Tharion
THARION
I watched Lina sleep, her chest rising and falling in a gentle rhythm. Her auburn hair splayed across the makeshift pillow, brilliant against the drab gray of the abandoned office floor. My fingers twitched, longing to brush a stray strand from her face, but I stopped myself.`
What was I doing? She was my target, nothing more. I shouldn’t want her. I couldn’t want her. Yet here I was, captivated by her peaceful expression, the soft curve of her lips.
I clenched my fist, willing away the urge to touch her. I was Vinduthi, a predator, a bounty hunter. I didn’t form attachments, especially not to humans. But something about Lina called to me, stirred feelings I thought long dead.
Her eyelids fluttered, and I quickly averted my gaze, pretending to study our surroundings. The old dormitory was a mess of crumbling furniture and scattered datapads, relics of Larakis’ early days.
“?” Lina’s voice was thick with sleep.
“We should move,” I decided. “The shaft isn’t far.”
She sat up, rubbing her eyes. “Right. Back through the bug-infested tunnels. Sounds delightful.”
I smirked despite myself. “Scared of a few glowing insects?”
“A few? Those things were the size of hover-bikes!” She shuddered. “And there were hundreds of them.”
“We’ll be fine,” I assured her, though I wasn’t entirely convinced myself. “Stay close to me.”
We gathered our meager supplies and went back to the collapsed tunnel entrance. Lina went first, her smaller frame slipping easily between the rocks.
I followed, the jagged stone scraping against my skin. As I emerged on the other side, Lina’s scent hit me – a mix of fear and determination that made my head spin.
“You okay?” she asked, noticing my hesitation.
I nodded, pushing away the distracting thoughts. “Let’s go.”
We crept through the tunnels, the pale light of the glow sticks our only light, our footsteps echoing in the eerie silence. The bioluminescent residue from the bugs cast everything in an otherworldly glow, creating strange shadows that danced along the walls.
“So,” Lina whispered as we navigated a particularly narrow passage, “you never did tell me who hired you to find me.”
I frowned. “I don’t know. The job came through a broker.”
“Convenient,” she muttered.
“You think I’m lying?”
She shrugged. “I think there’s a lot you’re not telling me.”
I stopped, turning to face her. “And what about you? Why are the Obsidian Dawn after you?”
Lina’s eyes widened, a flicker of fear crossing her face before she schooled her expression. “I told you, I don’t know.”
“Right,” I drawled. “And I’m a Krelaxian ballet dancer.”
She snorted, the tension dissipating slightly. “Now that I’d pay to see.”
We continued on, the silence between us more comfortable now. Slowly, a faint humming reached my ears. I reached back to stop Lina.
“What do you hear?” she whispered.
I cocked my head, listening intently. “Machinery. We must be getting close.”
Lina’s face lit up with hope, and an unexpected warmth bloomed in my chest.
I quickly squashed it.
As we approached the source of the sound, the tunnel widened into a vast cavern. The shaft loomed before us, a monolithic structure of metal and composite materials. But between us and our escape route lay a sea of writhing, glowing forms.
“Oh, shit,” Lina breathed.
The bugs swarmed across the cavern floor, their bioluminescent bodies pulsing in hypnotic patterns. There had to be thousands of them, creating a living carpet that separated us from our goal.
“Any bright ideas?” Lina asked, voice tight with fear.
I scanned the area, looking for any alternative route. My eyes landed on a narrow ledge that ran along the cavern wall, bypassing the deadly floor.
“There,” I pointed. “We can use that ledge to circle around to the elevator.”
Lina followed my gaze, her face paling. “That’s barely wide enough for a foothold. We’ll fall!”
“We don’t have a choice,” I growled. “Unless you’d prefer to wade through that.” I gestured to the writhing mass below.
She swallowed hard, then nodded. “Okay. Let’s do it.”
I went first, pressing my back against the rough stone wall as I inched along the ledge. Lina followed close behind, her breath short, panicked gulps.
“Don’t look down,” I advised.
“Gee, thanks for that stellar advice,” she snapped. “I never would have thought of that on my own.”
I smirked, oddly pleased by her spirit even in the face of danger. We were about halfway across when Lina’s foot slipped.
She cried out, her body tipping forward. Without thinking, I spun around, my hand shooting out to grab her wrist. For a heart-stopping moment, she dangled over the sea of bugs.
“Lina!” I couldn’t lose her. Wouldn’t.
With a grunt of effort, I pulled her back against the wall, my body tight against hers to keep her steady. Her heart raced against my chest, her breath warm on my neck.
“I’ve got you,” I murmured, surprised by the gentleness in my voice.
Lina looked up at me, her green eyes filled with fear and something else – something that made my own pulse quicken.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
We stayed like that, bodies flush against each other, the danger momentarily forgotten. Then reality crashed back in, and I carefully maneuvered us back into our original positions.
