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“Nix arrived an hour or so ago. He demanded some Vakarran delicacies and he’s preparing for some sort of speech soon. He’s hinted at some information about an additional source of humans, but he hasn’t said anything else yet,” Xandaar said.
My blood ran cold.
“Other humans? What do you mean?” I pressed.
My sister was out there. Kira and Alaina had disappeared long ago, but my youngest sister Kaela was still free of Vakarran captivity. If she was in danger, I had to do something about it.
Xandaar shook his head.
“I don’t know anything else, little dove,” he replied, his eyes searching mine. He narrowed his gaze, likely sensing my distress.
I took a deep breath and sighed, trying to hide my anxiety.
“Sorry. This skin-changing thing is a bit unsettling is all,” I lied. I rubbed my fingers up and down my arms and his expression softened.
“I bet it is. I want you to tell me if it intensifies over the next few days. When Nix finally leaves, I want to perform a few tests in order to verify my suspicions,” he said as he stood up from the table.
“Eat up. We still need another pound or two on the body of yours. Doctor’s orders,” he winked.
“I will,” I replied, watching as he left me behind and I was alone once again.
I tried to eat more, I really did, but all I could think about was my sister’s safety. If Nix found her, I wouldn’t be able to live with myself. Kaela was just a little younger than me, but she was sweet-natured and kind. Underneath that layer though, I knew she was just as strong as the rest of us, but she very rarely showed it.
I’d been lucky to find a group of Vakarrans that weren’t like the rumors, but I’d seen the mistreatment of humans by some of them. I’d seen the marks on some of the women. I knew some Vakarrans used the whip to make their point. I’d heard the screams and shivered, forever thankful for the fact my four captors wouldn’t do that to me.
The longer I sat there, the more worried I became. I peeked out of the small hole in the wall, noticing that some of the shadows had begun to lengthen and the sun was beginning to set. It would be dusk soon.
My skin flickered in color. I needed to get into the woods behind us. I needed to get back to Kaela. I had to warn her of what was coming.
I waited a bit longer, watching as the shadows grew even longer, till I was sure it was dark enough to sneak away. I took that time to search the tent, trying to find anything I could to cover my body. I found a long, dark-colored wrap dress hidden away in a chest and pulled it over my head. In one corner, I also discovered my boots and pulled them on, knowing the terrain in the woods would be rough on my feet. When I was ready, I lifted the side of the tent and knelt down, careful to be wary of my surrounding.
At the back of the tent, there was no one, only the tree line about forty feet off in the distance. The camp was quiet, the only noise coming from what sounded like a gathering in the big circus tent in the opposite direction. Slowly and as silently as I could, I slinked under the fabric of the tent and stilled, waiting for the Vakarrans to descend on me. It was dark enough where everything was in shadow and with each passing moment, blackness began to surround me. Closing my eyes, I concentrate on becoming a shadow.
When I opened them again, my skin was a dark gray, mottled with the colors of grass and dirt. When I pressed my fingers against the ground, I could hardly see the outline of my hand. I was nearly invisible.
I held that thought and rose to a standing position, turning my head, making sure that I was alone. There was no one around to catch me.
I turned back toward the tent and bit my lip. My eyes watered as the gravity of what I was about to do slammed down on me. I was about to run.
I was going to leave my four Vakarrans behind. The men who had rescued me from the terrible cruelty of Neil and his men. The alien men who had helped me to move on, to let go of the terrible memories that were holding me back and now I was throwing that back in their face. I hoped one day, they would be able to forgive me for abandoning them.
I knew I had no choice though. As much as I was beginning to care for them, my family came first. It always had. Kaela was my blood.
I should have never have forgotten that. I was a Stryke and that meant something. I had to fight to survive. We were strong and now I realized that the darkness that had surrounded me had pushed that away. It had forced me to be weak. It had made me fragile. No longer.
I was a warrior. I wasn’t going to go down without a fight.
I just hoped I could get to Kaela in time.
Blinking rapidly, I forced my tears away and turned back toward the forest. I began to run. My skin flickered between its natural color and my camouflage tone and I forced myself to concentrate. If I wanted to get away, I had to fully commit. There was no half way.
I forced my emotions far away, sprinting off into the trees, putting all my effort into the movement of my limbs, of the wind flying through my hair, of my feet pushing off against the dirt beneath them and I flew. I ran, away from my problems and toward the one constant that had always been there in my life.
I ran for all I was worth. I kept my steps light, moving as silently as I could. Using the stars high above, I ran in the direction of the caves. I knew most of the constellations, but I followed the North Star, knowing that if I just ran toward it, I would eventually find the caves once again.
Before long, my breath ran ragged and my muscles burned, but I still didn’t stop. The forest was lonely and silent, with only the chirp of a rare bug or two to keep me company. My skin eventually returned to a normal color and try as I might, I couldn’t concentrate hard enough to change it again. It didn’t matter now though. I was a fair distance away from the camp now, and I felt the likelihood of running into anyone was slim to none at this point.
I ran for a good hour, between trees, down dirt paths, and beside slow-flowing creeks meandering through the woods.
