Page 51 of Loved By the Alien King
We didn’t have time for anyone getting bit and dying.
“But they shot Miekil for no reason though,” Nera protested.
“I wouldn’t say no reason,” he said. “I gave them two reasons, one middle finger on each hand, when I first detected them in the jungle.”
“That’s hardly a reason to shoot you.” Nera whipped her head toward me. “Hungry caterpillar can’t swim, Maxx.”
“I’ll teach him.” Or we could leave him anyway, but one look from Nera made it clear that wasn’t an option. “I’ll make sure he’s fine.”
Once again, I hauled the Killian to his feet, wrapping his good arm around my back. He hissed through his teeth as he eyed the water below.
“I’m sorry,”—I meant for all of this, but we also didn’t have time for platitudes and confessions right now—“but this is going to fuxxing hurt.”
With a light shove, I dropped him into the salty water below. Goddess, the sting to his wound would be unimaginable, and I prayed he wouldn’t pass out and drown.
A creak sounded from outside, far enough away that I knew it came from the short bridge, but close enough to blare alarms through my head.
Saying everything with her bottomless dark eyes, Nera stepped up to the trapdoor’s edge, her gun in her hand.
“If you see a snake, shoot it. Go around the jungle. Head to the beach house. I’ll be right behind you,” I promised in a whisper. “With all hungry caterpillars intact.”
Nodding, she quickly squatted and then sat so her legs dangled, and she dropped into the water below. As soon as her lithe body cut through the gentle waves, I rushed to the shopping cart and retrieved the caterpillar. There was nothing to put it in except for my pants pocket, so that would have to do. While stalking back to the trapdoor, I wrapped it loosely in its giant, thick leaf and stuffed it into my pocket.
“Say a prayer, little buddy,” I muttered. “We’re both going to need it.”
A light footstep sounded right outside the door.
I jumped down, not caring how big of a splash I made since they’d soon realize exactly where we’d gone. We maybe had a few seconds’ lead on them, if that.
The water was warm and pleasant, but I barely noticed. While I swam away underwater, I searched for Nera and the Killian. Where were they? They couldn’t have gotten far, but…
Never mind. Two bungalows over, Nera was doing her best to hide the Killian’s green bulk behind one of the thin posts that kept the structure lifted from the water.
I cut toward them, not needing to come up for air. That would just make myself an easy target. The veins in my nose and forehead took in oxygen from seawater and distributed it directly to my brain. I couldn’t say the same for the little caterpillar in my pocket though, so I swam faster.
Soon, I joined them and came up out of the water as silently as possible so I wouldn’t draw attention to us. I sure ended up scaring Nera though.
She slapped her hand over her mouth to catch her yelp. “I thought you were a purple whale.”
The Killian groaned. “He gets that a lot.”
“Why have we stopped?” I demanded.
“Because this guy is about as useless as a bag of dicks when he’s shot, and way too heavy.” Nera patted the Killian’s good shoulder. “No offense.”
“Um…okay.”
“Come on.” Sweeping forward, I took on the Killian’s weight underneath his good arm. “Think you can swim toward the last bungalow and then make a run for it?”
“I’ve got nothing better to do,” Nera said, her voice deadly calm as she checked the charge on her gun with a hard glare. But when she looked up at the Killian and me, her expression softened. “But can Miekil make it?”
He grunted. “So far, so great. I’ve only passed out once.”
“Let’s keep going.” I risked a quick look behind us, seeing nothing, hearing nothing.
I wasn’t sure if that was a good sign or a bad sign. Surely it hadn’t been that easy to give them the slip though.
Nera swam ahead of us while the Killian and I slogged through the water, keeping to the relative cover of the supporting beams underneath the bungalows. Slow didn’t even begin to describe our pace. The Killian looked greener by the second, which was really saying something, and could hardly stand on his own two feet.
