SnaredbySaber Page 10

  One of the females cackled.

  “Help!” Eva shrieked louder. The water was starting to get hot around her feet, and tendrils of steam were beginning to drift lazily off the surface of the cooking pot.

  The woman cackled again, and all the tribe, including Bone Nose, cracked wide grins.

  “Help!” Eva screamed.

  Their grins spread and grew, turning into chuckles and ribald amusement at her expense. The slapped each other on the back and could hardly stand, so great was their hilarity. They thought her screams for help were hysterical.

  Sweat dribbled down her forehead and into her eyes.

  Oh, goddess. She was going to die in a cooking pot.

  Saber heard Eva’s screams and moved faster until he smelled something ripe. Rotten. He screeched to a halt and proceeded cautiously, his nose low to the ground as he worked out the scents. The pungent trail headed in the direction of Eva’s shouts, and he increased his pace again.

  At the edge of clearing, he slowed and stalked closer, belly to the ground. He halted, partly concealed under a bush, and took in the scene in one quick glance.

  Cannibals.

  He’d have to take them by surprise, distract them. Damn, that cooking pot looked heavy. No way could he knock it over. He’d have to shift and lift her out.

  No other option.

  Saber bounded out of hiding and headed straight for Eva. He roared, his fury exploding into the clearing and causing chaos. In his peripheral vision, he saw the shock on their blue and red faces, their fear, and then the anger when they saw he intended to snatch their dinner.

  Several of the taller ones leaped to action, murder in their eyes.

  Time for stage two of his plan.

  Saber called up his human form and willed it to be the quickest change ever.

  His wish was granted and an instant later, Saber stood in front of the pot, the sight of him stunning the males to a halt. He seized Eva and plucked her from the pot.

  “You okay?”

  “I am now!”

  “Can you walk?”

  “I’ll crawl if I have to.”

  “Kitten,” he said, feeling something twist in his chest. God, she was incredible. So brave. “I’m gonna spank your ass the second we’re in a safe place.”

  “Can we discuss this later?” She sounded testy, a little sarcasm creeping into her tone.

  She was alive. His chest constricted at the idea of losing her. His arms tightened around her damp body. Not gonna happen.

  He ran from the clearing, relieved when he didn’t hear them following. They would, he knew, because that’s what he’d do once he’d regained his equilibrium. It was clear they’d never seen a shifter before. They’d reminded him of primitive tribes on ancient Earth, the ones he’d learned about at school.

  Sweet baby Jesus, who cooked people in a pot? Eva was lucky his gut instinct had told him to return, that something was wrong. When he’d found Bluebird alone, looking for her too, he’d started to worry.

  A soft, inquiring honk came from the bushes.

  Bluebird.

  Saber kept running, eyes scanning the undergrowth for a hiding place. The bird scuttled past him in a burst of speed and darted down a path to the right. Saber slowed, glanced over his shoulder and saw they hadn’t caught up yet, and picked his way through the grasses and past the bushes to alleviate signs of his passing. He’d leave Eva in a safe place and lay a false trail to make doubly sure the tribe didn’t find them.

  Bluebird led him to a hollow pink tree trunk and after checking inside, he set Eva down.

  “Where are you going?” Tension pulled at her pinked arms and shoulders while her blue eyes went wide, a little wild.

  He brushed her hair from her face and trailed his fingers over her cheek. He smiled even though the bright-pink patches on his skin concerned him. “I’m not leaving you for long. Let me untie you.”

  Saber made short work of her bonds and took care not to hurt her as he checked for injuries. “Are you okay?”

  “My skin is tight, a bit sore.”

  “Rest here. I’ll be back soon.”

  “No! Don’t leave me!”

  “Quiet, they’ll be looking for us. I want to lay a trail for them to follow, one that leads them away from here. If you stay quiet, you’ll be safe.”

  A soft honk at his back made Saber smile. Bluebird was weird in appearance, reminding him of an ungainly dodo bird with a bit of goose thrown in. Not the prettiest creature, but he was one kickass security bird.

