Page 25 of Diamond

Is this the end of my life?

I blink sluggishly, my eyes heavy, but then I feel something soft brushing against my face. A gentle bleat follows.

"Roshan," I whisper, wincing at the effort it takes to speak.

His big yellow-brown eyes look much larger now that he's the one looking down at me. If this is how I'm going to die, I hope he comes up toJannahwith me.

15

Kuret

The human female startles me when she suddenly she gets up and runs in crooked, desperate steps. I stand there, momentarily frozen, my eyes rapidly blinking as I watch her get away. Why is she running?

I don't need her adoration or praise, but I didn't expect her to flee instead of letting me ensure her safety.

Ree never mentioned how vastly different her friends are from her in temperament. A part of my brain pushes back at the thought.

Ree was rescued by a manticorid and she feels safe. This poor human, however, has been through torment, first captured by genali hunters, and then confronted by that unspeakable creature. Its no wonder she assumes everything wants to harm her.

Yet, It's baffling. She seems more afraid of me than of the green-haired male, and I can't understand why.

Grunting in frustration, I start walking in her direction, wiping the thick, sticky blood off my body. His blood is thicker and much stickier than mine. Its musty smell fills my nostrils with its disgusting stench. While I typically take pride in wearing the blood of my enemies, this particular smell is terrible, a true reflection of the filth he was.

I spot her wobbling ahead in the distance. She's in visible pain, yet still desperately trying to escape me. I decide not to chase her outright, fearing her panic might lead her to harm herself. I simply stalk behind, keeping a steady pace.

Her white hair and loud movements act as a beacon, impossible to miss.

She calls out, her voice strained and desperate, and I glance around, alert for anything her cries might attract. She shouldn't be making this much noise in a place like this, where hunters might still be lurking. If something does come, though, I'll deal with it.

Moments later, she teeters and stumbles into a bush, falling out of my sight. Alarmed, I quicken my steps, only to see her rise shakily, looking around, as if checking whether she's being followed. Does she think I can't hear her calling out?

She cries out again, and continues dragging herself forward. I watch her pitiful movement, unsure of how to approach her. I feel like I'm a predator stalking its prey, even though I have no intention of harming her.

Perhaps I should explain myself once I catch up. But would she even listen? She had screamed for help earlier, so why is she running now?

Her white hair disappears from my view again.

I hear her let out an agonized sound, and I pick up my pace and run in her direction. My hearts pound, not with exertion, but with the fear I didn't expect; the fear of killing a woman I was only trying to save from a rapist.

As I approach the spot where she disappeared, I see it is a rocky edge. My stomach tightens. It does not look like a big fall, but the injuries she has already sustained from the aggressive male might be the thing that sends her to her death.

I carefully pick my way around the jutting edge of the rock so I don't end up in the same situation she is. No one will help the both of us if I find myself wounded at the bottom of the ravine.

Peering down, I spot her. Her small, frail form is pinned beneath a hideous creature. Six spindly legs protrude from its body, its broad head hovering over hers, its large blue lips parting to reveal terrifying teeth.. That is all I need to alert my sense of danger, running toward her with my knife in my hands.

From this angle, I can see a hideous creature open its mouth over her head, its large blue lips and large teeth going to gnaw at her even though her hands are covering her face. She is uncharacteristically still for somebody being attacked by a large animal.

My chest constricts with the realization that she might already be dead, but then I notice faint movement.

Relief surges within me. I have a chance to save her. Maybe I can redeem myself by saving her from a wild animal, and she will trust me. At least I hope that's what will happen. I must be careful not to harm her further or let her harm herself out of fear.

The human woman raises her head as she hears me approaching. Her half-lidded, bright eyes lock onto mine. Her eyes widen when they spot my weapon. I want to tell her that the knife is not for her and that she will be fine if she just stays still and lets me kill the animal before it hurts her.

"Stop!" she yells, her voice trembling.

Do humans from her planet pride themselves so much on independence that they'd rather run into danger than accept protection? Her reaction baffles me, but I know what I must do.

The creature glances at me for a moment before crouching lower, pressing protectively over her. Stupid animal, offering its back to me to directly hit. I will strike at it with great violence and save her from herself once more.

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