5. Daisy
Daisy
We start moving as soon as the sun rises, slogging through the jungle relentlessly until I can't feel my legs anymore.
Ahead of me, Hakan moves through the jungle with terrifying efficiency, both twins on his back, barely slowing despite the extra weight. How is he still going? My lungs are burning, my muscles are screaming, and my bare feet are torn and bleeding from the uneven terrain.
But we can't stop. Not yet.
We’re not being pursued, but that doesn't mean we're safe. By now, the Grokkans will be searching for us — no doubt with technology that can track us through the jungle.
"Hakan," I gasp out, struggling to keep walking. "How much farther?"
"As far as we can manage." His voice is steady despite the exertion. "We need distance between us and the lab."
”I don't know if I can —"
"You can,” he says, turning to look at me, his amber eyes glowing. "You're stronger than you think. Keep going."
So I do. Because what choice do I have?
We push on through the alien jungle, through undergrowth that tears at my leaf dress, under that impossible violet sky with its giant moon hanging like a watchful eye.
Time loses meaning. All that exists is the next step. The next breath.
Finally — finally — Hakan slows to a stop.
"Here," he says, gesturing to an outcropping of rock barely visible through the dense vegetation. "There should be a cave."
I want to collapse right there, but I force myself to follow him as he pushes aside hanging vines to reveal a dark opening in the rock face. It's not large, but it's shelter.
Hakan sets down the boys in the cave and I collapse next to them, shaking from fatigue. The moment the children are on solid ground, they cling to me, their small bodies pressed against mine like they're afraid of being separated again.
"Let me check the area around the cave," Hakan says. "Stay here."
He leaves the cave and I let out a long sigh and lay back on the moss-covered ground, every muscle in my body protesting. The boys huddle next to me, watching me with those enormous orange eyes.
Now that we're not running for our lives, I can really look at them. They're identical — same pale orange skin, same soft green hair that shimmers even in the low light, same delicate features that make them look almost ethereal. Their limbs are too thin, their cheeks hollow.
How long were they in that lab? How long since they've had a proper meal?
Anger flares in my chest at the thought of what was done to them.
Hakan returns to the cave. “There’s a stream nearby.” He kneels beside the boys. “Are either of you injured?”
Both shake their heads, but I notice they're trembling.
"When did you last eat?" I ask.
*Yesterday,* one of them sends, his mental voice weak. *They gave us food yesterday morning. Not much.*
"We need to get food and water in them," I tell Hakan. "They're dehydrated and probably malnourished."
He nods. "I'll bring water, then hunt for game. Can you stay with them?"
"Of course."
He moves to the cave entrance, then pauses and looks back at me.
He looks so powerful, so muscular, so handsome — and despite my condition, I feel a stir.
I’ve noticed this before, but those leather pants of his are tight.
In the dim light, his blue skin seems to glow faintly, and his amber eyes are fixed on me with an intensity that makes my breath catch.
“You’ve done well, all of you,” he says quietly. “You are brave. Resourceful.”
Then he's gone, disappearing into the jungle before I can respond.
I turn back to the boys, who are watching me with expressions that seem far too knowing for children their age.
*You like him,* one of them sends, and I swear, despite his obvious exhaustion, that he’s amused.
"I — what? No. I mean, I'm grateful to him, obviously, but —"
*Your thoughts are very loud,* the other boy adds. *We can hear everything you're thinking.*
Heat floods my face. "Everything?"
*Everything,* they send in unison, and yes, it’s very clear now that they’re amused. *You think he's handsome. Strong. You like his eyes. You wonder what it would be like to — *
"Okay!" I cut them off, mortified. "That's enough of that. Can you ... not listen to my thoughts? Is that a thing you can do?"
*We can try not to,* one says. *But you're thinking so loudly. You need to learn to shield.*
"Shield?"
*Put up a shield. Keep your private thoughts private.* The boy tilts his head, studying me. *Most species can't hear us. Is your kind like us?*
"No. Not at all. I've never experienced anything like this before."
The boys exchange glances, some silent communication passing between them that I can't hear.