  Eva bit her lip, her eyes filling with a sheen that foretold tears. Understandable, given her recent ordeal.

  “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

  A tear tumbled down her cheek and she ducked her head. Saber’s heart turned over. He wanted to scoop her into his arms and comfort her, never let her go.

  He stood abruptly and shifted to feline. After one quick scent of the air, he moved away from Eva, even though his heart protested with every prowling step.

  Chapter Eight

  Now that she found herself safe, tears rolled down Eva’s cheeks and refused to stop, no matter how hard she willed otherwise. Her skin felt dry, tight and hot, and sweat poured off her, between her breasts and in other uncomfortable places.

  She tried not to think about the alone part, the roaming tribesmen, the big-ass birds, the ribbons of moving fire and the fact that she was on Tiraq instead of Dalcon.

  But the tears kept coming, her throat aching.

  Frying fungus. Time was running out and they seemed no closer to the resort. Every dangerous situation she stumbled into just delayed them further.

  She’d never get rid of the Dearbhorgaills.

  She’d never avenge Pryce’s death.

  She’d failed.

  * * * * *

  Once he’d checked things out and made an obvious trail in human form for the cannibals to follow, Saber shifted back to cat and went to find them. They were following the false trail, although it was obvious the underlings weren’t enthusiastic. Their steps lagged and the one at the front barked commands to hurry them along.

  Saber slipped noiselessly through the undergrowth until he was ahead of them before letting out a hair-raising shriek. The jungle went quiet, and Saber snickered silently. He crept back to where the cannibals stood, frozen in position.

  The obvious leader, a tall dude with a bone threaded through his nose, gave a sharp order. The troop moved again, but the ones at the rear twisted their heads all around, surveying every inch of the tangled profusion of plants surrounding them.

  Saber smirked and let rip with another feral feline scream. The troop jumped and two at the back broke ranks.

  How many roars would it take to break the leader?

  Saber slunk closer, until he was almost level with Bone Nose, and let rip.

  The blue-faced man leaped a foot in the air, gave a high-pitched screech and turned in the direction of their camp, almost knocking down the rest of the troop in his race for safety. When they’d all picked themselves up and scuttled in the direction of the camp, Saber gave a feline grunt of satisfaction. Only three. No challenge at all.

  He checked the trail for signs of danger then made a quick detour to a sandy desert area he’d discovered earlier. Things to do. Places to go.

  A mischievous woman to deal with.

  * * * * *

  When he arrived back at the tree where he’d left Eva, Saber had been half expecting to find her gone. To his relief, she’d stayed and was now asleep. When he crept closer, he saw she’d been crying, the dried tracks of tears staining her cheeks. Regret surged through him and tightened his chest.

  This was his fault, yet if he were honest, he wouldn’t do things much differently.

  He set down the fruit and the plants he’d been carrying and absently petted Bluebird when the creature pressed up against his side.

  “Eva, wake up.” He shook her shoulder, ready to slap his hand across her mouth should he startle her. “Wa
ke up, kitten.”

  He had to talk to her, persuade her not to run away again because it wasn’t safe.

  Then another thought occurred. Maybe his dual nature scared her. She hadn’t acted with distaste, but maybe…

  She didn’t give away much in her expressions, not unless she wanted to, and pasted on emotions with deliberation.

  “Kitten.”

  Her eyelids fluttered and she came awake, her muscles going tense.

  “It’s me,” he murmured. “They’ve returned to their village. I don’t think they’ll be bothering us again. Are you hungry?”

  She shuddered. “I can’t think of food at the moment, not when I-I…” She trailed off, a violent tremor spearing through her body.

  “We’ll save it for later. How is your skin? You’re lucky they put you in, clothes and all.”

  “I don’t think they’d worked out that they came off. They probably thought to…ah…remove them later.” Another tremor shook her slight frame at the idea of being dish of the day for cannibals.

