Chapter 28
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
APOLLO
The only time I ever step outside of my home is when I need to hunt a sandcrawler.
So, why now was I jogging across the sandy terrain?
I didn’t have a good answer for that. All I knew was that for the past two days, I was feeling something strange in my chest. I don’t know what it was except that it was making me think I needed to go into the desert.
There was a very specific direction I felt pulled towards.
Knowing that was stupid, running off into the desert for no reason, I tried to ignore it.
I tried for two god-damned days, but the need drove me faster and harder until I couldn’t stand it anymore.
So today, I put on my long sleeve tunic and pants to protect myself from the sun and wrapped my head in a scarf and I took off across the desert at almost a sprint.
What was causing this? Was I going mad after being out here for so long alone?
I half expected the feeling to dissipate as I move towards it, but it only gets stronger and stronger, I almost feel like I’m going completely crazy until I finally see something out in the distance. Amongst the surrounding sand, the soft green stands out. What is that?
When I’m only thirty paces away, I finally realize it’s a person laying on the ground.
Shit. What are they doing out here in the middle of the desert without any supplies?
I pick up my pace, running full speed, and when I’m a few steps away, I see it’s a woman.
I drop down to my knees and I’m relieved to see she’s still alive and awake, as her beautiful green eyes stare up at me. “Indy?” she whispers.
Did she just call me… Indy? She knows my brother?
Is he here somewhere? I lift my head and gaze around us, but see nothing.
How long has she been out here like this?
I gently pull the scarf from her mouth and help sit her up a bit as I slide in behind her so she can lean against me.
I fill my hand with water, using the magic inside of me, and I hold it up to her mouth for her to drink.
She does so without question. And I know she wants more, but if she drinks too much too fast, she’ll throw it all up.
Deciding I need to get her out of the sun, I scoop her up and start jogging back to my home.
I’m startled by her fingers on my jawline and I look down at her.
“You look different,” she rasps out. I readjust her so I can use a hand to give her more water.
I’m thankful that she drinks it without question, and then I resume my hold on her as we keep moving.
This time she moves her hand to my hair and I can see a small frown on her face.
“How long was I out there? Your hair has grown so much.” I just grunt, hoping that the sun hasn’t damaged her mind too much.
I really want to know how she knows my brother, but just knowing that he’s okay is a big relief.
I’ve thought about him every day since I left, and wondered what he was doing and if he was happy.
I hoped he was. The whole reason I left was because I wanted him to have a good life.
“I thought I was going to die out there… but you saved me, just like I knew you would.”
“Quiet, you’re dehydrated, you need to stay silent.”
She turns her head and leans it against my chest, not saying a word. She’s quite the obedient one, isn’t she?
At this speed, it doesn’t take me more than a couple of hours to reach my oasis in the middle of the desert.
I barely slow as I enter, making my way to the center.
This is my favorite place, where a giant pond sits with a waterfall pouring into it.
I need to cool her down and get moisture into her, and this is the fastest way I can think of.
I don’t even stop to undress us as I walk straight in with her in my arms until she submerged right up to her neck.
I expect her to gasp or make some sort of noise when the water touches her, so when she doesn’t react, I start to worry.
I give her a tiny shake in my arms as I whisper, “Hey, little Angel, wake up.” Nothing.
I move to the side where there are rocks sitting under the water that I can rest on.
I sit her on one of them and squat down in front of her so I can hold her face in my hands.
I see that she’s unconscious, but a quick check and I can tell she’s still breathing.
Her forehead and cheeks are really hot and red, but I don’t want to submerge her and risk her choking on water.
so I scoop her up and lay her across my arms so I can tilt her head back, getting her long wavy red hair nice and wet.
I manage to get her to a point where her entire body is submerged except for her face, and I just hold her there and watch.
I notice she has long eyelashes and delicate features.
Her face is filthy and burned, but even through all that, I can see how beautiful she is.
Who is she to my brother? She acted like she was expecting him to save her.
My brother managed to get a woman like this?
Even as a loneling? She must be something very special.
I feel a small pang of jealousy in my chest but try to mask it with happiness for my brother.
I slowly move her around in circles, and after a few minutes, I try speaking to her again. “Angel, why don’t you open your eyes for me now? I want to make sure you’re okay.”
I watch her face carefully and after a minute, I can see her eyelashes moving. Is she trying to wake up? I move one hand and attempt to feed her more water, and I’m thankful when she starts gulping it down. After that, ever so slowly, she starts to bat her eyelashes open.
I watch as awareness slowly starts to trickle into her face, and when her eyes turn to me I see them light up with joy, and before I can stop her she throws her arms around my neck and kisses me.
