Page 69 of The Warrior's Oath
Her mother had always said your life flashes before your eyes when you face death, so live life to its fullest and make sure it would be a show worth watching. But as she plummeted toward the rocks below, all she could think was how little she had done.
How there was still so much more to accomplish.
How she was on an alien goddamn planet, something people on Earth had only dreamed of since the beginning of recorded time, and now her adventure was going to be cut short.
The impact jolted her body hard. The fall was no little thing. But as she lay there, she realized she was still thinking. Breathing. She was still alive. A little sore from the impact, perhaps, but definitely alive.
Then she felt something else. Something familiar. A comforting warmth enveloping her.
Nyota opened her eyes to find the most wonderful sight she could imagine.
“You are all right,” Korvin said, a look of deep worry in his violet eyes. “You are safe. Just breathe.”
Her heart was racing, adrenaline pretty much taking the place of her blood, so great was her panic. But she listened to his soothing voice and did precisely that, slowing her respirations, feeling the bruises in her ribs where his meaty arms had caught her ache with every breath.
There was no way to avoid injury from a fall that high. Not even with her new runes. But all told, having no broken bones and just some contusions that would surely turn all manner of pretty colors as they healed wasn’t so bad.
One other thing she felt loud and clear. Distractingly so, in fact.
Her Infala was thrumming with their joined energy, positively glowing with warmth at his touch. Korvin moved to set her on her feet, but she latched her arms tight around his neck, kissing him hard. His worry quickly shifted to something far warmer as he returned the sentiment.
Nyota finally pulled away, sliding from his arms down onto her feet. “You came back.”
“I did.”
She studied him for a moment. He was truly worried about her. There was a hint of lingering annoyance, but whatever he might have been feeling when he came after her, seeing her nearly perish had pretty much put that on the back burner.
“I thought you were going the other way. After your friend.”
Korvin chose his words carefully when he spoke. She felt he had probably practiced them as he followed her trail.
“For the moment I will help you on your quest. But after we find your friends, I will seek out my own.”
“And your oath of honor?”
A pained look flashed across his face, pushed away in an instant. But she had seen it. Korvin was torn. Torn, but had chosen her. Over his friend. His general. His oath.
“We should get moving,” he said, ignoring her query.
“But the trail looked like it—”
“I observed wisps of smoke that appeared to be coming from a small fire not far from here.”
“How do we know those aren’t the bad guys? We could be walking into a trap.”
“Because, the Raxxians eat their kills raw, and the Dohrags would never be so careless as to make a smoking fire with damp wood.”
“Well, shit. Point taken. Looks like I’m following you, then. Lead the way.”
“Are you capable of moving quickly?”
“Why? Is there a reason to rush?”
“I have not seen traces of our adversaries, but if I can easily detect your friends, then they would be able to as well. We must reach them before that happens. If not, there is no telling what could occur.”
He turned and began walking quite fast. Nyota, despite her aches, moved fast as well, keeping up with his much longer strides, concern and hope flowing through her. The only question now was who would they find around that campfire?
CHAPTERTWENTY-SEVEN
