Hannah's Hero - Ruby Dixon Page 0,99

smell too deeply. It stinks of rot and old dead things and makes me gag. It’s bitterly cold, and I’m trembling, but I don’t know if that’s from the very real fear of Old Grandfather finding us, or because my sweet J’shel is missing. I think of him, his wide smile, the way he flicks his long braid over his shoulder with irritation, the look on his face when he sinks deep inside me…and I ache so badly.

He wanted to be my hero tonight. I just want him, period.

I look up at the enormous bird-creature above. We’re passing almost directly in front of him now and I can hear a deep, heavy panting that I’m pretty sure is coming from the sky-claw. I hope it’s tripping serious balls. It sways back and forth in its spot, but doesn’t even glance in our direction as we pick our way forward.

If you’re out there, J’shel, now’s the time to show up and reassure me.

There’s still no sign of my mate, though. There’s no sign of him even as we continue along the far end of the valley and then the cliffs open up ahead to an expanse of wide snow that means we’ll have no shelter whatsoever. I swallow hard at the sight of that, and Brooke turns back to look at Taushen, a question in her eyes. “Should we wait?” she whispers.

He hesitates. I can tell he’s torn, but he shakes his head. “We need to leave before the chakk leaf wears off. Once we leave this valley we have an open stretch to cross, and we must go swiftly.” He looks at us. “How are your snowshoes?”

“Fine,” I say listlessly. I don’t care if mine are blocks of concrete. I stare at the valley walls, hoping against hope that J’shel will show up. He can’t be dead.

He isn’t dead.

He isn’t. He just isn’t.

Brooke points at one of her snowshoes. “I think I have a strap loose.”

Taushen moves to her side, and as he does, I scan the valley one last time, hoping to see my mate. This can’t be it? We can’t just…leave? I swallow hard, fighting back tears as I stare at the frozen carcasses. There’s blood, old and black, splashed on the snow and frozen where it landed. Against the cliff along the opposite wall, I see even more blood. It follows along the edge of the rock and almost looks like a trail.

In the moonlight, it’s hard to tell, but it looks…brighter than the rest. Fresher?

A sinking feeling churns in my gut and I race forward, not caring that I’m darting into the open. Either the bird will eat me or he won’t, but I have to see what that is.

Taushen tries to grab at me, but he only snags my clothing, and I wriggle out of his grip. I crouch low, moving toward the opposite valley wall. I’m staring so hard at that blood that I start to doubt my own eyes. Maybe it’s not what I think it is. But then I make it to the other side, and I see fresh splashes in the snow, still wet, and the knot forms in my throat again.

This blood is new.

This is from J’shel.

A split second later, Taushen is at my side, grabbing my arm. “Ha-nah, this is bad! You must stay with me—”

“Look,” I hiss at him, pointing at the blood trail. “This leads to J’shel. I know it does!”

He gazes at the trail, then looks at me, his mouth thinning. “Go and return to Brooke.”

“But—”

He points at his mate again, where she waits, alone, a short distance away. “Go and join her. I will find J’shel.” I hesitate, and he leans in. “We do not have time to waste, Ha-nah. Go with Brooke and walk as far and fast as you can. We will catch up. If he needs to be carried, you will not be able to do it.”

Fear shivers down my spine. “Do you think he’s that badly wounded?”

“I do not know, but we are wasting time. Go.”

The look on his face tells me not to argue, and I hesitate for a moment, then bolt back toward Brooke. I crouch as I run, as if that would do anything, but I make it back to her side, and then hand in hand, we waddle out of the valley and into the open.

“This is fucking terrifying,” she hisses, even as we stride forward, alone.

“I think it’s too drugged to come after us,” I tell