Page 161 of Moon Chosen

“Stop!”

Nik pushed Jenna out the door and faced the room. “I won’t hurt her. I give you my word.”

The women began to keen and turned away from him. Feeling sick, Nik left the house, barring the door behind him. He guided the silent Jenna to the kayak. She didn’t resist as he helped her sit in it. As he paddled away from the dock and made for the far shore, heading for the solitary lookout blind, the sky began to change from gray to the pale yellows and blushing peaches of sunrise. Nik ignored the burning pain in his back and paddled with all of his strength.

“Jenna, we’ll be out of this kayak in a few minutes, then we’re going to have to move fast. We need to get ashore before anyone sees us. Do you understand?”

When she didn’t respond he glanced at her. Her arms were wrapped around herself and she was rocking slowly back and forth. As the sun climbed above the horizon, the silver-gray tinge was fading from her skin, but her eyes were wide and except for a pervasive sense of sadness, empty of reason or emotion.

Grimly, Nik paddled.

When he reached the bank just below the blind, Nik didn’t hesitate. He rammed the kayak into the sandy ground, tossed the basket onto the bank, and then lifted Jenna by her waist and managed to half drag, half carry her to shore. There he picked up the basket and took Jenna’s little hand in his, looking into her dark eyes and speaking quickly and earnestly.

“We have to hurry and be very quiet until we’re out of Tribe territory. Just keep ahold of my hand, and I’ll guide you. Once we’re safe, I’ll explain what’s going on. For now, can you just trust me?”

Jenna blinked like she was breaking the surface after a long dive. “No one killed us.”

“No one is going to kill us,” Nik said. “Not today.”

“Nik? It is you.” The ghost of a smile lifted the corners of her lips, but only for a moment.

“Yep, it’s me. Okay, stay close.” He started forward, but Jenna pulled on his hand, holding him back.

“Where are you taking me?”

He smiled at her. “Home. Jenna, I’m taking you home.”

42

The sun was partially up in the morning sky and it was already unusually warm when Nik finally decided they were far enough from Tribe territory to take a break. He sat on a moss-covered log, wiped the sweat from his face with the back of his sleeve, and handed Jenna the drinking skin before digging into the basket for the hard flatbread sandwiches his father had packed.

“Thank you, Father,” Nik said gratefully, taking a huge bite of the first sandwich. “Here, there’s plenty,” he said around a full mouth, offering Jenna the basket.

Delicately, she took a sandwich and began to nibble on it. Nik watched her, trying to decide what to say. Their trip had been one of silence, relieved only when Nik said something. If it was a question, Jenna answered it monosyllabically. On her part, she’d not initiated conversation or asked questions.

Nik swallowed and cleared his throat.

“How have you been, Jenna?”

Her eyes met his. “How do you think?”

He looked at her—really looked at her. Jenna’s dark hair was a matted mess. She was so thin she looked years older than when he’d seen her last. How long ago had that been? One month? Two? She was so pale that the dark circles under her eyes looked like dirty smudges.

“I think it’s been hard for you,” Nik said.

“Yes.” She went back to nibbling on the biscuit. As if speaking to the sandwich and not to him, she continued. “Thank you for setting me free. Is this where you’re leaving me?”

“No,” Nik assured her hastily. “No, I want to leave you with Mari.”

Like a trapped bird, her gaze darted to his and then flitted away, only to return again. “I—I don’t know a Mari.”

“Yes, you do. Mari told me you’re friends.”

She stared at him speechlessly.

Nik kept talking. “Mari saved my life. I was hurt and almost died. She found me and healed me, and now I need to find her again because I need her help to heal my cousin, O’Bryan. You remember O’Bryan? He was there the night you were taken.”

Jenna shook her head, but Nik couldn’t tell if it was from disbelief, or if she just didn’t remember O’Bryan. He hurried on. “I was at Mari’s burrow with Sora for almost a week. Of course they blindfolded me and didn’t let me see where they lived. I was hoping that you could get me near enough to the burrow for one of them to find me again.” Nik carefully didn’t mention Rigel. It had been obvious that Mari led an unusual, hidden life, and he knew, of course, that Rigel was a recent addition to that life, and he wasn’t sure how many Earth Walkers were aware that the pup even existed. “Then I’m going to ask Mari to trade your life for my cousin’s.”