Caveman Alien's Riddle - Calista Skye Page 0,29

us. I eat what has to pass for dinner, enjoying the heat from the flames and the taste of the grilled not-sheep and the not-blueberries. I make a mental note to bring some of them back to the village. I think they would make a pretty good jam or an ingredient for a sweet dessert. They are among the sweetest berries I’ve had here.

As I finish up, Caronerax moves closer.

“You have been asking many questions,” he growls. “I told you what would happen.”

The breath sticks in my throat. He did tell me, and I’m not sure I’m that opposed to it.

“You did,” I croak, my mouth dry.

His eyes shine from above in yellow and blue. “I think it’s now time for the penalty.”

He places one big hand behind my head and pulls me close.

I couldn’t resist, even if I wanted to. He’s bringing his entire hypnotic and irresistible dragon presence to bear, and I’m like a squirrel in the crosshairs of a tank.

Opening my lips slightly in preparation, I arch my back for a better position.

His lips graze mine and his hand touches one breast, outside the dress-

“Enemy!” The dragon bounces to his feet, whirls around, and snarls at something I can’t see because it’s hidden behind him.

10

- Jennifer -

I scramble to get up. “No, don’t hurt him!” I yell. “That’s not an enemy!”

Caronerax moves faster than the eye can see, but the other creature jumps high into the air and lands right beside me. It’s snarling, baring sharp, white fangs, but not at me.

“Caronerax, stop!” I yell.

The dragon freezes, tense as a bowstring, while the newcomer looks ready to pounce at him and bite his throat out.

“That thing snuck up on me,” Caronerax growls. “It has nothing good in mind.”

“It’s okay,” I assure him, hoping I’m right, my heartbeat hammering in my ears. “I know him. Kind of.”

It’s a spidermonkey, one of the many-armed creatures that the cavemen call ‘gray ghosts’. They’re intelligent enough and live in large, hidden cities, but they’re not big on talking and can easily be confused for less accomplished beings. Emilia befriended one of them that she named Alice, and since then we’ve been on pretty friendly terms with these original inhabitants of Xren. They’re small and cute, but they can be extremely fierce and have been known to jump tens of feet straight up to bite the throats out of dactyls passing overhead.

This is not Alice, though, I can see that right away.

“Hello,” I begin. “Were you looking for me?”

The spidermonkey turns part of his attention to me, then reaches out one of his many hands. It holds a rolled-up piece of dried dinosaur skin, the closest thing our village has come to making paper. It’s a close relative of the parchment that was used for writing on in the really old days on Earth.

I carefully take the scroll out of the spidermonkey’s hand. “He’s bringing me something.”

Caronerax relaxes, becoming his old, aloof self again. “Hopefully, it is a cure against poisoned fragments.”

The scroll is stiff, and as I unroll it I see that it has writing on it. I go closer to the fire and read in the flickering light.

Dear Jennifer,

If you’re reading this, it means you’re alive. Yay! Some people saw a dragon flying away with someone in his claws, and that must have been you since you are missing. Presumed dead.

We have sent 14 spidermonkeys out in all directions with this same message. We hope they understand the point and find you if you are alive.

We are all leaving Xren on the escape ship. Too many bad things have happened lately. We leave 6 days from now unless we hear from you. Write on the back of this sheet and give it to the messenger. He can move faster than you and will give it to us. Hopefully. We are at Bune now. We’re under siege by dragons. We may wait longer than 6 days IF we hear from you. As long as it takes, Delyah says, but she also says that we may not be able to. But we MUST hear from you.

Sincerely,

Ashlynn

PS: Most of the caveman tribes have turned on us. Trust nobody!

The writing is small and girlishly round, but still fills the big parchment completely.

And another piece of ice thaws in my chest. The girls are still here, and they will wait for me.

I run over to the raft and pick up a pen-length sliver of wood, then find the place where Caronerax ripped the not-sheep’s throat