re vital to the continuation of society.”
“I wish Martians felt that way. Hell, I wish anyone on Mars at all felt that way.” Mars mostly consists of humans and Martians, but there are other species who dwell there, too, and most of them fall into the “nannies are worthless” camp.
“What happened to make you run? Was your position terminated?”
“Not exactly. The family I worked for, the Finkles, are a very prominent family on Mars.”
“What does this mean?”
“I mean they’re rich and wealthy and kind of a big deal.”
“They’re famous because they’re rich?”
“Basically.”
“Do they contribute to the economy of Mars?”
“Not really.”
“Do they conduct scientific research?”
“No.”
“So they’re just…rich?” Ezra shakes his head when I nod.
“I know it’s strange,” I say. “It’s one of those things we brought from Earth. You know, that celebrity culture?” He looks confused, so I try again. “On Earth, some people were famous for being pretty or handsome or in movies.”
Ezra just rolls his eyes. “Humans,” he says, but in a way that’s sad, in a way that makes me think he feels sorry for us.
“So anyway,” I continue, trying to get back to what I was saying before I pussy out. There’s a chance I’m going to stop talking because opening up makes me scared and uncomfortable. There’s no reason that it should, yet it does. Perhaps it’s because I’ve never had many close friends or maybe it’s because my parents died when I was a teenager.
Either way, telling Ezra my problems is scary for me.
“Take your time, Dagger,” Ezra reminds me. This time, when he moves his hand, he settles it on my waist. The touch is intimate and familiar, but I’m comfortable with it. I like it. I close my eyes, take a deep breath, and keep going.
