She seemed desperate to move, but somehow couldn’t, as if her body was telling her to scream and race back up the ladder.
Ka’Cit stared at her.
He could see her well enough in the dark. He was sure she couldn’t see him though. Not because her vision was less adapted to darkness, but because she was still squeezing her eyes shut.
“Ta’ii…” His whisper didn’t seem to have much of an effect, and if not for the noise of feet pounding on the floor above them, he was sure Herza would have heard them below by now.
He needed to get her off the ladder.
Ka’Cit reached forward, a frown marring his brow as he touched the human lightly.
He didn’t know why he expected her to recoil from his touch—maybe because that’s what usually happened when he tried to touch other people—but then again, he hadn’t been trying to be gentle those times.
Still…as his hand landed on her leg, she didn’t move away.
Too caught up in whatever it was that was holding her hostage, she seemed completely focused on pulling air into her lungs and exhaling.
“Ta’ii…” he said again, and this time he climbed up the ladder once more to grasp her in his arms.
Her body was stiff and she clung on to the ladder so tightly, he had to pry her fingers off the rung.
“I’m sorry.” He had no idea why he was apologizing, only that it felt like he had to.
She gripped his shirt tight as he climbed back down the ladder and now that he had her in his arms, he could feel that her entire body was not just shaking, it was convulsing.
Was she ill?
He hadn’t considered that.
This wasn’t a usual reaction to darkness or heights, surely.
Feet now on the floor, he was tempted to set her down and investigate, but he stuck to his original plan of going farther into the darkness and away from the ladder.
There was a crawl space, and he had to crouch as he headed through it.
It was hardly big enough to hold them both, and carrying the female proved tricky. Still, he made his way with her in his arms.
The going was slow, but the way she clung to him, he didn’t dare let her go.
And he…didn’t entirely want to?
She…needed him.
It was a strange feeling, being needed without any demands.
At this moment, and if even for a few seconds…that feeling felt…good.
Shaking his head, he forced himself to focus.
There should be a small storage nook ahead, just big enough for them to sit down comfortably, and that’s where he was headed.
Away from the ladder. Away from the opening. And away from Herza.
As he moved, he had to take care so he didn’t bump the human’s head into the side of the little tunnel as he made his way through.
But that was not so much of a worry.
Her head was tucked into his chest, her hands still fisted and gripping his tunic.
Every breath she took was so hard, he could feel her chest expand, and every exhale was warmth that seeped through his tunic to brush against his skin.
She said nothing and her eyes were still closed, but her breathing was coming so hard and fast that it was more than alarming.
Something was wrong and he didn’t know what to do.
The tunnel finally opened up to the nook and he was able to stand a little taller, though not at his full height.
Down here, it was warm and the constant clank-clank of the engine room could be heard through the walls.
He glanced around the space.
It was smaller than what he’d thought it would be, but it would have to do until Herza called off her search. Only then would it be safe to go above.
Glancing around the nook, he moved to one corner, his eyes on the human.
She wasn’t improving.
Whatever was happening to her seemed to be something she could not control.
Briefly, he wondered if this was some human defense mechanism.
If so, it was highly ineffective.
She didn’t seem to have any claws or his tunic would have ripped already from how tightly she was gripping it. There was no poison seeping from her skin, no weapons poking from her body, no camouflage covering her skin…
This couldn’t be defense.
As he set himself down, she still clung to him and he had no choice but to place her so she straddled his lap.
Her entire body was heaving, and he wasn’t sure she even realized they weren’t moving anymore.
“Ta’ii?” His voice was low and measured.
He didn’t want to scare her, but she didn’t respond.
She still gripped on to him, her face buried into his chest as she hyperventilated.
His ears perked once more and stiffened.
He knew animals that did this—curled into a ball and shuddered while in danger.
If she kept this up, her life-organ was going to go into arrest.
Her body was already in shock. It was only a matter of time.
Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a light disk, activated it, and set it on the floor beside them.
It bathed the little nook in a warm glow and lit up the human’s face.
Her brows were still knitted, her nostrils flaring, and her mouth was slightly open as her chest heaved with every breath.
Phek.
“Ta’ii…”
No response.
For the first time in his life, Ka’Cit felt completely helpless.
He had no idea what to do…
No idea what affliction had befallen her…
No idea how to help.
She gripped him tighter and his own life-organ thumped as if trying to escape its cavity and help her somehow.
What was he supposed to do?!
There must be something humans did in times like this.
The way she held on to him, he had no choice but to put his arms around her and pull her closer.
Maybe she needed to feel his strength…to know that she was not alone and no longer in danger?
Phek.
Maybe he should have visited his friends more often. He’d have been able to observe Riv and Sohut’s human mates—see what their species was like.
The only problem was, his friend’s mates were the main reason