Before I can ask what they’re thinking, Hakan returns with several pieces of wood that I realize are hollowed out and filled with clear water from the stream.
"For you and the boys," he says. "Small sips at first. Their systems need to adjust."
He hands me a wooden cup and I help the boys drink. They gulp the water desperately, and I have to physically pull the container away to keep them from making themselves sick.
"I know you're thirsty, but you need to go slow," I tell them gently. "Trust me, okay?"
They nod, and I'm struck by how trusting they are. After everything they've been through, they're still able to believe that Hakan and I will take care of them.
The responsibility of that trust settles over me like a weight.
Hakan builds a fire near the cave entrance in a spot that isn’t easily visible from outside, but close enough to the entrance for smoke to escape.
Watching him work, I can't help but notice the fluid grace of his movements, the way the firelight plays across his blue skin, highlighting the defined muscles of his arms and chest.
*You're thinking about him again,* one of the boys sends, his tone teasing. The water has helped with the boys’ energy levels — they’re both looking more alert.
"I thought you were going to try not to listen."
*We’re trying. You're just very loud.*
Great, I think. Wonderful. My internal monologue is apparently broadcasting at maximum volume to telepathic nine-year-olds. This day just keeps getting better and better.
Both boys giggle — actual audible giggles that sound so normal, so childlike, that my heart clenches.
"What are your names?" I ask. "I'm Daisy, and that’s Hakan."
*I'm Riz,* one says, raising his hand slightly.
*I'm Davi,* the other adds.
"Riz and Davi," I repeat, smiling at them. "It's nice to properly meet you. Even if the circumstances are, you know, completely insane."
*What does 'insane' mean?* Riz asks.
"Crazy. Unbelievable. Like something from a dream. Or a nightmare."
*A nightmare,* Davi repeats, his mental voice going quiet.
The lightness of the moment has vanished, replaced by the boy’s obvious distress. ”I’m so sorry you’ve been through this,” I tell them gently. “How long were you in that lab?"
The boys exchange glances.
*We don’t know,* Riz says. *A while?*
Anger erupts within me. I want to march back to that lab and burn it to the ground.
"I'm so sorry that happened to you," I say, fighting to keep my voice steady. "But you're safe now. Hakan and I won't let anyone hurt you again."
*We know,* Davi sends. *We can feel it. From both of you.*
Hakan looks up from the fire he's building. "I need to hunt. We all need food. Will you be all right here for a short while?"
"We'll be fine," I assure him, though the thought of him leaving makes anxiety spike.
He must see my fear on my face. "I won't go far. Boys, if you sense danger, send your thoughts to me. I'll hear them."
*We can do that,* Riz confirms. *We can send our thoughts pretty far now.*
Hakan nods and head into the jungle once more.
The boys and I settle by the fire, and I help them drink more water, careful to keep them from overdoing it. Their hands are so small in mine, their fingers delicate and trembling.
"So," I say, trying to keep things light, "you can read my thoughts. That seems like an unfair advantage. Tell me something about yourselves."
*Like what?* Davi asks.
"Anything. Where are you from? Do you have family? What do you like to do when evil scientists aren't experimenting on you?"
The boys are quiet for a moment, and I worry I've pushed too hard. But then Riz speaks, his mental voice wistful.
*We're from a colony in the Outer Rim. The Grokkans killed our mom and dad when we were little. Grandfather saved us and we escaped. Andreevans used to live on many worlds, but now there are only a few of us left.*
*They hunt us,* Davi adds. *They think we're dangerous.*
"Are you? Dangerous, I mean?"
*We can read thoughts,* Riz says. *We can send messages. But we can't hurt people. We don't want to hurt people.*
"Of course you don't."
*The scientists didn't care,* Davi sends, his mental voice hard with an anger that seems too old for his age. *They kept doing tests. Seeing what would happen if they —*
He cuts off, and I see him physically shudder.
"You don't have to talk about it," I say quickly. "Not if you don't want to."
*I don’t want to,* Riz sends quietly.
We sit in silence for a while, listening to the jungle sounds outside and the crackle of the fire.
