The Breeding Prize - Aya Morningstar Page 0,41

“This isn’t the time for pride.”

He summons his scythe and makes the blade disappear until it’s just a long stick. He starts hobbling forward with his bad leg off the ground.

Kula sighs and rolls his eyes. “Follow me.”

“The city is that way,” I say, pointing back.

Raiska shakes his head. “We cannot go into the open. If they are still alive, they will see us. If we go further through the mountains, we can lose them. They’ll have to follow us into rough terrain. We may be able to ambush them.”

I’m very aware of the fact that “we” just means Raiska and Kula. I won’t be doing any ambushing. I hate how useless I feel in this moment. Not just useless, but the whole source of everything. If it weren’t for me, neither Raiska or Kula would be fighting for their lives right now. Raiska wouldn’t be injured, and Kula wouldn’t be separated from his Muru and his future child.

We follow Kula. I’m surprised that Raiska is able to move as quickly as he is with only one functioning leg. He’s fast enough that once I start getting tired, I’m the one slowing us down.

The mountains remind me more of the Appalachian mountains than the Rockies. There are a lot of trees, and it makes me feel safer as we go deeper into the mountain forest. If there were any survivors among our pursuers, they should have a tough time finding us within this thick forest and winding mountain paths.

We soon reach a stream that cuts through the mountain. There’s a small clearing, and a rock formation that gives us some natural cover.

Kula gestures for Raiska to sit down.

“I can keep going,” Raiska says, though his voice is strained.

“Sit down, brother.”

Raiska glares at him, but sits down. He sighs relief as he gets off his feet, and he lets his scythe fold away into the higher dimensions.

“I’m going to rip this out now,” Kula says.

“What if he bleeds out?” I ask.

“He will die if we leave it in.” Kula’s face then goes dark, and he breaks eye contact with me. “He will not bleed out. Trust me.”

Raiska looks at me with tired eyes. He seems to know what Kula has in mind, but I don’t.

“Don’t hurt him,” I say.

“I will not hurt him more than I need to,” Kula says. “Now, brother, on the count of five, I will—”

Without even beginning to count, Kula rips the rod out of Raiska’s leg.

Raiska lets out a monstrous roar and doubles over in pain. Blood begins seeping out of the wound on both sides.

Kula summons his axe. He grips the handle close to the glowing, higher-dimensional blade, and he presses the flat side of the axe against Raiska’s wound as if it were a cattle brand.

There’s a sizzle as it makes contact with Raiska’s blue skin, and Raiska’s screams grow even louder and more agonized.

I’m beside him, clutching his hand. He squeezes me back as Kula cauterizes his wound.

Just when I think it’s over, Kula pulls Raiska’s leg and moves his axe toward the other side—the other end of the wound.

“Please don’t,” I plead, tears falling down both of my cheeks. “It’s hurting him so much.”

Kula brings a finger to the shimmering scar across his face. “I know his pain. Unlike mine, his is necessary to save his life.”

He presses the axe to the other side, and Raiska’s body shudders, and then he collapses down onto the rock.

“Raiska!” I shout, falling down beside him. I press my fingers to his neck. I feel a pulse. It’s fast, but strong.

“He’ll be fine,” Kula says, letting his axe disappear.

Kula reaches his hands into the stream and slurps up some water. “Drink something, human.”

I squeeze tighter to Raiska’s hand. “I won’t leave him.”

My throat is dry though. I am thirsty.

“Get a drink,” Kula says, “then come back to him. You can’t stay by his side if you die of dehydration. Your body is in flight-or-fight mode. That uses up a lot of energy. You won’t know how thirsty you really are until your adrenaline dies down. Trust me, human, drink.”

I force myself to go to the stream. I splash water all over my face, and then I slurp up as much as I can.

“Slowly,” Kula says.

I ignore him and drink as fast as I can, but then I start coughing. I drink as much as I can so that I don’t have to leave Raiska again, and then I’m right back by his side.

I don’t hold his