  “Think on the bright side. At least you don’t have to walk buck-ass naked through the jungle.”

  Her brow wrinkled but she pushed hard for humor. “And my clothes are clean.” She didn’t quite pull it off, although he gave a faint grin and ran a gentle hand over her head.

  “Let me check your feet. I have a plant that might help ease your burns.” He removed her socks and hung them on a branch. “Lift your T-shirt. Ah, it’s not too bad. Your skin is a little pink.” He broke the long leaves and spread the thick sap within over the pinked skin with gentle fingers.

  The tension bled from her muscles until she lay relaxed in front of him. He doctored her then replaced her socks and shirt. “We need to move. By my reckoning it should take us another two days to reach the mining village. We’ll be able to get transport from there.”

  She nodded.

  “I’ll carry you—at least until it becomes too dark to travel.”

  “I can walk.”

  “Kitten, you’ll slow us down. I can make better time carrying you.”

  “What was that stuff you put on my skin?”

  “I don’t know what it’s called here, but the plant looks like aloe, one we had on Earth.”

  “The advertising for the resort mentions that most of the employees are from Earth. Why did you leave?”

  “A virus was killing off our species. There were many deaths…including my fiancée, Lori.” Saber was quiet for a few long, painful moments. “After that, we made the decision to leave and find a new home where we’d be safe.” He lifted her into his arms, deciding to carry her in front of him, even though it was more awkward. Piggyback style was practical, but given her injuries, he thought this way would work best. Bluebird would alert them to any dangers.

  “I’m sorry for your loss,” she said quietly. She sighed. “So…which way are we going?”

  “A process of elimination. The cannibal troop is that way. The lava trail extends all the way down the side of the volcano. There’s another in the direction I went this morning, so we need to go into the jungle again.”

  “The lava is on the other side of the village too.”

  “Then definitely jungle it is,” Saber said.

  * * * * *

  Full darkness had descended when he decided to halt for the night. He stopped by a patch of ferns, checked them for safety and made a quick bed.

  “How are you feeling?”

  “Much better,” she said.

  “Do you want some fruit?”

  At her nod, he handed her a red apple-like fruit and one that seemed cousin to an Earth banana, despite its vivid pink color.

  “I need to reapply the plant juice,” he said.

  She nodded again, and her quietness disturbed him. He preferred her sassy insults, her quick mind, even her escape attempts to this silence.

  He tended to her then decided to do a quick reconnoiter before he rested. He stood and took only a few steps before Eva stopped him.

  “Wait! Where are you going?”

  “I want to check the vicinity, make sure there isn’t anything dangerous in the area. I can hear water. If it’s safe to drink I’ll bring some back for you.”

  “You won’t be long?”

  “I won’t be long,” he promised.

  * * * * *

  Eva started at every creepy jungle noise, and there were a lot of them. Give her the marketplace with its thieves and vagabonds any day. She could cope with the dangers in the market, was used to them even if they sometimes scared her. But this? In this place there was a different danger lurking behind every tree and bush. Weird creatures. Enormous creatures. Hungry creatures. Way too many beasties for her peace of mind.

  At this point, she was only alive because of Saber. True, it was his fault she was in this situation to begin with, but he’d tried to keep her safe. If it weren’t for him, the big bird would’ve eaten her the first day. One of the big birds.

  Beside her, Bluebird gave a whispery snore and she petted him, comforted slightly by the creature’s present. But she was still wide awake and mostly terrified when Saber returned. One moment he wasn’t there and the next he was. She jolted, almost letting loose a screech of terror.

  “Kitten, it’s me. It’s all right,” he crooned, his hand sliding over her head in a gesture of comfort.

  He was petting her again like she was Bluebird. The tension bled from her muscles. It felt good. Safe. “Sorry. I’m a bit jumpy.”

  “Understandable. Want some water?”

  “Please.” He was still tending to her. The thought brought back the need to cry. No one had ever looked after her before. Not even Pryce, her traitorous mind muttered.

