Page 91 of Black Mamba

I nod and pull the fishing net off my waist. “Let me catch some fish and then we will speak about it.”

Elena waits by the fire while I catch us dinner. As I cut her fish, she warms her pan in the flames. Golden light dances over her features, illuminating her focused yet somber expression.

I clean up while she eats, letting the day’s silence linger for a short time longer. Meanwhile, the sky morphs into a strange purple as the red hues of twilight blends with the dome’s brighter blue sheen. The shadows lengthen, deepening to black as night sets in. Fireflies appear to speckle the nearby bushes with light. A spaceship can be heard in the distance, along with the thunderous rush of the river.

My eyes narrow on Elena. “Tell me why you have been so quiet.”

Placing her plate to the side, she lifts her head with a sigh. “Like I said… I have a lot on my mind.”

I shift closer, eyeing her guarded features. “If you are sad about your sister, there are other camps we can check. We will find her, we will continue searching for her until we find her. Do not be sad. Remember us speaking of hope? Let that continue to give you hope.”

Tears brim her eyes and she quickly wipes them away. “Why are you so nice? Why do you have to be that way and make everything harder?”

“I am that way because I am your mate. It does not have to be hard, not between ussss.”

She wipes at her eyes again. “I know. And I’m not… sad about us, despite me crying. Everything has just been so overwhelming and…”

“And?” I prompt when she sucks her lip into her mouth.

“And I just wish I hadn’t lost my parents, my family, my home…” Her tears fall between her fingers.

She looks at me as I slip to her side, coiling my tail around her and drawing her to my chest. A soft sob leaves her as I embrace her. “Is that why you cry? Is that why you cried so much when you first arrived?” I pet her hair, her cheek, sliding her loose strands behind her ear.

I did not know she had lost her parents with everything else.

Her wet lashes flick my chest when she presses her face against me. “I tried to save my parents. I tried to get them to come with me. I knew something really bad was happening and what Volp was saying was wrong, but I couldn’t convince them.” I tighten my hold on her, sliding my hand up her back to thread my fingers into her hair. “It was hard convincing Jenna and Mateo, they didn’t even leave until the very end. I should’ve… I wish I had tried harder. It’s been so, so lonely without them.”

“You have me now,” I whisper, holding her through her sorrow. It is all I have ever wanted to do in the past; be there for her. I wanted to be that someone. “I have you now. I will always have you.”

Her nails scratch my scales as her hands ball into fists. “Lukys… please tell me you will never leave me. That you will never die. As stupid as that sounds. That you won’t vanish from my life like them.”

“I will never leave you. I will never die. I am incredibly hard to kill and have never fought a battle I have not won. I will not vanish on you⁠—”

She pulls away and looks at me. “Promise me. If you promise me you’ll never leave, I will stay with you. I need foundation. I need a rock.”

Surprised by her words, I go still. But my promises come easily. “I promise I will never leave you. I promise I will never die. Not unless it is with you. I will be by your side to the very end.”

Her tears fall, and she swipes the back of her hands across her cheeks. “Thank you. I… I really… I really needed to hear that. I’m yours, Lukys. I’ll be yours if you’ll be mine. I’ve wanted you like I’ve never wanted anything, and I need you. I think I need you more than I can say.”

I tug her back into my chest as another sob escapes her.

“I will always be here for you.” I curl my limbs around her. She is more precious to me than anything I have ever known. I just wish she knew that.

You will be happy again.

You will see.

FORTY-ONE

A CRUSHED MEADOW

Elena

I jerk awake to the sound of a spaceship. Opening my eyes and peering at the sky, my gaze takes in the bright blue dome overhead. In the distance, and outside of the veil, a ship approaches from outer orbit.

Lukys rises next to me, his tail slipping out from between my legs as the ship moves closer. Vaguely familiar in design but too far away to see clearly, it stops before the veil then travels in the same direction Lukys and I will be going later today. It disappears to my right, around the bend of the mountain and away from the dome.

I listen to it until I can no longer hear it, glancing at Lukys when he tugs open my pack and takes out the firestarter.