Page 60 of Warrior Rescued

“I’m going to die on Hell after all,” she murmured as she looked around, sad, angry tears spilling down her cheeks.

Just when everything felt hopeless, her eyes widened, an idea forming as she focused on the landscape. They’d crashed on the far side of her mountain. She hadn’t ventured here much because it was closer to the volcanoes but it wasn’t entirely foreign, at least not to her.

“You need me.” Her gaze darted back to the sickly reptile’s harsh gaze. “I can get you back to your base.”

“We know the way to Fuzyre.” The fucker pointed with his free hand.

Suddenly a wasp appeared, like an answer to a prayer, a prayer she never would’ve uttered under normal circumstances. One turned into three, then five.

“I wouldn’t do that,” she warned when the scaly pair started swatting at the nasty little insects.

“We have thick skin,” the pilot scoffed.

Yeah, sure.

While trying to stay as still as possible, she reached into the bag hanging around her neck and found one of the wasp bombs.

“Sachvy,” one hissed as he was stung, then spun to fend off the growing swarm.

“I tried to warn you.” She quickly rubbed the wasp bomb on her skin and clothing, while inching away from the pair.

“Arg. Why aren’t they attacking you?” the pilot demanded, pointing his weapon at her as he swung at the winged menaces.

“I told you, you need me.” She took another step back.

“Fine!” the spiny one howled, dropping his weapon and slapping at his scaly skin with both clawed hands.

She should just let them be swarmed. Seeing the reptiles get stung was so satisfying. Except, there were no towering nests nearby, so it was doubtful enough insects would come to kill them. She’d have to find another way to do that. For now, she needed to earn their trust and await the right moment.

“Here.” She tossed a handful of wasp bombs at them. “Rub them on yourselves then stop flailing.”

The pair swiftly grabbed the seed pods and started rubbing themselves down. Elena sighed, feeling a momentary reprieve, then her gut twisted as she thought about Payim.

He has to be okay,she insisted. Payim was an absolute badass. The reptiles scared the shit out of her, but two of these scaly fuckers were no match for him, after all, her man wasn’t human.For God’s sake, he pulled a stasis pod out of the chasm.

She nodded and held on tight to that conviction, straightened her shoulders and set her sights on her own set of problems.

I can handle this.She shoved down her fear and attempted to think of what was needed to survive.

She surveyed the hillside and the chain of volcanoes. They were definitely much closer to the volatile peaks, but still just one of the small trio was spewing magma, and the big guy was only puffing like a smokestack. Except that’s not what worried her, the small volcano was still nothing to sneeze at. She never had to cross the cracked, rocky desert so close to it. Even at this elevation, she could see the terrain was riddled with magma flows.

We are not going that way.It didn’t matter that it was the most direct route to the reptiles’ base.I’m the guide. I’ll take them a different route.Besides, the plan was never really to take them back to their base.

Before reaching the volcanic desert, they’d have to cross the hot springs and geyser flat that skirted the base of her mountain. She’d just slowly veer back toward the swamp.

“Supplies, we’ll need supplies.” Because no matter the route, ruse or not, that was a guarantee. “Salvage as much water as you can from the cruiser.”

“Are you giving us orders, fleshling?” Spiny hissed.

Her fear again spiked, worried that somehow they saw what she’d been thinking. She was tempted to take a step back and then another and another, but she repressed the urge. There was no way they could know what she was planning. The Jurou Biljana were violent bullies. That’s what they were doing now. She couldn’t show them any fear. They would just prey on the perceived weakness.

“It’s a long hike. I figured you’d want the water but if not…” She shrugged apathetically, after all, she had her canteen and some snacks.

“I’ll get the water,” the scaly pilot huffed, casting an annoyed glance toward the spiny one, before turning and heading back into the cruiser.

This just might work, she sighed.

ELEVEN

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