Page 58 of Green Ravens

Valor stared into the dark sky for several hours, but he couldn’t stop his thoughts from shifting toward the door at the other end of the hall.

Before he could think twice, he leaped from the tree, stormed across the hardwood floors of his living quarters, and out of the door.

Chief Aiken Oakley

Valor

With each step Valor took, his heartbeat quickened.

When he reached the end of the hall, he felt an enticing presence behind the steel door.

It was a solid, secure barrier, but if he wanted past, it wouldn’t be an obstacle.

He placed his palm against the cool metal and his breath hitched at the subtle vibrations. He was right there, just out of his reach.

Valor could hear his ragged breathing.

“Open the door,” he ordered, his voice deep and tight with restraint.

He heard the man inhale, sharp and anxious.

Valor clenched his fists. His muscles twitched as he fought not to react in haste.

“I want to see you,” Valor demanded, softer that time.

He was still met with silence.

Frustration churched inside. He wanted to roar and rage. If he were once a man of patience, he wasn’t anymore.

A barely audible whisper made his breath stop.

“Leave.”

The delicate tone, the slight trembling, it was too much.

Valor’s last bit of control snapped. He reared back and, with unthinkable strength, hurled a single kick at the door and sent it buckling inward.

He saw a blur of motion, unnaturally fast. A man darted through the open space, his silhouette difficult to notice against the darkness behind the glass doors of the terrace.

The night engulfed him as he ran and Valor relished the opportunity to chase and hunt.

Valor crept onto the balcony, marveling at the expanse of the manufactured jungle very similar to his own, with trees that stretched toward the sky.

And there he was.

Perched high in the tallest tree, silent and still, but Valor could hear the frantic beating of his pulse. Could see the rapid rise and fall of his lean chest.

Valor locked his gaze on soft green eyes. The same eyes that watched him in his dreams.

“Come down,” he demanded, trying to be mindful of the bass and authority in his tone.

The man didn’t move.

“Come down,Zorion.”

Nothing.

“I’ve spoken with a potential ally in this facility. I’ve been told about our history. We are connected. Come to me.”

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