Chapter 3
CHAPTER THREE
Liora pulled back into the shadow of the balcony doors as a figure emerged from the jungle. Her heart hammered so hard she could feel it in her throat.
A person. An actual person.
“Ari, are you seeing this?” she whispered.
“I am monitoring the situation.” The AI’s voice was calm, unhurried. “The intruder has been identified as a Vultor male based on his physical characteristics and equipment.”
“A Vultor?” The word tasted strange on her tongue. She’d read about them in the library’s records—a lupine species known for their strength and... other things. The entries hadn’t been flattering, but since they were the other race colonizing Cresca, that wasn’t entirely unexpected.
“Correct. Vultor are known for their aggressive tendencies and predatory instincts. I recommend you remain inside and avoid contact.”
She barely heard the warning. She was too busy staring at the stranger below, cataloging every detail her eyes could capture.
He was tall with broad shoulders and dark hair pulled back from a hard, scarred face.
Even from this distance, she could see he moved with a controlled grace that reminded her of the jungle cats she sometimes glimpsed from the upper windows.
He was prowling the edge of the clearing, staying close to the tree line. Assessing. Calculating. The careful evaluation of an unfamiliar territory before committing to entry.
“He’s analyzing the tower,” she breathed.
“Indeed. His scanner is detecting the facility’s power signatures. I have activated additional security protocols.”
“What kind of protocols?”
“Defensive measures designed to discourage unauthorized entry.”
She frowned. In all her years in the tower, ARIS had never mentioned defensive measures. Then again, she’d never needed them. No one had ever come here before.
The stranger approached the main doors, and she crept further out on the balcony to keep watch.
He pressed his hands against the wood, clearly searching for something—a way in.
When the doors remained closed, he moved to the outbuilding, the small structure where the supply drones landed twice a year.
He put his shoulder against the metal door, and even from here she could see the strain in his muscles.
“The doors are holding,” ARIS reported. “I recommend continued observation only. Do not reveal yourself.”
Too late.
The stranger stepped back from the door, his head tilting as if he’d caught a scent on the wind. Then his gaze traveled upward, climbing the tower’s face until it found her balcony.
Found her.
Her breath caught as their eyes met. For a suspended moment, they simply stared at each other. She could see his expression clearly now, the hard lines of his features softening.
“Don’t be afraid.” His voice carried up to her, deep and resonant. “I mean you no harm.”
She opened her mouth to respond, but nothing came out. What was she supposed to say? Hello, stranger who appeared from the jungle, I’ve never spoken to a male in my entire life and I have absolutely no idea what to do right now?
Her cheeks flushed with heat. She should say something. Anything. But her tongue felt thick and clumsy, her mind blank.
“My name is Baylin.” He spread his hands, showing empty palms. “I’ve traveled a long way to find this place. I only want to talk to you.”
Baylin. A name. He had a name. She turned the syllables over in her mind, tasting them silently.
“You should not engage with the intruder,” ARIS intoned. “Vultor are unpredictable and potentially violent.”
“He doesn’t look violent,” she whispered, though her heart was still racing. He looked dangerous, certainly. There was an intensity to him, a coiled readiness that suggested he could spring into action at any moment. But violent?
“Appearances can be deceiving. I strongly advise you to retreat from the balcony and wait for him to leave.”
“I’m not going to hurt you,” the stranger called up again. His voice had gentled as well, as if he were trying to soothe a frightened animal.
Something about that rankled. She wasn’t a frightened animal. She was just... overwhelmed. Completely and utterly overwhelmed.
She pulled back out of sight, her mind churning. ARIS was right—she didn’t know anything about this person. He could be dangerous. He could be here to hurt her, to do any of the terrible things she’d read about in the historical records.
But he could also be the first real person she’d ever met.
The first person who could answer questions about the outside world. The first person who could tell her what lay beyond the jungle, beyond the sea, beyond everything she’d ever known.
She crept back to the balcony, staying to the side where she could see without being seen.
Baylin was still standing at the base of the tower, but his posture had changed. He was looking up at it with a speculative expression, his gaze traveling over the stone face. She watched him assess the surface, his eyes tracking from handhold to potential handhold.
He’s going to climb it.