  He held a makeshift vessel to her mouth, and the water was cool as it slid down her throat. “I’ll take you to the waterhole in the morning,” he said once she’d drunk her fill. “The cool water will help your skin and you’ll feel better after a wash.”

  “Thanks.” Still looking after her—which didn’t make sense if the Dearbhorgaills were responsible for her kidnapping.

  Saber settled beside her and she snuggled close to his warmth.

  “Why are you so desperate to get back to Dalcon?”

  Eva swallowed. She might as well tell him. She was having trouble deciding if he was good or bad, especially when he took such care to keep her alive. He’d saved her from Bone Nose. He could have left her to her fate.

  “I grew up in the market, and was lucky the people who looked after me were decent. Instead of working as a pickpocket, which I was lousy at, I toiled in a restaurant from an early age. I met Pryce at one of the market restaurants.” She let out a sound that masqueraded as humor. “That’s what the owners called it. The place was a single room with four rough tables and even rougher clientele. The saving grace was the food. The wife of the owner worked magic when she cooked, and she taught me.”

  Eva paused to marshal her thoughts, the darkness making it much easier to tell her tale. “I’d worked there for several years, waiting tables and cooking. The owners let me sleep in the restaurant after hours. I was safer than I’d been as a child, and while the work was hard, I was happy.

  “Pryce came into the restaurant one night. Although he’d dressed the same as our regular customers, he was different. His speech. His mannerisms. He stayed for hours, ordering and trying the entire range of dishes on our meager menu. When we were ready to close, he was still there. He asked to speak to the owners and offered to buy them out. He said he wanted to create a chain of restaurants, and they could continue running the place, but he’d want their help with the menus and food in the other restaurants. We were suspicious at first, because it was obvious he was wealthy, but even we were shocked when we discovered he was the son of the Dearbhorgaill family. We thought he was playing us, but the deal he offered was too good to refuse.”

  “You grew close,” Saber said.

  “Apart from Casey, he was the only friend I had. He kept his word
and the new restaurant he opened became very successful. He improved the original restaurant and made us all wealthy. Pryce had such plans. His parents pretty much ignored him until he became rich in his own right. They arranged a marriage for him, but he refused to go through with it. When they wouldn’t relent, he asked me to marry him. He said he loved me, had intended to court me properly, but marrying him quickly would both make him happy and get his parents off his back.”

  Eva paused, the quick slice of guilt a familiar one. Why couldn’t she have loved him? Pryce had deserved more.

  “He was your friend,” Saber said. “I’m sure you wanted to help, and I bet you were loyal, never cheated on him.”

  “No, I never cheated on him. His parents tried to accuse me of infidelity, but he didn’t believe them. He never believed anything they said about me. Pryce was a special man. He was also ambitious. He started negotiating to purchase a third restaurant. We had to organize a loan because it was a large-scale project.”

  Eva took a deep breath and sighed. “Before the documents were signed, Pryce was murdered in the market. They never caught the murdering bastard, but I know the Dearbhorgaills had something to do with his death. They told everyone it was because Pryce was wandering through the market at nightfall. That was a lie. No one in the market would touch him. He’d become one of us. He helped everyone. Brought us together in a way we’d never experienced before. He’d married me, yet he never expected me to change, to be anyone other than who I was.”

  “What about his family? I take it they’ve caused trouble since their son’s death? It’s in your tone.”

  “They tried to take his money, his restaurants, but Pryce had prepared for that. Unbeknownst to me, he’d put everything in my name, and I was to be awarded full control should he die under mysterious circumstances.”

  “They didn’t like that, I take it.”

  “No. They took me to court, but the judge tossed out their case. I wanted to complete the formalities on the new restaurant, but the bankers had mislaid the paperwork. We did new paperwork and they rejected my loan. Every official banker refused to loan me money. I found a private facility willing to complete the loan, but despite my research before signing, I failed to discover the Dearbhorgaills owned the company.”