Page 12 of Claimed By the Krijese

“Is that what happened to your hand?” Talek is the first to ask. “Someone cut it off?”

I snort-laugh at his sweet innocence. “No, I was born this way. My right arm and hand might be stronger to compensate for the lack of my left one, and while I can certainly hold a weapon, wielding it with any kind of skill would take a lot of strength and a lot of practice. Which also probably includes a lot of accidents. Ones I’m not sure I’m up for.”

“Thisispractice,” Sorin points out. “Besides, you are at least as strong, but most likely stronger, than the four of us. If we can throw it, then I have faith you can as well.”

Echoes of “yes” from the other three fill the air, and the kids stare at me expectantly. I sigh.

“Okay, fine, I’ll try. But if I cut off my other arm, I’m going to be rather annoyed.” Not that I really have any concerns that’ll happen. It’s just kind of fun to needle them a bit.

I swipe my now sweaty palm on my pants and carefully take the wooden handle of the axe from Sorin who still holds it. To my surprise, it’s weightier than I expected. Then again, I’m notexactly sure what I expected. I position myself where the kids did in relation to the target and glance out to gauge the distance. From here, it looks a lot farther away than it did when the four of them were throwing.

I try to relax like Cecily did. To loosen my shoulders and hips and any other part of my body that’s tight, which is all of it, basically. Like her, I take a deep breath and try to recall what Sorin said at the beginning. Something about keeping my eye on the target no matter what, and using the power from my hips, not my arm. Sounds easy enough, right?

My focus narrows on a single spot in front of me, and when I feel like I’m as ready as I’m going to get, I raise my arm and the axe with it, breathe, and throw. Two things happen at once. The axe goes soaring and it’s obvious I overestimated my strength and underestimated my eyesight. The loss of the weapon, plus my extreme lack of grace makes me lose my balance. I brace myself for impact with the ground, but it doesn’t happen.

Instead, I find myself suspended mid-air with a large, warm body at my back, and two thick arms supporting me under my armpits. I tip my head back and gaze up at my savior. If I had any breath left in my lungs it would have been released as a scream. Instead, I flail and scramble to my feet on my own. Once there, I spin and stumble back a few steps, nearly falling on my ass, my attempt at being non-judgmental about appearances tossed out the window.

Before me is a larger, much,muchscarier version of Sorin. In fact, he’s terrifying. He has the same greenish-black skin that’s more black than green in certain angles. His thick, black ropey hair is unbound and sweeps back off his forehead to fall nearly to his waist. There is no pretty silver spark in the bottomless eyesthat bore into mine. They’re nothing but dark shadows on top of dark shadows. I shiver at the darkness within them.

Sorin’s little tusks that bracket his vertical mouth slit are cute. Adorable, even. This man’s—and there’s no mistaking him as male—are huge. Pointy. Dangerous. As are the black claws that tip his fingers.

“Gogo, you saved Iris.”

My gaze darts to Sorin who moves to stand next to the large version of him. I glance at the adult male, to the child, and back again. At least now I have an idea what ‘gogo’ means, because my guess is I’m looking at Sorin’s father. Another guess tells me he’s one of the Krijese that used to slaughter the humans.

Chapter 7

Kala

I have almost forgotten what it is like to be feared. Until now. Untilher. It radiates from the human. Not only from her eyes, but her scent reeks of it. The unpleasant odor makes my nostrils itch. I also do not like the fact that Sorin is witness to it. He is only a kit, and there are two things in this world I have wished to shield him from, even if I know it is impossible. Fear and hatred for our kind. Yet, I have exposed him to it once again.

“You have nothing to fear from me, female.”

“Iris?” Sorin tilts his head, and there is confusion in the way he says her name.

Talek and the two human kits stare back and forth between her and me, but remain silent. There is a tension in the Tavikhi kit. This ‘Iris’ glances at Sorin, and to my surprise, there is a softness in her gaze. One she did not look upon me with. The female clears her throat and attempts a smile.

“Sorry, I was just startled for a second there.” She turns her gaze to me. “I’m Iris. Are you Sorin’s father?”

“Aye.”

She wipes her palm on her leg, but in a way that I do not think she wishes it to be noticeable, and takes a small step, then another, toward me until she is within an arm’s length. Then she carefully reaches out her hand—one that trembles—as if she thinks I will grab her. “It’s…it’s nice to meet you.”

I stare at her outstretched arm, unsure what it is I am supposed to do with it.

“You are meant to hold it, Gogo,” Sorin rasps quietly beside me.

Iris moves to withdraw her hand, but before she can, I clasp it within mine, taking care not to scratch her with my claws. Her palm is warm and slightly damp. But her skin is soft. Perhaps even softer than the fur of a leburin. I try to recall if I have ever touched the flesh of another human, if only by accident, but I cannot recall. Surely I would remember if they were as soft as this Iris is?

“Um, actually, you’re supposed to…” her voice trails off and she swallows. “Never mind, it doesn’t matter.”

“No, if I am doing this incorrectly, I would like to know the right way.” Perhaps it is a failing in me, this need to do things the proper way in which they are meant to be done.

“It’s a human way of greeting people called a handshake. Like this.” Iris gently, but firmly grips my hand and moves it in a shallow up and down motion before pulling away and dropping her arm to her side.

“I would like to be shown one more time so that I may fully understand.” Perhaps because it is also an excuse to experience the softness of her skin one last time.

“Oh, okay.” She holds her arm out again, and I take it within mine, mimicking to the best of my ability this shaking thing she did.

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