Page 70 of Stealing the Star Stone
What?Something squeezed Eli’s chest tight.How’s this possible?
“Eli, why are you babbling?”Nova asked, coming to stand between him and the native warrior.
Eli angled his head to gaze at her.She doesn’t understand the man?
Said man studied them, his gaze resting on their tattoos before he hollered at their hunters.“Under my protection.”
Hands were thrown up in anger, spears waved, amid more ululation before one by one, the little men left.
“Do not mind the Skrillith.It is not often they find such a bounty.”
“My thanks for the rescue.”Eli leaned in to whisper to Nova, “I can understand him.”
Her eyes widened.“Is he friend or foe?”
“I don’t know yet.”Eli pointed across the lake.“We need to reach that island.”
The man gazed out.“For a Kovari Shol?”He hummed.“You must have the permission of my chieftain.”He narrowed his eyes at them.“You are not like the others.”
Eli raised his chin, meeting the man’s dark gaze.“If we could return your star stones, we would.”
“That is not what we call them.The Kovari Shol are older than we know.Come.I will take you to my village.”He marched off, swinging his eels.
“He wants us to go with him.Says his chieftain can help us.”
Nova gazed at the empty dunes then the island.“Do we go?”
“Wanna swim?”he asked, though the man’s warning made his stomach churn.
“I am Amenkar,” the man said, pausing to glance at them.“Do not fear me.I mean you no harm.”He started along the beach.
Eli fell into step beside him, casting glances over his shoulder at Nova, who hesitated, eyed a loan Skrillith, and hurried to join him.
“My name’s Nova,” Eli said, “and this is Eli.”
Amenkar bowed his head.“May Lethaar bestow their blessings upon you.”
Eli reacted on instinct and dipped his chin to his chest.“And to you,” he said, not sure what else to say.
A smile twitched the man’s lips.“I like you, stranger.I sense no ill intent, no deep desire to change our world.”
“It’s beautiful and should remain untouched,” Eli said, gazing at the winged whales swam in the sky, near the horizon.
“My village is not far.”Amenkar wiggled his catch.“I come for the quet.”He stopped again, whipped out a dagger, then sliced off a tail.The white jelly-like flesh wobbled on the end of his blade.He offered it to Nova.
She almost recoiled.
Amenkar brought the blade closer to her mouth.“He must eat to understand.It is a gift of the quet.”
“Oh!”Eli grinned then frowned.“How?We were both healed—”
“It chooses who to bestow it upon.”Amenkar’s gaze switched between Eli and Nova.“I would say you did not seek them out for their powers.”
“Nova, honey, eat the eel.”
“Why?”She swallowed hard, her gaze on the gelatinous lump.
“Amenkar says that eating the eel helps us to understand Lethari.”
