The Descendant: Baltin Trilogy (Book 1)

by Melissa Riddell

  Several wrapped cereal bars, nuts, and dried apple slices sit in a bowl. This fare is much better than anything I’ve had the past week.

  Grabbing the bowl, I walk to my bed to sit and eat.

  Kodiak comes nosing over, tail swiping the air with a wag.

  “Did you eat, boy?” My hand rubs between his eyes, and I stuff my face with the other.

  His head points to the pile of newspapers, and he woofs.

  Looking down, I see a bowl of dried dog food and another empty can of Pedigree.

  Leaning close to the dog’s ear, I whisper, “Don’t be getting spoiled. We’re getting the hell out of here in a little bit.”

  I lean back to rub the silky skin on the inside of his ear.

  An undulating grumble issues from his throat; part whine and part growl.

  “Hey, don’t backtalk me. We’ve got to get on the road. Find Sissy, remember?”

  The blue and brown eyes cast downward, somehow conveying reproach.

  How am I the bad guy now?

  Before I have a chance to respond to Kodiak’s guilt trip, Mr. Arrogant speaks. “Come here, Red.” He pauses for a moment and grasps something with his fingers. His trademark cocky grin pulls a corner of his mouth, making his dimple pop. “This is interesting.” A slender hand beckons me to kneel near the alien’s body.

  “I told you to stop calling me that. And another thing—you’re too fucking cheerful this early in the morning.”

  Reluctant and hankering for some caffeine, I stand and run my fingers through my matted hair and try to look halfway presentable. The lump from the night before is gone. It’s amazing what a full night of rest will do for the human body.

  My loyal companion walks to the other side of Jareth, near the door. Content with his new spot, he sits on his hind legs and splits his attention between Jareth, the dead alien, and me.

  When Jareth looks away, I mouth to Kodiak, ‘Get over here, now,’ and point to a spot by my leg.

  The dog licks his whiskers, twists his head so he can’t see me, and stares at whatever it is Jareth finds so fascinating.

  Wait until I get back on the road. I’m going to give him a stern lecture on the importance of loyalty.

  I make my way over and kneel a few inches from Jareth, peering in the direction he points. “What am I supposed to be seeing?” Sarcasm fights with curiosity, and I’m not sure which one he hears.

  A line appears between his brows when he takes in my face. “You don’t see that?”

  When I lean in for inspection, Jareth’s smell wafts up and assaults my nose. It’s the same scent from last night of green trees and fresh skin. It’s delicious and annoying.

  He puts his index finger down on whatever it is I’m supposed to see. This close, my face is an inch from the helmeted head. I fight the urge to pull back and run.

  Dead. Dead. Dead. I hope.

  Being this near to the body creeps me out, and I can’t help but feel the being is about to jump and say Boo. The area in question, near the neck, has the same mysterious, black metal clothing. Up close, the small silver threads run in a diagonal pattern throughout the material, winking in the light.

  Still not having any clue what he wants me to see, I stand and shrug. “Well, I don’t see anything besides weird clothing and a dead body—”

  I jump back when Jareth lets out a long sigh and presses on the neck.

  A soft click and low hum start.

  My foot slips and the momentum carries me backward, toward the glowing coals of last night’s fire.

  With a blur of motion too quick to follow, Jareth reaches out and catches my shirt, saving my ass from catching on fire.

  I’m unable to speak a word of gratitude, though, because my attention focuses on the alien. A low rumble from its body pulses through my feet and reminds me of an idling engine. There’s a chill that shoots through my blood, and it’s not from the morning air.

  I fight to keep my breathing steady. Is he going to wake up and start shooting deadly lightning from his fingertips, frying the group into blackened char?

  Kodiak jumps back, paws scrambling on the stone surface, and puts himself between Jareth and me. He lets out a sharp bark and shows his teeth. A low growl erupts from deep within his throat.

  Panic claws its way up my chest and into my head. “Are you fucking crazy?” My voice, high and squeaky, raises a few octaves I didn’t know existed. “What are you thinking?” I knew it—this guy is all kinds of screwed up.

  He glances in my direction and chuckles, as calm as a ship in harbor, but the laugh dies on his lips.