“Ari, he’s—”
“I am aware. I am calculating the probability of a successful ascent.” A pause. “Estimated success rate: sixty-three percent for a human. For a Vultor warrior, ninety-one percent.”
Her stomach flipped. “What do I do?”
“Retreat to the inner chambers. I will attempt to discourage his approach.”
“How?”
The AI didn’t answer, and she didn’t move.
She stayed on the balcony, unable to tear her eyes away. Baylin had already begun his ascent, his hands finding purchase in cracks and crevices she’d never noticed before. His movements were fluid and confident as he scaled the stone like it was the most natural thing in the world.
He’s strong, she thought. Really strong.
The muscles in his arms flexed as he climbed, an easy power in every movement, and her stomach fluttered as she watched him. There was something almost beautiful about it, the way his body flowed up the tower face like water running in reverse.
Pip landed on her shoulder, chittering nervously. She reached up to stroke his fur, her eyes never leaving the climbing figure.
“It’s okay,” she murmured. “I think.”
“I must register my objection to your continued observation,” ARIS said. “This behavior is inadvisable.”
“Noted.”
The stranger was more than halfway up now. She could see details she’d missed from the ground—the scrapes and stains on his clothing, the way his hair had come partially loose from its binding, and the blood on his arm.
Blood.
He was injured.
Something shifted in her chest, a pull of concern that surprised her with its intensity. She didn’t know this person. She had no reason to care whether he was hurt. And yet...
He reached her balcony, hauling himself over the railing with an athletic grace that made her breath catch. For a moment, he simply stood there, catching his breath, his chest rising and falling with exertion.
Then he turned towards her, and she got her first real look at his face.
He was... not what she’d expected. The images of Vultor in the database had shown them as monstrous, with glowing eyes and sharp fangs.
Baylin looked almost human, if humans were built on a larger scale.
His features were strong and angular, with a scar cutting across one cheek that gave him a dangerous edge.
His eyes were green, vivid and intense, watching her with a wariness that mirrored her own.
“Hello,” he said softly. “I’m Baylin. What’s your name?”
Her mouth opened. Closed. Opened again.
Say something. Say anything.
“You’re hurt.”
That wasn’t what I meant to say.
His eyebrows rose slightly. He glanced down at his arm, as if he’d forgotten about the wound.
“It’s nothing. A vine got me on the way here.”
“It doesn’t look like nothing.” The words came easier now, riding the familiar current of concern. Injuries she understood. Injuries she could treat. “There are thorn-covered vines in the jungle. Their wounds can become infected if not properly cleaned.”
“I’ll be fine. Vultor heal quickly.”
“That doesn’t mean you should ignore it.” She heard the note of stubbornness in her own voice and almost laughed. Here she was, lecturing a complete stranger about wound care when she should be running for her life.
ARIS’s voice cut through the moment. “Liora, I must insist that you do not allow the intruder inside. His presence represents a significant security risk.”
His eyes flickered towards the ceiling, tracking the source of the sound. “You have an AI.”
“That’s Ari. I mean, ARIS. It... manages the tower.”
“And it doesn’t seem to like me.”
“The Vultor have a documented history of violent behavior,” ARIS said. “My protocols require me to protect Liora from potential threats.”
Something shifted in his expression. “I understand,” he said, his voice carefully neutral. “I know what most humans think of my kind, although it is no more accurate than how most Vultor regard humans. However, I promise you, I’m not here to cause harm.”
He looked at her as he said it, his green eyes steady and serious. There was no deception in his gaze, no hidden threat. Just a simple statement of intent, offered freely.
He’s telling the truth, she thought. She had no experience with lies or liars, but something in her gut told her this male could be trusted.
“You should come inside,” she heard herself say. “I can treat your arm properly.”
“Liora—”
“It’s my decision, Ari.” She lifted her chin, surprised by her own boldness. “He’s injured, he’s traveled a long way, and I’m not going to leave him standing on the balcony.”
ARIS was silent for a long moment. When it spoke again, its voice held a note she’d never heard before—something almost like resignation.
“Very well. But I will be monitoring the situation closely. Any sign of hostile intent and I will activate the tower’s defensive systems.”
“Understood,” he said, but he was looking at her. “Thank you. I know this is... unusual.”
Unusual. She almost laughed. Unusual didn’t begin to cover it.