AllFreeNovel
Share Us
It was then that I caught a movement from the corner of my eye.
Looking towards it, I saw the familiar, grotesque form of the alien male from the surface tumbling down after me.
His larger mass made him fall faster, and he was gaining on me rapidly.
The predatory glint in his eyes, even in this void, was unmistakable.
I kicked my legs and waved my arms, trying to “swim” away from him, attempting to gain some distance.
It was irrational, of course.
There was no air to swim through, no water to provide resistance.
Yet, in my panicked state, the primal instinct to flee kicked in.
His gnarled hand reached out, fingers outstretched, aiming for my ankle.
They were mere inches away when I felt a rush of warmth.
My vision started to blur, my brain struggling from the lack of oxygen.
The edges of my sight darkened, tunneling my view.
The last thing I saw before everything went black was the alien male’s triumphant expression, thinking he had me.
* * *
“Ten...”
I jolted awake, gasping for breath.
The overwhelming sensation of plummeting into an endless abyss still reverberated through my senses.
My hands scrambled across the cold glass surface, fingers grappling for a hold on reality.
The confinement of the pod, which had once felt restrictive, now felt like a protective cocoon.
I could still taste the bitter tang of fear as my eyes darted around the chamber, adjusting to the faint luminescence.
Panic subsided, replaced by a dawning realization.
Not falling.
Safe.
For now.
“Nine…”
My gaze was inexorably drawn across to Jayas’s pod.
The sight that met my eyes made my heart clench painfully.
His blue skin, usually radiant with health, was marred by vicious slashes and dark, bruising welts.
The fierce warrior that had protected and guided me, now lay injured and vulnerable.
His deep-set, golden eyes found mine.
