Chapter 32
THIRTY-TWO
Bri
Inever want to think about that trash heap ever again.
Unfortunately, the smell makes it impossible to forget.
Daisy snorts at me when I step into the stable.
Even my loyal h’axom is bothered by my smell.
My hair, my robes. Everything stinks. I could kill Tai.
He could have warned me or found another way out!
“Yeah, Daisy. I know. I smell terrible.”
“It was that or wave the blaster around, and I was just honoring your wishes,” Tai says as he grabs the giant saddle for the h’axom.
“I didn’t know those were my only two options!” I suspect this was his way of getting back at me for the Wahadi.
“Neither did I, but I made an executive decision,” he grins at me, a failing attempt at innocence.
“I should have left you in the dungeon.” It’s an empty threat, and we both know it.
Brutus snorts and stamps his feet when Tai approaches, also offended by our smell. I slide my hand up Daisy’s snout and over her furry ears. With lazy eyes, she looks over at me and slowly chews through the pile of small grass at her feet.
“You take that one,” Tai says and nods toward another h’axom farther down. One I don’t recognize. I know Daisy has her faults, but at least I’m sure she won’t toss me on my ass in the middle of the desert.
“I’ll take Daisy.”
“No way. It’s too slow,” he whispers, shooting me his most stern look. A look I have gotten used to and no longer has an effect on me. Well, at least not the one he intends.
“It is a she. And she’s mine.” I couldn’t leave her behind. Plus, she comes with the added benefit of getting under Tai’s skin.
“Fine,” Tai says through pursed lips. He moves quietly around the stable releasing the rest of the h’axom. I’m impressed. It’s a good call. One I didn’t even think about. Now it will be near impossible for the brethren to catch us.
“Oh, come on girl. I know you’re happy to see me.”
I grab the saddle horn with one hand and brace myself when two strong hands circle my waist and lift me up. His eyes sweep over the saddle and h’axom, checking to make sure everything is in its place. Once satisfied, he returns to Brutus and easily pulls himself up and onto the giant animal.
With a snap of his reins, Brutus lurches forward. I tug on Daisy’s, urging her along. She nibbles at the grass before slowly dragging her feet and stepping into the bright morning light.
“Keep up. The brethren will not be happy when they realize we got away.” Brutus breaks into a gallop. Tai moves gracefully, like he’s been doing this his whole life.
Miraculously, Daisy follows at a much quicker pace than I thought she was capable of. I smugly lean forward and give her a grateful pat on the neck. I knew she wouldn’t fail me.
We climbed through deep piles of garbage for hours, the smell curdling my stomach the entire time.
If I could have taken a full breath, I would have screamed at Tai the entire way out.
When pushing garbage out of my way, I got a tiny bit of pleasure from pushing it right into his path.
Right now, microaggressions are the only thing keeping me going. And we take it wherever we can get it.
Tai leads us through the winding channel that was once a thriving river. The feeling of the unknown gives me a rush of adrenaline crackling under my skin. I know we’re still in danger, but against all logic, I haven’t lost my taste for adventure.
“I can’t believe we made it out,” I say.
Tai looks over his shoulder behind us, checking if we are being followed.
“We aren’t in the clear yet.”
“Tai, you need to learn how to celebrate the small stuff.” He’s right, of course, but I’m still impressed we broke out of the colony.
The canyon narrows and widens over the course of the morning.
I’m grateful for the high walls surrounding us, which keep the direct sunlight off.
It’s not as cool as down in the colony, but it’s a break from the oppressive heat above.
We travel in complete silence for a while, listening for any hint of the brethren.
“We need to get to higher ground,” Tai says reluctantly.
“But the shade!” I whine. I know it is inevitable that we would end up in the blazing sun but doing it willingly when there is perfectly good shade feels wrong.
“We are vulnerable down here. Someone or something could sneak up on us.”
Dammit. He’s right. Begrudgingly, I pull on Daisy’s reins to follow Tai up the slope.
I slide forward on the saddle when Daisy lurches up the hill.
My core clenches, and my legs tense from the incline.
I’m still painfully sore from the last ride.
If only the brethren could’ve waited on their plan to murder Tai for another few days.
I would have appreciated the chance to let my muscles recover.
The sun heats up my dirty robe, sending off a fresh wave of hot garbage straight to my nose.
