Stolen - Nhys Glover Page 0,68

frequency that is out of their range. And I assume my dad knew about the crash and would have set up contingencies.’

‘Why not tell us and let us avoid all this?’ I said with exasperation.

‘Because this must have been the best path for us. Who knows what another path might have led us to.’

‘Worse than being behind enemy lines? That’s hard to imagine.’

We’d been buzzing along at Danan top speed, the world a blur on either side of us. Talking was the easiest way to handle the dislocating pace. Talking kept my mind on less troubling matters. Like fear of what was nearby, just waiting to get us.

‘If we have to fight, we will. Savannah and her pod taught us a lot of techniques that work well against the Vargeez. We aren’t defenseless.’

‘They aren’t, but what about you in Charsus’ body?’ I cried in exasperation.

Charsus was MIA again. He’d told us that, when he disappeared like this, he was fulfilling his role as soul shepherd. It was hard on Rian, because he usually forgot to hand over control of his body when he left. Those damned car keys remained in his pocket.

‘Savannah’s martial arts skills will be particularly useful to me in this body. Charsus is stronger than a human woman, so I should be able to do as well as Savannah does against the creatures.’

I hoped he was right. I knew I’d be useless. The idea of taking up martial arts, letting myself be beaten up on a regular basis as I learned the skills, was the last thing I would have chosen to do with my time on Earth. Maybe if I’d known I’d end up abducted by aliens I might have reconsidered. But 20/20 hindsight was a bitch.

Sometime later, the Danans came to a halt in a lush forested area. I could hear the trickling call of a stream nearby. It was idyllic and, despite the danger of our circumstances, I felt myself relax and draw deep breaths for the first time since landing in Vargeez territory.

Lain put me down and, after a few shaky steps, I began investigating my surroundings. The moist soil was cool and comfortable on my bare feet, and there didn’t seem to be anything on the floor of the forest that could hurt my tender soles.

Other than enjoying the sensual pleasure afforded my feet, I mostly wanted to find the stream. I needed water to wash away the sweat and stench of fear that still clung to me.

“Don’t wander off until I’ve checked for life-forms,” Nial ordered, rummaging in his pack until he pulled out a small gadget.

I waited, none-too-patiently, until he gave me a nod I took to mean we were free of Vargeez in our area. But caution had me checking.

“I can hear a stream. Is the water here safe to drink and wash in?”

Nial rummaged in his pack again and withdrew yet another gadget. “It would be safe to bathe in, but check for pollutants before you drink it.”

He went to hand me the gadget, but Lain grabbed it first, making it obvious he was accompanying me on my exploration. It seemed he’d claimed me as his private property.

And wasn’t that damned annoying.

But having him work the gadget made life easier, so I didn’t complain. It also meant I didn’t have to worry about every rustle or crunch in the vicinity. If there was something that wanted to eat me, Lain would stop it.

“Are there other life-forms beside Vargeez?” I asked aloud, mainly to hear my voice in the silence of the forest. It was a little disconcerting. Surely there should have been small creatures moving about in the trees and bushes?

“The Vargeez in large numbers disrupt the ecosystem. They live on the vegetation, which allows no other creatures to do the same. Without a diverse ecosystem the land takes much longer to regenerate. This part of the continent is still lush, but the noticeable lack of smaller creatures is indication enough that this area will soon stop producing.”

Anger surged to the surface. “So the Vargeez are allowed to just… just destroy everything they see just because they were here first? Doesn’t the Confederacy care about saving the other indigenous species?”

“The Vargeez and the environment have a natural cycle. They overpopulate in good times, and once they’ve pretty much destroyed everything, they die out, allowing other species to thrive again, bringing back the balance. Once there is plenty again, the Vargeez breed and the cycle begins once more. Our