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In a flash, my attacker was gone, racing around the pool and out of view, disappearing into the depths of the jungle.
I sat up sputtering and coughing, trying to catch my breath.
Kaio was by my side in seconds.
“What happened?” He pulled me up into his arms, cradling my shivering body against his. “Why did I not wake up?” he yelled in pain, as if the thought of losing me was too much for his kingly heart to bear.
“I’m fine. I’m fine,” I whimpered, cold to the bone and desperate for the warm fire again. Kaio moved quickly, crouching down to set me gently on the woven mats. He pulled the soaking cloak from my body and replaced it with the other dry one.
“I should have woken when you were in danger. The fear I felt from you was overwhelming, but I could not wake. It was as if I was in a prison of my own dreams.”
My teeth chattered as I repeated that I was fine. Kaio rubbed my arms, trying to work heat back into them.
“I’m sorry, Gwen. That should not have happened.” He looked away from me, his gaze wild. “Where is your attacker?”
“That’s the strange thing, Kaio.” I shifted, huddling closer to him as I shivered. “I think he saved me. Or us. I don’t know. I mean, he pushed me into the water and I very nearly drowned, but he wasn’t trying to hurt me. And he seemed to have…” I hesitated, wondering if I’d just imagined what I’d seen. “Kaio, I think he had magic. Like yours.”
Kaio shook his head. “There are no other Orendans in the competition. That was part of my participation agreement with Bloodworm—that he wouldn’t take any of my people other than me.”
“Maybe I hallucinated,” I shrugged, desperately trying to get even closer to him, as if he could open up and envelop me in his muscled, wonderful body.
“Maybe…” Kaio’s voice trailed off, thoughtful. “Regardless, we should leave. We have stayed here too long and forgotten that there is danger at every turn.”
I nodded in agreement. “Just give me a moment, please? I’m still so cold.”
He hugged me tighter, kissing my forehead. “I’d give you all the time in the universe if I could, Gwen.”
* * *
We were dressedand packed maybe half an hour later. I couldn’t tell time here and didn’t even know if the night sky was real or artificial.
Moving quickly, we found ourselves leaving the warm jungle with its strange alien bird calls and canopy of green above. The waterfall sound was far behind us, and I mourned it. I wanted to rewind time and experience Kaio all over again. Because I had no idea if we’d survive what was coming, if we’d ever have the chance to be together in that way again.
“It’s going to get cold, really cold,” Kaio warned as the ground began to harden.
I glanced down, seeing how the rich brown and green was fading away, becoming replaced with frosted blades of grass and patches of ice.
I was grateful to be wearing the protective suit again. Kaio came to a stop in front of me, turning around and reaching for me.
“Let me see your right sleeve.”
I complied, lifting my arm and watching as he folded the sleeve up to reveal a tiny array of sensors. He fiddled with them for a while and then did the same to his own. Soon after, warmth flooded against my skin. Delicious heat.
“Oh, that’s wonderful.”
“I don’t know how long the battery pack will last, but we might as well take advantage of it as we cross this arctic zone.”
I nodded. I’d never liked extreme cold, even as a child. Snow was pretty to look at, but never play in.
Kaio began walking again, picking up the pace to a slow jog as the environment grew even colder. Every surface around us was snow white now, drifts taller than Kaio pushed up against trees and boulders. Soon, there were no trees to be seen, just a barren landscape inhospitable to plant life.
I kept up with him for a good mile or so before my legs began to burn with lactic acid and a cramp started violently in my side.
“Kaio, I need a break,” I gasped out, halting and bending over to try and relieve the pressure. I dropped the samples case. It was easier to grab the short handle and run versus dragging it behind me on wheels. But the weight of it, though not incredibly heavy, was definitely straining my arm too.
He walked to me, covering the few paces between us quickly, and surveyed our surroundings for danger while he waited. I tried to control my breathing, stretching out my calves and rubbing my thighs.
The pain had almost died away when an ear-splitting, jarring boom rocketed through the frozen tundra. The ground began to shake, and I knew enough about the dangers of skiing to stare up at the nearby mountain in horror. Hell, I’d once researched avalanche deaths just to convince my parents to let me stay in the lodge during every winter vacation.
Sure enough, a deep whooshing sound followed the boom, and a monstrous sheet of snow began to spill its way down the sharp peak.
“Shit,” I yelled, snagging the stupid medicine case off the ground and beginning to run. Why was I insisting on keeping it with me? It seemed insane to still be lugging it about when my life was in peril. It wasn’t like any of the meds inside could save me. “Hurry, Kaio!” I screamed back at him, hoping he wasn’t far behind me.