I find myself marveling at how quickly my sense of normal has shifted.
Yesterday, sitting in a cave on an alien planet with two telepathic children would have been unthinkable. Today, it's just ... reality.
*Can we ask you something?* Davi ventures.
"Of course."
*Why can you hear us? Most people can't.*
"I honestly have no idea.”
“You can hear us. So can Hakan.”
“Sorry, I don’t know. I've never had any kind of telepathic ability before.”
“What about on your planet?”
I shrug. “There are people on Earth who say they can read minds, but I’ve never believed them.”
*Earth,* Riz repeats. *Is that the name of the planet the Grokkans found?*
“Found?” I repeat, going on alert. “What do you mean, found?"
*The scientists were talking,* Davi explains. *They found a world. They don’t know anything about the world, even where it is. They said the wormhole might be attached to it.*
“Attached?”
Riz’s brow furrows. *They don’t understand why. The wormhole isn’t working the way they want it to.*
This is new information. Important information. I need tell Hakan when he returns.
*The wormhole scientists left about a week ago,* Davi adds. *There was an emergency.*
"What kind of emergency?"
The boys shake their heads. *We don't know. But they seemed scared.*
Before I can ask more, Hakan appears at the cave entrance, carrying what looks like a deer slung over his shoulders, except this deer has blue-green fur and six legs.
"Dinner," he announces, setting the creature down. "And I found edible plants nearby that should help with the boys' nutrition."
We watch as he expertly skins and prepares the animal, his hands moving with practiced efficiency.
He's done this before, many times. There's something primal and compelling about watching him work — the way the firelight plays across his blue skin, the concentration in his amber eyes, the casual strength in his movements.
*You're doing it again,* Riz sends, amused.
*Your thoughts are very loud,* Davi adds.
*And gross,* they send together, and I can hear them laughing.
I glare at them, which only makes them giggle more.
Hakan looks up, one eyebrow raised. "What's amusing?"
"Nothing," I say quickly. "The boys are just ... being boys."
His mouth curves into a hint of a smile.
He cooks the meat over the fire, and soon the cave fills with the most amazing smell. My stomach growls loudly — I can't remember the last time I ate.
When the food is ready, Hakan serves the boys first, giving them small portions and watching carefully as they eat. His gentleness with them is touching. This fierce warrior who kills without hesitation is being so careful, so tender with these traumatized children.
"Slowly," he tells them when they start to eat too fast. "Your bodies need time to adjust."
They obey, and I'm struck again by how much they seem to trust him. To idolize him, even.
*He's a good warrior,* Riz sends to me. *Brave and strong. We can feel it.*
*He cares about you,* Davi adds. *His thoughts about you are loud too. Louder than yours, even.*
Heat floods my face. I look at them inquiringly.
*We probably shouldn't tell you,* Riz says, but I can hear the mischief in his voice. *It might embarrass him.*
Then definitely don't tell me, I think quickly, not sure I could handle knowing what Hakan thinks about me.
*He thinks you're beautiful and brave and — *
“La la la la, I can't hear you," I say out loud, covering my ears even though that does absolutely nothing to block out telepathic voices.
Hakan looks at me, startled, like I've lost my mind. “Are you all right?"
“Fine!” I say, stammering, blushing. “Totally fine. Just, you know, adjusting to having my every thought broadcast to psychic children. It's a learning curve."
Now he definitely almost smiles. "I imagine it is."
He hands me a portion of the cooked meat. I bite into it and nearly moan out loud — it's delicious, savory and slightly sweet, nothing like anything I've tasted before.
We eat in companionable silence, the fire crackling, the jungle singing its strange song outside. Despite everything — the fear, the exhaustion, the sheer impossibility of my situation — I feel something unexpected.
Peace.
These people — this handsome blue-skinned warrior and telepathic children — are strangers. But sitting here in this cave, sharing a meal, watching Hakan tend to the fire while Riz and Davi lean against each other in exhaustion….
It feels like we belong together.
The thought should terrify me. Instead, it fills me with a warmth that has nothing to do with the fire.