“I can’t wait to get out of this robe. It smells almost as bad as you do,” I say and pluck at the robe, putting a little space between the disgusting garment and my body.
“Soon,” he says, returning to his monosyllabic ways.
“Good girl, Daisy. You’re the best h’axom in the world.” I turn my attention to Daisy. She doesn’t respond to my attempts at conversation either, but Brutus grunts and tosses his trunk in the air.
“I couldn’t agree more, Brutus,” I say. Fine—if I can’t talk to Tai or Daisy, Brutus will be my friend. “I prefer the shade as well.”
“I prefer not being ambushed,” Tai grumbles.
The farther we get from the colony and the brethren, the better I feel.
It might be every woman’s fantasy to be worshiped as a goddess but not mine.
I much prefer it out here with Tai, braving the hostile environment and being proactive about our escape.
I file that under “Things I’ll never admit to Tai.
” This particular file seems to be growing by the day.
“What?” Tai asks, head cocked to the side.
Oh shit—did I say that out loud?
“Huh?” I ask innocently.
“I thought I heard you say something. You were mumbling,” he says, scrunching his eyebrows together.
“Oh, nothing. Just having a little discussion here with my friend Daisy. Aren’t we, sweetie pie?” I scratch the tuft of long fur on the top of her head. She grunts and shakes her head side to side.
“I want to get to higher ground to see if anyone is following us,” Tai says, spurring Brutus on with a simple flick of the reins.
“You’re worse than Jamie.” My thoughts verbalize.
“Is that your boyfriend on Earth?”
His question makes me smile.
“No, he’s my oldest and most serious brother. He thinks it’s his job to keep everyone in line.”
“He’s a good male.”
“He is overbearing and bossy. But he’s the best. He would probably love it here.
All my brothers would. They’d love the chance to prove how tough they are.
” The words spill out. It feels good to talk about my family.
I avoid bringing them up because I’m afraid it would open the floodgates of emotion I’ve tried so hard to keep closed.
Missing them has threatened to take over since I left Earth.
“How many brothers do you have?” Tai asks.
“Three. I’m the baby of the family, and the only girl.”
“Ah, the princess. That tracks,” he says with a tiny little smile pulling up one side of his mouth. I’m never going to live this down.
“Not at all! I had to keep up or get left behind,” I clarify. For some reason, it’s important that Tai doesn’t view me as some weak spoiled human.
“Really? I assumed they would all favor their little sister.”
“They did. I mean…they do. In their own weird Mitchell family way.”
“How’s that?” he asks.
I’m surprised by the follow-up questions. We might even be approaching something resembling a conversation at this point. I proudly sit a little taller on Daisy’s back. I managed to draw Tai out of his one-word answers!
“Well, we believe you’ve got to be strong and think fast to survive. No one is going to take it easy on you. When I grew up and started doing well in school, things changed a bit, I guess.”
A memory flashes in my mind of my family sitting around the dinner table passing around the yuriOS with my latest grades. The look of pride on their faces brings a tear to my eye.
Wow. I’m damn near crying. All of this repressed homesickness must be finally catching up with me.
I pull up the hood, choosing the smell over the sweltering sun and the vulnerability written all over my face.
“That explains why you’re so tough,” Tai says, slowing Brutus down and coming up next to me.
“You think I’m tough? Tai, that was verging on a compliment.” I smile over at him behind my hood. Sarcasm shrinks the lump in my throat a tiny bit.
“I didn’t mean to verge,” he says.
“Oh okay, fine,” I reply swiftly with a playful tease.
“What I meant to say, if you would let me finish, it wasn’t a verge. I meant it as an actual compliment.”
The lump is back. Bigger than ever. I gulp at air to try and diffuse it. It doesn’t work.
“You haven’t complained once, not about the unbearable heat, or the endless sand, or the weird brethren. You have every right to whine endlessly, but you haven’t once. You have proved me wrong time and time again.”
Oh shit. The lump is still growing and moving north to my mouth. I bite my lip to try and keep back the tears welling up in my eyes. I didn’t realize how much a few kind words would affect me.
“Never let it be said I didn’t rise to the occasion.” I try to lighten the mood. His sincerity is making me uncomfortable. Tai has so many facets. He is more observant than I ever realized.
“Do me a favor and tell that to my brothers when you meet them,” I say absentmindedly. Come to think of it, I don’t know when he would ever meet them face-to-face.
“Where are your brothers now?” Tai asks, watching me intently.