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“Thank you,” Rumir said, burying his face in my neck. "You're something else, you know that?"
I pulled back and pointed at him, though I was fighting back a smile. “I know. But don’t think I’ve forgotten about your little stunt. I need you to do better in the future.”
Rumir laughed. "Yes, I know. And I will. But—” He cupped my cheek. “I’ve wanted to kiss you for so long.”
I couldn’t stop the grin that crossed my face. I'd wanted the same thing, but Rumir and I didn’t spend as much time together as Lucian and I did. That would have to change if we were ever going to find out what worked for us.
We sat in comfortable silence for a time, watching the clouds overhead.
"During the festival, I saw an opportunity to help, to do something meaningful,” I confessed. “On Earth, I had a purpose. And I don't anymore." I pulled my legs up under me. "That's been hard to adjust to, and I just sort of reacted. Still, I really am sorry for being so reckless. The truth is, on Earth, I'd grown used to being in a constant state of alarm. Part of me had grown to like the rush of adrenaline just before a fight.”
I looked over at Rumir, but he was watching me silently. "I don’t know what that says about me. I was normal before the war and lived a quiet life. So, am I broken?" I asked.
He shook his head. “No, you’re not. You’re a defender who has nothing to defend. It’s natural to feel as if your existence has no meaning here, but trust me, you'll soon learn to appreciate the quiet life again," he grinned. “But I know something that might help. Some native animals called cripecs will soon be doing their yearly migration a few miles from the city. Every year, a few of them take a detour and wind up in the city. But they are destructive and can be a nuisance.”
He stood up, obviously warming up to the idea. "We can't allow them to stay in the city and breed, so we hunt them down, tranquilize them, and ship them out. It's become a tradition of sorts." He jerked his head towards me. "What do you think? Will an innocent catch-and-release hunting trip appease that hunger of yours?”
I laughed, growing excited as I stood up, too. “I’m in. When is it? Will it be soon?”
I wasn’t going to tell Rumir this, because I knew he’d object, but I wanted to try mind-linking with another creature. It had been tough the first time, but I believed with practice, communicating with animals might be something I was good at.
How cool would that be?
Rumir nudged my shoulder. “I think this is going to take some getting used to. I’ve always wanted a mate, but I didn’t expect to get one as reckless as me.”
He walked away, shaking his head and smiling, while I was left staring after him. “You’ll get over it. But hey, you didn’t answer my question. When will it be?"
“In two days. Now come on, let’s hike back down. I want to put all that pent-up energy you have to good use.” He glanced at me over his shoulder. “Or do you want to stay and make out again?”
I tapped my bracelet and teleported.
* * *
Natalie
Two Days Later
Rehema and I walked into the building where everyone who wanted to participate in the Cripecs Hunt was told to meet. It was a decent turnout, with more than fifty supernaturals from various species there and ready to go.
After Rumir told me about the hunt, I'd asked Rehema about it. I wasn’t surprised to discover that she hadn’t missed a Cripecs Hunt since she’d turned sixteen, the youngest age allowed.
After all, it wasn’t a real hunt where the creatures would be hurt. It was simply an innocent event, where all the people involved were intent on helping the cripecs complete their migration without wrecking the city. So anyone was welcome to join, experienced or not.
I’d been surprised that a florist like Rehema would want to join a hunt until she’d told me her father, an exceptional martial artist, had been mentoring her since she was a child. From what she’d told me, I wouldn’t have been surprised if she was more skilled at fighting than I was.
And when she then told me what a cripec was, suddenly, I wasn't that excited about coming face-to-face with one.
Cripecs were bat-like creatures with black, shiny skin and two sets of wings. The larger set was used for flying, while the other pair was webbed. That second set of wings was attached to their sides, they used them to cover their bodies.
They didn’t have mouths on their faces, just a smooth surface below their eyes. And when they opened the wings that covered their body, you could see their mouths where their stomachs should be.
Cripecs were large enough to lift a person with ease, and they had large ears, so their sense of hearing was exceptional. Although they were carnivores, they didn’t go after supernaturals—at least, not usually.
“Small turn-out this year,” Rehema mumbled as we walked further into the room.
"Attention, everyone!" yelled a female centaur, who had red hair piled high on her head. Brian appeared by my side. He nodded to Rehema and me before we all turned our attention to the centaur. "For repeat hunters, welcome back. And I’d like to welcome all the new faces I see. I'm Braila. Those who’ve done this before, you know how this works.” She pointed behind us at a wall filled with weapons like crossbows in various styles. "Pick your tranquilizers and wait to be put into teams. Collectors, go suit up. Now, newcomers, eyes on me and listen well. These creatures are sly, and they only feed on other animals. Some might attack you.”
A hologram of the cripecs appeared by Braila's side, and as I'd imagined from Rehema’s description, they were hideous things. Braila proceeded to tell us how to differentiate between the males and females, something we needed to know since females were significantly more aggressive, especially when pregnant.