  My eyes feel too large, and my heart beats so fast, I’m afraid it’s going to jump out of my chest.

  Gesturing toward the body that’s still chained and bound, he tries to justify his actions. “I wanted to see what that little button does.” His head moves back to the alien. “Besides, aren’t you the least bit curious about an alien life form, what they’re like, how they view things?”

  “You’ve lost your ever-loving mind.” Great. I spent the night in a freaking cave with a rampaging alien and an insane—albeit gorgeous—daredevil. What other explanation could there be for wanting to wake up a dangerous killer?

  “No. I’m not curious, and you shouldn’t be, either. Self-preservation is a wonderful instinct to have. Too bad you were born without it.”

  He shakes his head, and several wisps of raven hair stroke his face.

  Is it as soft as it looks? My fingers twitch.

  He smirks, and that wayward tooth and dimple peek from their hiding places. The sight intrigues me, even though I may be about to die. In broad daylight, the angles of his face are sharper, chiseled, and stunning. He’s a dark God sent to earth to tempt wayward souls, and my soul is feeling rebellious and enticed. Damn.

  What’s wrong with me? Focus, Tilly, Focus. You’re about to die, remember?

  In sick fascination, my little group—hot guy, fur-face, and I—watch the covered head swivel from side to side. The movement is automatic and repetitive.

  Fear makes me shiver, and I reach for the pistol still hidden in my boot. As soon as my fingers touch the smooth handle, my nerves calm enough for me to take a deep breath.

  Jareth puts his hand over mine and shakes his head in warning.

  His voice is low, urgent, and serious. “I think he’s hurt. Pointing a gun could provoke him to attack.”

  My lips tighten when I pointedly move my gaze to the hand that covers mine.

  He jerks it away. “Besides, I don’t think shooting it worked out so well last time.” His face lights up with mirth.

  Insufferable jackass. “I should shoot you instead and put us all out of our misery.”

  My attention refocuses on the searching head. I try to collect my thoughts and think about the situation. He’s chained, so it’s not like he can do a lot. But, still. What if he transmits the location of the cave? “I’m not comfortable taking my chances with that—that—thing awake. He’s dangerous.”

  I raise my pistol higher.

  Jareth glances at the weapon in amusement before he searches my face. “A .9mm won’t do much damage, and you already tried to blow its head off with a shotgun.” He holds out a hand, gesturing to an invisible crowd and tilts his head, smile mocking. “But looky here, everyone, he’s still in one piece.”

  He lets out a gasp and widens his eyes.

  “I’m pretty sure I hate you right now.” What did I do to deserve such terrible karma, to run into such an awful person?

  “That’s a strong word for someone who seemed pretty cozy last night in the home of someone they profess to hate.”

  “Screw you.” I rub my temple with the other hand. “My little pistol might not do a lot of damage, but it makes me feel better.” I ignore his inky eyes and bring the weapon in line with the thing’s chest.

  The humor in Jareth’s contemplation sinks deeper under my skin—like a horde of chiggers or locusts wreaking havoc. I turn and meet his gaze, anger spilli
ng over into my voice. “If he tries anything, at least, I’m smart enough to carry a gun to shoot first and ask questions later.”

  “No, if you shoot him, it’s going to either ricochet off his armor, or off the wall if you’re a bad shot, and kill everyone in here.” His words come out in an even tone.

  “Shut the hell up.” Yeah, I hate him—immensely. “If you wouldn’t go around pushing buttons, we wouldn’t even be having this conversation right now.”

  Now that he’s pointed out the flaw in my guns-a-blazing plan, the dilemma is valid. But it doesn’t mean I have to like it, or that I even have to acknowledge he’s right. Not giving in, my hand grips the handle tighter, finger preparing to squeeze.

  Jareth shakes his head and sighs, refocusing on the alien. “Red, you must’ve hit your head harder than I thought.”

  My retort dies on my lips when the helmet stops moving.

  Jareth closes his fist and knocks on the helmet three times. A hollow sound reverberates through the air.

  I choke on my own spit. “What’s wrong with you? I can’t believe you did that.” Does the guy have a death wish? “Jesus, you’ve already woke him up. Trying to communicate in Morse code, invite him to breakfast?”

