Stolen - Nhys Glover Page 0,11

left limbs behind. They lay strewn like rubbish around the fallen figure, adding their blood to that of the corpse on the dusty ground. There had been a fight. I knew that much. And the dead warrior had lost.

That’s when I saw her. Jenna! I knew Jenna. Podmate!

The killers were taking Jenna!

Her eyes, those beautiful green orbs I couldn’t get enough of, were overflowing with tears. Why was she crying? I didn’t want her to cry! My whole purpose in being was to keep her safe and happy.

As I tried to work out what to do, I saw how the light had gone out of those tear-filled eyes. She always sparkled with life. Yet now those eyes seemed as dead as those of the corpse.

Me.

The corpse was me.

Panic threatened to overwhelm me. Panic for me and panic for Jenna, who was being stolen away by these intruders. What were they doing here? Why had they singled out Jenna?

They’d been looking for her. Yes, that was right. As we’d entered the center of the compound I’d seen the ugly old woman being shown one girl after another. None seemed right.

When the witch had spotted Jenna hovering behind me, she’d pointed to her and given the order.

I’d learned to fight as part of my trials. But I’d never faced a real enemy before. Yet it was second-nature to extend my claws and bare my teeth. Before I knew what I was doing, I’d engaged the enemy, even though I was hopelessly outnumbered. The rational part of me had demanded I pick Jenna up and run away with her. That would have been the better option. But the predator in me wouldn’t allow for anything but attack.

Now I was dead and Jenna was being taken. I’d failed my podmate.

Podmate?

How could she be my podmate? I wasn’t old enough to have a podmate. Yet, in this nether world, this space between, I knew what my Third Density self hadn’t been willing to acknowledge. I’d found our podmate, and then lost her, because I’d chosen to fight rather than run.

Brave? Yes.

Intelligent? Absolutely not.

The invaders were gone. The other women were crying, screaming, and running around like headless chickens. Not that I’d ever seen a chicken. But Mother had told me about the Gaian creatures that continued to be animated even after their heads were separated from their bodies. Their mad rushing was brainless and had no purpose.

That was what was happening here. These women had no idea what to do about Jenna or me.

I had to stay with Jenna. That imperative impressed itself on me. If I let her go now I’d never find her again. If I lost her now I would never be able to save her.

The fact that I was no longer in a body didn’t seem relevant. All that mattered was staying with Jenna. Planning her escape. I hadn’t failed her yet. I couldn’t let myself leave until I knew she was safe.

The Keeda had captured her… yes, that’s what they were called. Keeda. The dissolute species that populated the fringe. Dangerous, unpredictable, almost indestructible. How had I thought to win against a pack of them? Arrogant youth. I was too inexperienced to know better. Fool. I was such a fool! And because of my stupidity Jenna was in danger.

Thinking of her brought me to her side. She lay in one of the Keeda’s arms like a broken doll. Where was her fight? Why didn’t she try to get away?

Yet I knew the answer. Escape was now impossible. Human women were weak and fragile creatures. They couldn’t fight. That’s why they needed a pod of Danan warriors to protect them.

Where were my brothers? They should be here protecting her.

The thought had me confused. Did they even know they had a podmate? Had they felt it, the way my father had felt it, the moment Thaid had recognized Mother as his podmate? Every bonded male I’d ever spoken to said the same thing. It didn’t matter where they were, or what they were doing, when one of them discovered their podmate, the others all knew.

They didn’t always know they knew, though. Some, like Jade’s pod, had fought the knowing. They were too young. What they felt couldn’t be real.

That’s what I’d thought. Until Jenna was threatened, and I knew for sure. Defend your podmate with your life! Nothing else mattered. All my hopes and dreams, for the life I’d been working toward for years, went up in flames in an instant. Only