Had he just been waiting to force her to—
“Warmth. Or you will still catch a cold.”
His voice found her ear and for some reason, the deep sureness of it made her calm a little.
“But…you’re naked…”
“I must dry my clothes as well.”
“So this isn’t…you’re not trying…you don’t want me to…” She didn’t know how to say it.
“Want you to do what?” His voice seemed to grow even deeper as it brushed against her ear and she swore the shiver that moved her shoulders travelled all the way down to her toes.
Swallowing hard, she wet her throat. She was thirsty.
“Rest now, Song. We have much further to walk as soon as the waters stop.”
There was no suggestion in his voice…nothing to tell her that this wasn’t normal to him.
Did birds cuddle?
She was trying to remember whether they did. She couldn’t recall seeing any birds ever cuddling.
But he wasn’t a bird. He wasn’t a bird man. He was just a guy who could fly.
Still, she lay frozen against him.
For what felt like minutes, she didn’t move, didn’t even dare to breathe but Kyris made no attempt to touch her naked parts. He didn’t rub his cock against her. He didn’t grab her breasts. And as the minutes ticked by, she slowly relaxed against him.
“I didn’t say it earlier. I guess I was too shaken up to do so.”
“Say what?” His voice sounded far away and she realized she was slowly falling asleep.
“I didn’t say thank you.” She sighed and snuggled further against him. “For killing those things.” She yawned. “You protected me.”
He didn’t reply. Instead, his arms tightened around her and Song smiled.
This felt nice. It felt good. She could almost forget that she was in the middle of the desert with no one but him for company.
As her eyes slowly closed, she was just about to allow herself to fall asleep, for just a little bit, when she felt his cock twitch behind her.
He’d been so careful, she’d almost forgotten about it, but that one movement had her eyes flying open.
And now she couldn’t stop thinking about it again.
20
It seemed she’d fallen asleep after a while anyway because the next time she opened her eyes, Kyris was already standing, his trousers on, his blade unsheathed.
Something had woken her up and she didn’t know what. Outside, it was quiet; the rain had stopped.
Maybe it was the chill in the air seeing that her source of warmth was no longer there and she was naked.
Naked!
Glancing up at him, his back was turned to her and she made to scramble for her clothes.
It was time to get moving again.
But as she made to grab her clothes, Kyris outstretched his hand in her direction as if to stop her.
About to open her mouth to ask him what he was doing, the loud screech that split the air had the words freezing on her lips and a chill running down her spine.
Those things…they were still after them?
Another screech and a hiss came from somewhere close and Song reached for her clothes. She couldn’t help it; the Satan-centipedes terrified her.
Her bottom lip trembled as she bit down on it and, for some reason, her hands weren’t moving as fast as they should as she tried to pull the shirt over her head.
“Stay here. You will be safe.” His violet eyes were on her when she looked up, finally managing to pull the top over her head and she paused for a moment.
“We aren’t going to run?” She was already reaching for the wooly thing she’d used for a skirt before he replied, another screech splitting through the air somewhere outside the tent.
“There are too many.”
Too many? The thought couldn’t pass through her mind fast enough before a shrill shriek echoed too close to the tent. In the next second, something large, scaly and black pierced through the side of the small structure. On the curved end dripped green fluid, and Song realized with mounting horror that it was one of the creature’s tails.
As Kyris’ blade came down and sliced the tail off, the thick barbed end fell to the sand, oozing purple blood even as it twitched.
Another indignant screech hit the air, and Kyris glanced at her, his violet eyes emanating such intense and controlled fury that she wondered for a second if that fury was directed at her.
But when he turned, without a word, and stepped out of the makeshift tent, the brief glimpse of what was outside caught her eyes.
Scaly black skins. Multiple legs. Long, scaled tails rising into the air.
From that brief glimpse, there were at least six or seven of the things out there.
“Stay inside, Song. I will rid them from your presence.” With that, he buried his blade into the one closest to the tent. With admirable precision, he spun on his heels, burying his blade into another of the creatures and its screech died on its lips.
They came at him with speeds she didn’t know they possessed, but each time they attacked, their tails rising into the air and spitting that green fluid, Kyris dodged each hit to deal one of his own.
His blows were fatal, his blade moving through the air with practiced ease, the hilt spinning in his hands so easily it was clear he was one with his weapon.
But even as he cut them down, they kept attacking, and as Song watched the fight in front of her, frozen in awe and trepidation, she realized one thing.
They weren’t attacking him.
Every single one of the creatures was intent on heading in one direction.
Every single one of them seemed intent on heading toward her.
She was in danger.
The longer they stayed in the desert,