  “No.” His body leans away from the form, hips settling onto the backs of his legs. “I’m curious. Aren’t you?”

  Disgusted, I gauge Jareth’s face, trying to decide if he’s a prankster, former mental asylum resident, or both. “Fuck no. I don’t care what he has to say or what he looks like. My number one goal is to make it to Florida and find my sister—that’s all I care about. Screw the aliens, screw their spheres, and screw you.”

  When the words leave my mouth, I realize they’re the simple truth. What am I doing wasting time with this guy? My head is back to normal. Nothing’s holding Kodiak and me. I can leave when I want—my choice, not his.

  Standing, I turn and search for my bag. Finding it near the bedroll, I stoop and begin packing. The rustle of clothing is loud when Jareth stands.

  He walks in front of my body. Fingers reach out and whisper across the skin of my upper arm before he pulls back at the last minute.

  “What are you doing?”

  “What do you think? I’m not gonna sit here and let it fry my dog and me. Hell, he could call a bunch of his buddies for a do-over. Haven’t they destroyed enough in this world?”

  I put my arms through my backpack and shrug it on.

  Kodiak walks over from where he’s guarding the alien and cocks his ears, as if listening to our conversation. He lets out a small whine and moves closer to my leg.

  “Come on, boy, we gotta hit the road.”

  Jareth’s normal, slow grin disappears, and his jaw tightens. Veins on the back of his clenched hands stand out. He twists away and my view is a rigid spine and square shoulders.

  His voice is tight. “Fine. Go then, there’s certainly nothing holding you here.”

  For whatever reason, seeing and hearing a sliver of vulnerability causes my mood to soften. “I do appreciate everything you did to assist us—me, and then letting me crash in your, uh, cave camp. But I’m trying to make my way to the one family member I have left. My sister needs me.”

  His back greets me, still as stone.

  Stepping forward, I push around him and open the rickety stick screen, which floods the cave in the morning sunlight.

  One last glance over my shoulder reveals a face of uncertainty. I can tell he’s not comfortable with the emotion. Or not used to it. Has he always gotten his way in the past?

  Pausing for a moment, I offer a small smile. “I’m glad I met you, Jareth Grant, even if you’re as crazy as a cat in heat. Thanks for the hot meal last night. Glad to know there are still people out here who won’t take advantage of the first person they come across.”

  My gaze travels down his body, imprinting the image in my mind before I meet those warm, liquid pools of sin. “Try not to get yourself electrocuted with”—I point my finger to the hog-tied alien—“that. Whatever the hell it is.”

  Loathing rises from my chest, but I stamp it down. At least I’m getting away from the bastard and everything it represents.

  He puckers a corner of his mouth, throws his hands in the air, and pulls his eyebrows down. Silent, he rolls his head to the side and ignores me.

  Oh well, if he wants to act pissy, more power to him.

  “Okie dokie.” I step under the trees and try to close the door. It won’t shut all the way. I give it a small kick at the bottom corner, but it pops open. “Piece of shit,” I grumble, but don’t put a lot of venom in the words.

  I make my way down the hill. Kodiak stays by my side, but then whines and slows.

  “Come on, boy, pick up the pace. We’re about to hit the wide-open road.” Traveling through the trees and fields in case more pods are lurking sounds more like it.

  After several more steps, he stops altogether.

  Wondering what his deal is, my feet also halt. I hold up my palms. “What?”

  The entrance of the cave sits no more than twenty feet away.

  He shakes his head, then turns his nose to point at the door. “Woof. Woof.”

  My neck cranes in the direction of the cave. “Did you forget something?” I packed his food bowl, and I feel confident I’ll find more supplies today once we start moving.

  He pants, lifts his front paws in a half-jump, then prances away. His tail stands straight in the air, long hairs drooping toward the ground on his way back to the entrance. Once he reaches the outside of the door, he lets out a howl.

  Heat floods my cheeks. “Stop that.” The command falls on deaf ears. What has come over this crazy dog? The noise is going to bring more orbs. Well, not just pods, but actual aliens now I know what’s inside.

  Ignoring my urgent plea to shut it, he continues to howl until Jareth steps outside.