“Let’s keep moving,” I said gruffly, trying to ignore the lingering warmth where she’d been pressed against me.
We inched our way along the ledge, every step a test of nerves and balance. Lina’s breathing was ragged behind me, but she pressed on without complaint. As we neared the end of the ledge, I spotted our next obstacle – a sprawling intersection teeming with insects.
“Shit,” I muttered, coming to a halt.
Lina bumped into my back. “What’s wrong?”
“See for yourself.”
She peered around me, her sharp intake of breath telling me she’d spotted the swarm. The bugs writhed and pulsed, their bioluminescent bodies casting an eerie glow over the cavern.
“There’s no way around,” Lina whispered, her voice trembling. “We’ll have to go through them.”
I nodded grimly. “Stay close. We move fast, don’t stop for anything.”
“What if they attack?”
“Then we fight.” I met her eyes, willing her to see my determination. “I won’t let them hurt you.”
Lina swallowed hard, then squared her shoulders. “Okay. Let’s do this.”
We descended from the ledge, our feet touching the uneven ground. The insects nearest to us stirred, antennae twitching in our direction.
“Ready?” I asked, tensing for action.
Lina’s hand found mine, squeezing tight. “As I’ll ever be.”
We plunged into the swarm. Instantly, the air filled with clicking mandibles and the rustle of countless legs. I swatted at the bugs, my other hand still gripping Lina’s as we pushed forward.
“Keep moving!” I shouted over the din.
A particularly large insect reared up in front of us, its compound eyes flashing with intelligence. I snarled, lashing out with my foot. The bug went flying, crashing into its brethren.
“Nice kick,” Lina panted.
“Save your breath for running.”
We were about halfway through when disaster struck. Lina’s foot caught on something – a rock, a bug carcass, I couldn’t tell – and she went down hard.
“Lina!” I whirled, yanking her up by our joined hands.
She scrambled to her feet, but not before several insects crawled over her legs. She shrieked, kicking wildly.
“Get them off! Get them off!”
I batted at the creatures, my heart racing. “We can’t stop. Run!”
We sprinted the rest of the way, bugs swarming around us in a frenzied cloud. Mandibles snapped at my clothes, tiny legs scrabbling for purchase on my skin. Lina’s panicked breathing spurred me on. They wouldn’t have her. I wouldn’t let them.
Finally, we burst free of the swarm.
“We made it,” Lina gasped, bent double and panting.
I scanned her quickly for injuries. “Are you hurt?”
She shook her head, still catching her breath. “Just... just a few scratches. Nothing serious.”
A chittering sound behind us snapped me back to the present. The swarm was regrouping, preparing for another assault.
“The elevator,” I barked. “Now!”
We raced to the control panel, Lina’s fingers flying over the ancient keypad.
“Come on, come on,” she muttered.
The insects advanced, a living wave of glowing bodies and clicking mandibles.
“Lina...” I warned, positioning myself between her and the oncoming swarm.
“I’ve almost got it!”
A bug leapt at us. I swatted it away, my hand coming away sticky with bioluminescent fluid.
“Any time now would be great,” I growled.
“There!”
With a groan of protesting metal, the elevator doors creaked open. We dove inside, Lina stabbing at the ‘close door’ button repeatedly.
The swarm surged forward, a mass of writhing bodies mere steps from the threshold. I tensed, ready to fight them off if necessary.
With agonizing slowness, the doors began to slide shut. A few insects managed to squeeze through the narrowing gap. I stomped on them, grinding them beneath my heel.
Finally, blessedly, the doors sealed with a resounding clang. Lina and I sagged against the wall, breathing heavily.
“That,” she panted, “was way too close.”
I nodded, still on high alert. “We’re not out of danger yet. This elevator could be taking us anywhere.”
Lina straightened, wiping sweat from her brow. “At least it’s away from those bugs.”
As if in response to her words, the elevator lurched into motion, carrying us up towards an unknown destination.
We made it the rest of the way without incident, finally reaching the relative safety of the elevator platform. As Lina sagged against the railing in relief, I surveyed the control panel.
“Looks like the power’s still on,” I mused. “But the security protocols might be an issue.”
Lina peered over my shoulder. “I think I can bypass them. Give me a minute.”
I watched, impressed, as her fingers flew over the keypad. Within moments, the elevator hummed to life.
“Where did you learn to do that?” I asked as we stepped inside.
She shrugged, a grin playing on her lips. “Do you know how often my boss forgets his password?”
As the elevator began its ascent, I studied Lina’s profile. She was a puzzle, this human woman. Brave, clever, and far more intriguing than I cared to admit.
I shouldn’t want her. But as we rose towards the surface, leaving the darkness behind, I realized it might already be too late.