The Goddess’s hut was easy to find, the smoke curling from the top of the cut-off hut visible in the strong moonlight. It was big enough for several people, but when I got inside, it was just R’Asha sitting there, cross-legged, in front of a fire that was burning the Goddess’s smoky blue.
He jerked when I entered, immediately shifting to a defensive posture before he realized who it was. Then he frowned at me, his eyes warily darting to the door. “What are you doing here?” He glanced outside. “And at this time?”
“Couldn’t sleep,” I admitted. “And I wanted to see how you were doing.”
“I’m communing with the Goddess to atone for my weakness,” R’Asha recited, like he was reading from a book.
My lips tried to curve into a faint smile, but there was a tendril of guilt I couldn’t quite get rid of. It was my fault he was trapped in here. He wasn’t my best friend, but I knew him well, and he had always stood behind the N’Akron people and spoke in favor of unity and the importance of family and tribe. Just because he was now extending that tribe label to the human females didn’t mean he should get in trouble.
“Can I get you anything?” I asked, raking my eyes over him carefully. He was definitely too thin under his clothes, the ribs starting to show. No food or water were allowed in the Goddess’s Hut, and it was clear to see from the condition of his body. “Water, maybe?”
R’Asha shook his head. “I have maybe half a sun’s cycle left,” he said. “I will be free soon enough.” Although he didn’t shift far, he straightened up, looking over me as if assessing what had changed. Then he caught sight of the bite mark on my neck and his lips curved into a smile. “Good.”
“She’s worth it,” I said with a smile in return. Instead of smiling in return, his face paled, the scales going that shade of gray that no one liked. It never meant good things for the person who turned that color. “What’s wrong?”
R’Asha thinned his lips together, his darker-green scales tinged intermittently. “I’m trying to find a way back to the Light,” he said slowly. “The females were a gift, but I feel they are also a test.”
It took me a second, but then it hit me. “Jackie.”
R’Asha winced, then nodded. “Yes.”
I reached out to squeeze his shoulder, not liking how fragile his bones felt under my grasp but not really able to do anything about it. “Dana is the best part of my life,” I said honestly. “She motivates me to be stronger and be a better leader. She stood by me and faced my father in one of his moods without flinching.” I paused. “Except to try to yell at him. I did stop that.”
R’Asha laughed, although the noise was weaker than I would have liked. “She’s perfect for you.”
Warmth flooded me at the thought, at every acknowledgment that life had seen fit to hand me a perfect mate. “The world is changing,” I told him softly. “Maybe you can have what you want.”
He shook his head, his lips turning to that stubborn line I knew far too well. “You can’t change religion,” he said firmly. “It’s concrete.”
I hesitated, then nodded and left it alone. He would have to figure it out on his own, and I hoped he did. I let out a long breath and stayed standing next to him for a long moment, not sure what to do next. I wasn’t given a chance.
The door was shoved open and Squire rushed in, looking around before spotting me. The scales on the back of my neck raised, my teeth bared at the enemy, but there was something serious in his expression that had me hesitating.
“What are you doing?” I demanded. “You’re supposed to be…”
“Held captive, yes,” it said calmly. “I thought you would wish to know there is a force of approximately forty Caterri heading this direction.”
Blood rushed from my face and I almost staggered, remaining upright through sheer will. “I need—”
“I notified Dana, she is alerting the others,” Squire said quickly.
I narrowed my eyes, glancing back at R’Asha before turning back to the Caterri. If I was going to interrogate him and be certain I was getting the truth, doing it in front of the head religious figure of my people probably was not the best choice. Instead, I squeezed R’Asha’s shoulder one more time, mentally swearing to make sure he ate soon, and grabbed Squire by its wrist and dragged it outside.
Squire came without stumbling, his dark-eyed face calm and complacent in a way that sent shivers down my scales. But before anything else happened, I had questions I needed answered. “How do you know they’re coming?”
“The Caterri have sensitive ears,” Squire answered. “Especially to our own signals. I can hear the whistles the scouts are using.”
I stared at him, adrenaline thrumming through me. Was he lying? Had he dragged the Caterri here on purpose to harm us? While it seemed like we had avoided a huge consequence for saving the Setti, was this revenge? Or were they seeking Dana?
“Squire!” Dana’s voice was loud, and she was apparently not sleeping. When did that happen? Had I been gone too long? Now I was the one who was starting to work slower from fatigue, and I wasn’t sure what to do about it.
“Dana.” Squire turned to look at her, taking long steps on his bug-like legs. “Did you alert the others?”
“Yes, I talked to the chief, he’s waking up the war council and assembling the guards,” Dana answered. When she caught sight of me, her eyes brightened, like she’d missed me in the short time we had been apart. Then when she hugged me, it was
