I ponder his response as he leaves.
Carver>>Armor: She needs to know she matters, that she has family like us. Losing a Brother to us is likely a similar feeling to her losing her sister. I know you’re mated and feeling things for her that you shouldn’t. But there’s no time to hesitate if we only have two days left.
He has always been my voice of reason, a straightforward Titan in his cyberpsyche, even if his body is a twisted weapon of destruction.
Esthi picks up her things and resituates her pack on her back. She gathers the berries and jerky and tucks them in a pouch, which she carries in a hand.
I tuck my wings up close together, exit the cave, grab Esthi by the waist, and toss her over my head, spreading her knees so she lands on my shoulders and the crooks of my wings in a sitting position.
Her gasp is a reminder to warn her next time. If there is one.
“Armor?”
“You run slower.” It’s just going to be my go-to excuse for being close to her. “I want you with me.”
The plush heat of her against my wings and my shoulders makes me want to find a quiet place to explore her body again. When I dreamt of my future mate, I had hoped she would be warm and soft and gentle, tough but fair, and loyal to our kind. I did not expect any attraction I felt to be to a human. And I never considered myself worthy of a Cybertech.
Hearing a splash makes me run faster. Carver’s found water, and I’m suddenly more aware of my own dehydration. At the edge, I reluctantly set Esthi down. She drops her gear and refills her bottles first. Then she opens a rubbery bag and fills it, folding over the edge and clipping the top. I stay with her until she gets in. Then I finally join her and Carver for a quick dunk and to drink in as much as I can. It feels good to soak off the dirt in the cool water.
Carver>>Armor: I hear Mother’s beacon. I have missed it.
I hear it, too, and it reminds me we need to get going. But when I turn to exit and switch visual modes for a clearer picture of Esthi, I find a set of glinting eyes watching from the trees across the creek.
“Esthi, don’t move.”
