Urox gives her a slow smile. “I wouldn’t say that.”
Three seconds. I could dispatch him in three seconds. Two if I jumped off the mishua, using her back for leverage.
Sarissa slides down before I can stop her, my mind still visualizing removing the male’s head from his body as she strides over to him.
“Thank you so much,” she murmurs. “I couldn’t have done it without you.”
That’s enough of that.
“We need to leave,” I say, and she glances up at me but nods.
“Anytime.” Urox grins at her as if I didn’t speak, and I ignore the burning sensation in my chest at the interest in his eyes. “Feel free to come back and visit once all this is over,” he says. “A female like you would keep life interesting.”
“The hellion is leaving this planet,” I say, and Sarissa gives me a dirty look, then shifts her attention back to Urox.
“I’ll send you guys a message when I get to Rakiz’s camp and we’ve taken care of the Dokhalls,” she promises.
Urox hugs her goodbye, and I grit my teeth. He smiles at me over her shoulder, but the smile falls from his face at whatever he sees in my eyes.
Sarissa steps back, and Urox swings a bundle from over his shoulder, handing it to her.
“Food from Teriez. She said to make sure your commander eats some meat.” He flicks his eyes at me, and I tamp down the urge to tell him exactly what he can do with that food.
“Please thank her for me,” Sarissa says. She steps closer to the mishua, and I offer her my hand, pulling her up in front of me. The male meets my gaze, challenge clear on his face, and I bare my teeth. His face hardens, and he gives me a short nod before he turns and walks away.
“What was that about?” Sarissa mutters as I direct the mishua into motion.
“You left me to attack the Dokhalls with a strange male you had never met.”
She doesn’t look back at me, but I can feel her rolling her eyes. “And?”
“If you don’t know why this doesn’t please me, then you’re not as intelligent as I had imagined.”
“You know, you recovered remarkably quickly once you were forced to rest. Those maradoza berries obviously did the trick.” She turns her head and smiles sunnily over her shoulder at me. “You’re welcome.”
I let out a low growl. “Do not believe your actions helped me, female.”
She sighs. “Korzyn…about that kiss in the cave…”
“Forget it. You believed you were about to die. Emotions were high. Besides, I am still committed to finding my female.”
“Your female? You mean the mystery woman you had one kiss with? You sound like a stalker.”
I smile. “How do you know it was one kiss?”
“You said it was.”
“No, I didn’t.”
She opens her mouth, but I slap my hand over it as the mishua goes still beneath us. Sarissa pries my hand off her face but stays silent, both of us waiting for the attack.
We don’t have long to wait.
Four Dokhalls surround us, likely one of the scouting groups sent ahead.
Heli lowers her head, horns glinting in the moonlight. One of the Dokhalls waves his stick weapon at us threateningly.
“Dismount,” he orders, and I laugh.
“Do not think to tell me what to do,” I say, and Sarissa snorts.
“Throw me at that one,” she mutters.
I can see her plan, and I tilt my head. “No.”
“Divide and conquer,” she whispers as the Dokhalls advance toward us. “You have to trust me at some point.”
I grind my teeth, but she’s right. She has proven she can fight the Dokhalls and prevail.
“Fine.”
She pulls up her feet, tucking herself into a ball, and I throw her over the Dokhalls’ heads. She lands on her feet, rolls, and rises with a long knife in her hand.
The Dokhalls attack.
Sarissa
Three of the Dokhalls leap at Korzyn, while one of them bares his teeth and jumps at me. I drop and roll out of the way. He falls, immediately turning toward me again, and I wince at him as I get a good look at his horns.
“Already broken one of your horns, huh? That must’ve hurt.”
I glance at Korzyn, who jumps off the mishua and draws his sword, slashing it at one of the Dokhalls. Another attempts to attack at the same time, and Korzyn punches him in the face, swiping his stick from his hand and beating him with it.
“So,” he says between blows. “While I am helpless as a babe in that cave, you find another male to attack the Dokhalls?”
I gape at him, narrowly missing being jabbed with Broken Horn’s stick. I duck, roll, and slice up with my knife, catching the Dokhall in the thigh.
He howls, falling back, and I jump to my feet.
“It wasn’t like that, Korzyn.”
“What was it like?”
“I was trying to save you!”
“I believe you mean you were trying to save the females back at your camp.”
I glance at him, but he’s not looking at me. Instead, he’s advancing on the largest Dokhall, who finally has the good sense to look afraid.
Broken Horn attempts to use his stick as a sword, and I dodge, striking out with my fist.
“What do you care? You’re only doing this so you can get back to your mystery woman.”
He laughs but not like it’s funny. “You’re right.”
Jealousy shoots through me, and I take it out on Broken Horn, slamming my knee into his groin. He groans, dropping his stick as he folds, and I pick it up, smashing it down on his head.
“She can’t be that great if you left.”
Not only am I jealous of myself, but I’m talking shit about myself too. Awesome.
“It was worth leaving to find her name.”
That’s it.
The Dokhall rises with a snarl, and I kick him in the face. His eyes roll back in his head, and he hits the ground with a dull thump.
Korzyn’s still fighting the largest Dokhall, but it seems as if he’s playing with him, smoothly dodging
