I jolt awake, certain I can still smell the unwashed bodies of the other women around me. But it’s another scent that fills my nostrils, a masculine scent. I sit up, examining the commander’s face. He’s still so pale he looks like a corpse, but when I place the back of my hand against his forehead, it seems as if his fever isn’t quite so high. He’s no longer shivering anyway.
“Korzyn,” I say, but he doesn’t respond. Well, at least he’s still alive.
The light in the cave is dim, and I roll to my feet, my entire body aching. I wander out of the cave and check on the mishua, who eyes me, obviously displeased with her situation. I refill her water and stumble off into the bushes as my bladder howls at me. I need to get to the top of that hill. The Dokhalls were close yesterday. We didn’t make it far from where they were hiding near the main path.
I don’t want to leave Korzyn for long, but I should probably find some more of the zebra plant anyway. I keep an eye out for it, feeling the muscles in my legs stretch as I make my way back toward the hill. The sun is rising over the forest, and I’m surrounded by the scent of greenery. Okay, maybe Zoey was on to something when she insisted the forest was peaceful. As long as I don’t worry about exactly what else could be out here with me, I can admit the silence is good for thinking.
The hill is steep enough that I have to lean forward, concentrating on where I put my feet. The ground is crumbly and dry, and I curse as a prickly bush slices across my ankle above my boot. The sun is high in the sky by the time I get to the top, and I’m out of breath, no longer used to being this active after so long lounging around the castle. In the distance, the water beckons, and Rakiz’s camp lies behind me—northwest of here. I survey the forest around me, scanning it for threats, and my mouth goes dry.
To the northeast, smoke curls above the trees. I’ve learned to listen to my intuition, and it’s screaming at me that the smoke doesn’t belong to Dragix. Of course, I won’t know for sure until I can get closer. And I can’t do that until I’m sure the commander won’t die on me.
I pull my map out of my pocket and compare it to what I can see in front of me. I crowdsourced most of what’s on my map from people who know the topography and geography of this planet much better than I do. It means I can pinpoint approximately where I am in comparison to everything else.
I gingerly make my way back down the hill, careful not to slip. The last thing we need is for me to break an arm or leg. I find another zebra plant and take it back to Korzyn, who’s still asleep. He’s not unconscious though, and I managed to bully him awake and pour more of the gross plant water into him. He wrinkles his nose, which I take as a good sign.
He immediately falls back to sleep, and my stomach rumbles. This is not good. We can’t trust any of our food.
I’ve gone without food before. In fact, the human body is remarkably resilient when it comes to going without food. My body will go into ketosis around forty-eight hours after my last meal. That means it’ll start living off my fat stores. Unfortunately, my time on the ship with the Dokhalls wasn’t good to me. I’m still putting on some of the weight I lost in captivity.
I rake my eyes over Korzyn’s body. Something tells me it takes a lot of calories to feed that huge body. At the very least, I should be able to find some fruit, maybe a handful of nuts. I leave the commander sleeping and make my way toward the smoke.
Korzyn
I blink open my eyes, groaning as light seems to stab into my brain. I slam my eyes shut, then slowly crack them open, my head pounding at the effort.
I stare up at the ceiling above me, noting the rocks. I’m in some kind of…cave?
It all floods back. Losing consciousness on the mishua. Stumbling into the cave. The certainty I was dying. Sarissa, forcing me to drink bitter, slightly musty water.
She saved my life.
I grit my teeth.
And I doubt the hellion will let me forget it.
I attempt to sit up, but I can’t even raise my head without the world spinning around me. I growl. I’m weaker than a babe.
Where is Sarissa now? Has she…left me?
No. The female may be vicious, even diabolical at times, but she is loyal to her core. Her words as she bullied me onto the mishua run through my mind.
“Sadly, your well-being is now directly tied to mine.”
So where is she?
Uneasiness curls through my gut. I fall back into a light sleep, but I’m restless, continually waking and listening for her footsteps.
Finally, I sense her near, and I open my eyes.
Hers are a cool, clear green today, and the dark circles beneath them make it evident she had little sleep.
“Well,” she says. “You’re still alive.”
“Where were you?” My voice is hoarse, and I curse how weak it sounds.
“Scouting the area. We have a problem. First, you should probably have more plant water.”
I scowl at that, and her lip trembles before she firms it. She’s obviously amused by my disgust.
“It’s one of the only plants on Agron that’s used as an antidote to many poisons. I have no idea what