  He cocks his head at the dog. Sunlight streams through the canopy above, dappling his hair with light and dark patterns.

  Well, isn’t this simply great? Now he can watch me try to regain control of my dog, no doubt with a smug tongue-in-cheek laugh.

  Kodiak stops caterwauling and wags his tail, grinning at Jareth like an idiot.

  My face freezes in a scowl. The tap of my foot on the ground keeps a steady, impatient cadence, crushing leaves in the process.

  I raise my voice a little to ensure the dog hears me over the noises of the woods. “No, Kodiak, it’s you and me, bud, like always. We don’t need anyone else, remember?”

  He swivels those mismatched eyes to me. After a few seconds, he turns his head and walks behind one of Jareth’s legs. A pale blue eye and pointy brown ear stick out, and I can make out his panting—grinning—muzzle.

  My fists clench, turning each knuckle white. “This is a bunch of shit, Kodiak.”

  Jareth kneels and scratches the turncoat mutt behind his ears. “Oh, I don’t know, Red. He’s a dog who knows a good thing when he sees it.”

  Self-satisfied smirk on his face, the wearer of those faded, frayed jeans saunters down the hill.

  “Well, he must need glasses then.” Under my breath, I add a single word. “Bastard.”

  He waggles a finger back and forth then closes the distance between us. “Language, language, my dear. Did sailors raise you?”

  “Shut up.” My foot slips over a moss-covered rock. “Damn.” A lack of traction sends me surfing sideways into a tree. “Son of a—”

  The same finger lifts to smooth a loose lock from his forehead, revealing eyes full of laughter. “Oh, wait, I know. You were raised by a pack of wolves, weren’t you?” His hand rests on the light growth of whiskers above his upper lip, drawing attention to his mouth.

  Once I regain my balance, I prop my fists to rest along the edges of my hips. Narrowing my eyes at his approach, I stay silent when he stops a few feet away.

  I don’t understand how someone so handsome can still be so repulsive. My eyes rake over his body, and I decide distasteful is more a
ppropriate.

  Daylight shoots through the sentinel trees above, casting more shifting patterns on the tree trunks, dead leaves, and dirt on the ground. A lone, yellow-orange leaf, turning different shades due to the cooler fall temperatures, flutters on the breeze. It traces a lazy, invisible circle before it lands to rest on the ground near Jareth’s boots. The network of veins through the leaf’s skin are prominent, but delicate.

  “Don’t be mad at him. He’s a social canine, and knows I’ve got more cans of dog food.” He throws a glance over his shoulder to the entrance of the cave where Kodiak sits.

  Somehow, knowing Jareth is trying to placate me makes things even worse.

  “Fine. Stay with him.” Jabbing a finger in the air toward Jareth, I add, “See if I care.” To make good on my promise, I stalk in the general direction from the night before, a burning lump closing my throat.

  If that damned, rebel of a dog wants to stay with this exquisite jackass, that’s fine with me. I haven’t exactly been swimming in food or luxury—but come on, it’s not like I’m starving him.

  Yet, my inner voice adds.

  A few more steps and my feet slow. I listen for the patter of dog paws or click of toenails on downed logs. Nope, he’s leaving me high and dry.

  Remembering the utter loneliness that weighed me down before we found each other, my heart threatens to burst from sadness. Can I leave my best friend behind? Even if he’s the one choosing to stay with this jerk. Would I be able to shoulder the burden of being alone again?

  No. Even though the truth hurts, I can’t bear being without some form of contact. Does this make me weak—or does it make me human? I don’t care. What’s the point of surviving if the end goal results in dying alone?

  This dog has me wrapped around his paw. Knowing I need his company, his companionship, his love—I sigh and stop walking.

  Though it bruises my pride, since Jareth is watching everything unfold, I summon the inner strength to admit defeat. Even though I don’t want to stay with this guy for one more moment, I’ll sacrifice a day or two for Kodiak.

  Oh, come on. Stop acting like the hound’s asking you to pull your teeth out one by one. Admit it, you enjoyed trading insults with the guy last night. Yeah, and I also couldn’t keep my damn eyes from attacking his body, and that’s dangerous. I won’t let him sidetrack me from finding Sissy.