Hannah's Hero - Ruby Dixon Page 0,29

plan.”

Last night? I must have missed out on conversation, and I frown.

“What do you intend, tiny human?” S’bren asks, all arrogance.

“What God doesn’t provide, nature does,” Flor says proudly, and holds up the contraption she’s been working on. It looks like a leather hat with extra padding and a pair of short, spiky horns sewn to the top. “Tadaa.”

S’bren snorts with laughter.

“Go ahead, yuk it up,” Flor says, but she’s grinning. “I’m gonna kick everyone’s asses.” And she puts on the helmet, ties the strap under her head, and crosses her arms, staring defiantly at everyone.

I can’t tell if she’s being a clown or if she’s serious. Clown, I hope. These guys could break her with a hard sneeze.

“Dude, you look like you’re cosplaying a reindeer,” Tia calls out, all giggles, and then Penny and Flor both erupt in laughter. S’bren, I’rec, and R’jaal chuckle, too, though they don’t know what a reindeer is, and I glance around the group again. N’dek’s not laughing, but he is looking at Flor and her ridiculous helmet thoughtfully.

“Anyone not gonna be in the games?” I ask, keeping my voice cheerful.

They ignore me, of course. Sessah laughs and reaches out to tweak one of Flor’s “horns” and then the conversation moves on without me, discussing how best to handle relays and how to pick partners. I notice others are gravitating towards the merry group, and Raven leans over I’rec’s shoulder, listening in to the conversation—a touch that I’rec does not look unhappy with in the slightest.

Yeah, no one here is gonna go with me to the fruit cave. I wring my hands again and cast another desperate look around the camp.

Pretty sure it’s hopeless, though.

J’SHEL

I watch H’nah as she sits miserably near the fire. All morning, the camp has been abuzz with plans for the games R’jaal has proposed, and everyone seems thrilled about it except N’dek and H’nah. I understand why N’dek hates the idea—even as a young hunter, he was the most agile amongst us and now he must sit uselessly and watch as others show their strength.

H’nah does not look happy about the games, though. She looks miserable, and I suspect I know why. Everyone is excited to be in camp and will not want to miss this. That means that she will have no luck finding someone to run away with her to the fruit cave.

I hate that this pleases me so much. I should not want her to be miserable. I do not like the thought of her sadness, but I like the thought of her leaving with another male even less. So I stalk back and forth between the fire and the beach, as if bringing firewood is the only purpose I have in my life. My armfuls of wood are small so I can make frequent trips back, and I linger as I add more wood to the fire each time. Not that anyone notices—they are too busy watching the one called F’lor act silly. I have never seen R’jaal besotted over a female before, but I think he might like this F’lor. Or perhaps he just likes the thought of a female—any female.

I shove a piece of driftwood into the fire, and as I do, V’za comes to my side. The older hunter is sa-khui, from their village in the snowy mountains. He and his mate have taken on the duty of being Z’hren’s parents, and the kit is strapped to his chest in a leather contraption that holds him against V’za’s chest. Z’hren’s four little arms flail with excitement at the sight of me, and V’za surveys the encampment with his hands on his hips.

“What is all this?” he asks, curious.

“Games,” I tell him. “Tribal games of strength. R’jaal has proposed them.”

“Ahh.” V’za winces as Z’hren reaches up and grabs his gray-streaked braid, yanking on it happily. He merely pats the kit’s back and allows him to keep yanking, ever patient. “I remember such games when I was young. They were exciting. It is a chance to show off your skills to the females, yes? And perhaps win yourself a pleasure-mate for cold nights.” He grins.

“Foolish games,” N’dek says flatly, and a few of the others look at him with frowns and then turn back to the other conversation.

“Foolish why?” V’za steps toward N’dek, curious. “You do not enjoy them?”

N’dek clenches his jaw and I go still. Surely V’za does not mean to mock N’dek? “The humans cannot join in,” N’dek says after a moment.

“But