He blew out a frustrated breath through his nostrils. “I do not know if I can extract you without ripping the suit further.”
An icy ribbon of fear snaked through my ribs. That had been my nightmare for ages. But what choice did we have? The meteor apocalypse was nice in theory, since death would be instantaneous, but I didn’t love the idea of starving to death while stuck in a pile of thorn bushes.
Voicing the words was a battle between my mind and body, but I managed to grind out, “That’s… fine.”
Farr’vye grunted in agreement. Then, without flinching, he pushed aside the closest thorn branches with his tentacles while lifting my body with his arms.
It was over in an instant. I was free from the thorns, but it came at a price: the dreadful sound of fabric ripping in multiple locations, like the thorns were a giant lion refusing to release me from its claws.
I was flooded with instinctive relief. I wasn’t trapped anymore.
Farr’vye trudged back through the angry bushes, ignoring the second wave of tiny daggers that pierced him. He carried me carefully in his arms, using his muscles as a shield to defend me. Not a single thorn got past him.
By the time we escaped the bushes, I didn’t have a drop of blood on me, but Farr’vye was bleeding all over.
I thought he’d put me down and tend to his own injuries, but instead, he glanced down and asked, “You are unharmed?”
I didn’t think he’d ask again so soon. Surprised by his compassion, I nodded.
I couldn’t stop staring at the gleaming streaks of blood that crisscrossed his face and neck.
“Um… Areyouokay?” I asked.
His eyes widened slightly, and I saw a flutter of pink course through his feelers.
“I am fine. Thank you for your concern,” Farr’vye replied. “Maeleons are quick to heal.”
I frowned. “But it must hurt.”
“I am simply glad you are safe.”
My linguist senses went off. I didn’t miss how he dodged my comment.
“Farr’vye,” I said. “Does it hurt?”
His orange eyes stared down at me, charged and unblinking. A shudder rolled over my skin. He really was intense. Normally, I found personalities like his frightening, but I was getting used to him. It was odd, but I almost found it a bit comforting.
“Yes, it hurts,” he admitted. “But I will be fine.”
Guilt punched me in the gut. Of course, he was in pain—he was covered in hundreds of bloody marks, and it was my fault. If I hadn’t run away like a coward, as I always did, he wouldn’t be scored up like a cutting board.
“I’m sorry,” I said.
His eyes narrowed with gentleness. “I will take you somewhere safe.”
My insides continued to roil with guilt as Farr’vye carried me away from the thorny danger zone. He walked back up the hill, his strides effortless thanks to his muscular thighs. He found a patch of grass, flattened it with a few thumps of his tail, and set me down. Being treated with such care made me feel like a princess or something.
A stray thought roamed into my head:When was the last time somebody treated me this nicely?
It would be an understatement to say that Paz and the other humans were kind. They’d saved me from a life of solitude and drudgery. But we didn’t hang out much. They were rightfully busy with their young children—why would they waste their precious time on a random weirdo like me?
On the other hand, Farr’vye…
“A rip. On your arm.”
His matter-of-fact tone yanked me from my thoughts. I blinked, then glanced down at the spot where he was staring.
Fear jolted me. Through a torn patch in my suit, my bare arm was exposed.
