Forty Two
The hound was speeding up. Vahn followed, pushing through shrubs and bushes, leaping boulders and tree roots. When he heard the howl of the viramec reverberating through the forest, his heart stuttered.
He tried not to think about what he’d do if Kara was lost to him.
He began to slip and slide in the mud, finding it increasingly difficult to keep up with Rocky. The pulse blaster was soaking; he prayed to Ayanlesh that it wouldn’t seize up if he had to use it.
It was only when his sensitive hearing picked up something else, something other than the creature, that he dared to allow hope to kindle.
Footsteps. Light, swift. Coming towards him.
“Kara!” He roared into the rain, repeating her name over and over. “Kara!”
And then she was there, bolting through the trees.
And the viramec was right behind her.
He saw her terrified face and in that moment was taken hold by a deep and penetrating rage. She was scared. And his kalehsha was never scared.
He wanted to tear the planet apart. He wanted to rip trees out by their roots and use them to smash down every foul demon that inhabited this cursed land.
But he would start with the viramec.
When Kara reached him, she hurled herself against him and wrapped her arms around his waist. He registered the coldness of her body, the moisture of her tears as she pressed her face into his chest. He curved his serpetri around her protectively.
But he didn’t turn to look at her. He didn’t speak at all as he took aim at the monstrous beast now charging towards them.
It was moving fast, weaving among the trees, partially obscured by the heavy rain. Even without adrenaline coursing through his veins, it was a difficult shot to make. And he had only one chance.
In a moment of perfect clarity, he let his warrior instincts take over. He could hear a myriad of sounds; Rocky barking, the creature snarling, Kara’s soft cries, the beat of the rain.
He shut it all out. Slowed his heartbeat. Cleared his mind. And with ice cold precision, he shot the viramec through the head.
The pulse blast took the left side of its skull clean away. It began to fall, the momentum of its run dragging it forward several steps even after death. Blood exploded in a geyser, showering the nearby trees in red.
The animal collapsed to the ground and slid to a halt at Vahn’s feet. Its one remaining eye stared up at the clouded sky.
Vahn allowed the surrounding world to seep back into his consciousness. He became aware that Kara was shaking against him.
“ Kahlesha, ” he soothed, stroking her back. “It is all right. It is over.”
She kept her face pressed into his chest and he tilted her chin back, concerned. Her face was wet with tears and rain but he could see no obvious signs of damage.
“Are you hurt, Kara?”
“Not hurt. But very, very confused. I feel like someone just opened up my brain and stirred everything around.”
He frowned.
“I do not understand.”
“Neither do I. And it’s your fault. Your fault, you big blue jerk.”
She punched his shoulder none too lightly and he let go of her, more puzzled than ever.
“Kara, did you get hit on the head?”
“Not the head, you idiot.” She sniffed and wiped her nose. “The heart. I got hit in the heart.”
“Your…?”
“Don’t you get it?” She suddenly flared up at him. “I thought you were dead. I thought you’d left me here alone. And I realized… God damn it, Vahn. I realized how I feel about you.”
She started pacing in agitation.
“There was a moment when I thought if you were dead, I’d just let that thing eat me because there wasn’t much point carrying on. Me! I never think things like that! And then I heard your voice calling my name and it was like sunlight bursting through the clouds. And yes, I know how fucking corny that sounds. It’s like I’m a different person. Do you know how many men I’ve slept with?”
Vahn wisely kept silent, sensing it was a rhetorical question.
“Loads! You could fill a stadium with the number of men I’ve been through. Couple of women too, in my college days. But the point is…” she whirled round, eyes flashing. “The point is I didn’t fall for any of them. Not a single one. I’ve never even come close to falling in love. And now suddenly here I am mooning over a bloody alien. And not just any old alien but humanity’s biggest enemy alien.”
Her shoulders slumped as the fire finally left her.
“Sweet Jesus. I’m screwed. If anyone finds out about this, I’ll be crucified.”
There was a very long silence. One Vahn finally broke with a soft question.
“Sorry, could you go back to the part about falling in love?”