I have no idea what to do, I’ve never kissed a woman before, and was not expecting this.
She probably thinks I’m Indy, but I can’t seem to pull her off.
Her lips press to mine over and over and when her tongue touches my lower lip, I part mine in shock.
That’s when she presses her tongue into my mouth and rubs it against mine.
That’s the point when I lose all control.
My arms band around her as I pull her body tight against me and kiss her back passionately.
Is this what kissing is like for everybody?
I had no idea it could feel so amazing. Somehow it lights up everything in me, and I can feel it all the way down to my growing erection.
After a minute, I come to my senses and slowly pull back, my eyes searching her face. She smiles at me, her eyes roaming my face. And as her eyes seem to register my features more carefully, I see the smile slowly drop and her eyes go wide.
“Holy shit! You’re not Indy!” I shake my head once slowly. “You’re Apollo!” she says, sounding both shocked and excited. She knows who I am?
“He told you about me?” I can’t stop myself from asking.
She smiles for a second before it turns into a grimace as she places her hand on her stomach.
“Apollo, I don’t feel so well.” I notice her hand has a piece of material wrapped around it that’s soaked through with blood.
“What happened to your hand?”
“Oh… the…” I can see her blinking heavily, like she’s falling asleep. “The giant sand worm shot a spike through my hand.”
Sand worm? Oh no, did she mean a sandcrawler?
“Shit, those spikes are poisonous!”
“Is that why I don’t feel good?” she groans before fainting.
I quickly lift her up and get out of the pond, heading towards the cave I use as a home.
I made the bedposts from tree trunks, and the mattress from a handmade vine netting covered with large palm leaves that I change whenever they dry out.
Gently, I set her down and place my hand on her forehead, she’s burning up.
I need to tend to her hand first so I unbind it to take a look.
I grimace when I see the wound. Glancing up at her face, I see she’s completely passed out.
It might be for the best while I treat this.
Luckily, I still have a bottle of alcohol for just such an occasion, so I pull it out and pour it over both sides of her hand.
I need to stitch it up and it’s best to do it while she’s unconscious, so while trying to be neat, clean and fast, I make quick work of sewing up both sides of her palm.
She was clinging to me earlier, so she must still have full use of her fingers, thankfully.
But I’m unsure how well this will heal, as it’s over half an inch wide and could get easily infected.
I find the cleanest piece of material I have, wrapping it around her hand as much as I can to help keep it clean.
I stare down at her, wondering what else I can do to help make her comfortable.
I feel her forehead, she’s still far too hot.
She’s laying in a soaking wet dress. It’s probably not right for me to take it off her, right?
Besides, while it’s wet and cool, it would help cool her body down.
Grabbing another piece of material and a bowl, I use my magic to fill it with cold water.
I dip the cloth in and then place it over her forehead, hoping to cool her down.
Slowly, I drip little bits of water into her mouth over the next few hours.
Constantly replacing the cloth on her forehead.
Eventually her dress becomes warm, while still being damp, so I know I need to get her out of it.
I try to wake her, but she doesn’t rouse.
I find a thin blanket I have to cover her in once I have her out of her wet clothes and I’m thankful that this seems to be some sort of night dress, so it’s easy to remove.
What was she doing wandering the desert alone, wearing nothing but this?
It probably has something to do with the sandcrawler.
I try my hardest not to look at her when I pull the dress off, but I am a man and can’t help myself from a quick glance before I get her covered in the blanket.
I know it’s wrong, but she’s beautiful, like a little fallen angel.
I haven’t seen my brother in nine years, and I’ve been out here for about eight of those, and somehow this woman is connected to him.
Is she his mate? The way she kissed me when she thought I was him, makes it clear they were romantically involved.
But even if she was attracted to Indy, my twin, she wouldn’t be interested in me.
I have scars on my face and body that I got the first year I left my home, not to mention my magic.
Indy was always the better of us. My magic tainted everything it touched, it’s why I came out here. It was the only place I could exist without worry of anyone finding me. My water magic lets me create this oasis. Being here was the closest to feeling at ease I’ve ever felt.
Speaking of which, I rub my chest, realizing that the tug I had been feeling has disappeared completely now.
Was it something to do with the little angel?
I stare down at her and frown. I would help her get better, and take care of her, at least until Indy comes to take her away.
I couldn’t get too close to her though. If she finds out the truth about me, it will just hurt Indy all over again.
Maybe she wouldn’t want to be associated with someone who has a brother like me?
And then it would be my fault he’s alone, again.
No, I would just need to keep my distance, the less she knew, the better.