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“I altered the path to avoid a problem,” he says.
“What problem?”
“I saw signs of the Order.”
Asia, Charlie, and I exchange a worried look but none of us says anything more. The jungle is thick, hot, and difficult to move through. There’s a lot of underbrush and debris all over the floor. Fallen leaves, vines, other plants, and the trees are fairly close together. We’re not on any kind of a path because we don’t want to be found.
Insects and the rain are a constant of white noise that, for the most part, I’ve grown accustomed to, though the rain is intermittent now that we’re past the ‘rainy season’ as our Zmaj protectors named it.
“I hope this is far enough away from those freaks,” Asia mutters.
“Be nice,” Charlie whispers. “Remember Bahr was one of them.”
“I left when the Order became corrupted,” Bahr says, making it clear again how acute his hearing is.
“Sorry,” Charlie says. “I don’t mean to offend.”
“You do not. It is truth. I was a member of the Order. The new Eye took over. Things changed. I left.”
Simple. Direct. That’s Bahr.
I like it.
Ireallylike the way he looks at me. Some of the other girls have already fallen in love with other Zmaj and they’re enjoying everything I’ve ever wanted. Romance. Adoration. A man who sweeps you off your feet and carries you away from trouble but also respects you enough to let you be you.
The other Zmaj are all that and more, but Bahr hasn’t said anything to me like that. I catch him looking, often, but he never talks to only me. If I didn’t know better, I’d think he was avoiding me, but why would he do that?
Of all the girls who survived the wreckage I’m the romantic one, and yet I’m the one that hasn’t hooked up with a Zmaj. I don’t want only a hook up though, I want love. Love like my parents had. Love like I read about in so many books. Faraway places with great and sweeping adventures that carry you away while the gruff, heroic, and handsome man cares for your every need.
Love in the rolling hills and soaring mountains of Scotland, which I’ve only seen in vids. Or ancient castles, or in high society, basically love in all the places that every romance author ever imagined, many of which I don’t think ever even existed on old Earth, but they do in my head.
Bahr doesn’t slow down or continue the conversation. Charlie gives Asia and I a sheepish grin and shrug. I move closer and put my arm around Charlie’s shoulder to offer what solace I can. Bahr is different than the other Zmaj and all the Zmaj are a lot different than a human man.
Seven feet plus in height, shoulders broad enough I think I could stretch out across them, plus muscles that go on for days in every place you can imagine. And he’s basically part dragon, complete with scales, wings, and that tail which intrigues me so much more than it ever should. It doesn’t help that the Zmaj only wear loose pants and I’m pretty sure that’s only their passing nod to modesty. But hey, why be modest when you’re built like a freaking god given form?
“You think this plan will work?” I ask.
“It must.”
“Yeah, but do you think—”
He spins on one foot and I shut up immediately, biting off a startled yelp before it can escape my lips. I know that look, all of us do. The three of us drop to a crouch, shifting around so our backs are to each other. Exactly as he taught us to do.
He doesn’t look at us though, he’s in his own crouch and sliding his weapon off his back. The Zmaj weapon of choice they call a lochaber. A long pole, over six feet, the shaft is thick, probably two inches or more thick. The base is a metal tip that comes to a sharp point. The other end has a long, curved blade mounted to it. The Zmaj are all very skilled with this weapon. I’ve seen it, deadly is what I’d call it.
I strain my ears and senses trying to figure out what he knows. We can’t speak because we’re being hunted by the Order, but they’re not the only threat. There are plenty of animals that would make a meal of us and a lot of plants too.
I reach behind myself and find one of the girls’ hand which I clench tight. Fear makes my heart beat fast and all I want to do is run, but that’s a stupid instinct and I’m not going to listen to it. Something snaps to my left and I twist my head to see but all there is, is the jungle.
Bahr remains in a crouch but somehow manages to move silently towards the sound. It’s incredible to watch because the ground is covered with vines, debris, and god knows what, but he makes it look easy. The lochaber is held loosely in one hand as he makes his way forward. Madly, considering the moment, I want to kiss him.
He slips around the closest tree and disappears. The girls and I wait, silent as we can possibly be. I don’t even hear them breathing. As loud as my heart is in my ears, I hope that they can’t hear it. I count to try and have some measurement of time.
He’s gone a few minutes at the most. I glance over my shoulder and Charlie and Asia are both staring at where he disappeared. When I look around, the next thing I see makes me freeze with fear. A snake is climbing down the tree not five feet in front of us.
A snake is the closest thing I have to describe it. It’s long and seems to wrap itself around the tree, but it’s not scaly, it looks fuzzy. I tighten my grip on whichever girl’s hand I have in mine and pull. Asia looks and softly gasps when she sees it too.
The snake thing doesn’t seem to notice us, yet at least. It lifts its head up and I’m staring into diamond shaped eyes that are pure black. Not even a slit or anything to break the onyx orbs. Its tongue, forked just like a snake, darts out and tastes the air. I wonder if it’s tasting the smell of us, and if so, does it think we’re a meal?
