Ice Planet Barbarians (Ice Planet Barbarians, #1)(55)

What if he gets hurt? What if he . . . dies? My heart clenches at the thought. In such a short period of time, I’ve come to care for him more than I like to admit, even to myself.

I don’t want to be here if Vektal is not.

A gigantic head rises over the trees. I suck in a breath, staring in horror. There’s a thing with four glowing blue eyes, two sets stacked on top of one another. It’s got enormous tusks and is covered in long, grayish shaggy fur. It gives another high-pitched roar and lumbers forward, the ground shaking. It’s taller than all the trees, and as it moves past, I see long, twiggy legs with wide feet pushing through the snow. An alien hunter hangs off of one side, clinging to a spear sticking through the creature’s flank.

“Holy shit,” Liz says. “What the hell is that?”

“I think it’s a sa-kohtsk,” I say, feeling faint. It looks like a Macy’s Parade float with legs. And they’re going to kill that thing? Dear God. Be careful, Vektal, I send out quietly. More of the men run past, chasing after it with spears. I try to pick out Vektal in the group, but I don’t see him. He doesn’t carry a spear, only knives and a sling, and the thought fills me with dread.

“I wish I had a bow,” Liz says as we stare at the creature lumbering past.

“That’s random,” Kira comments, her tone awed. We can’t take our eyes off the sa-kohtsk.

“I was a champion archer when I was a teenager,” Liz comments. “Though I don’t know if I could shoot that thing.”

“Huh,” is all Kira says.

I stride forward through the snow as the creature lumbers away from the trees, the hunters chasing it. Where is Vektal? Where? I follow behind in the distance as the men harass it with spears.

The creature bellows again, and his head swings low, dipping toward the ground. An alien grabs one of the jutting tusks, and as the creature jerks his head back, the man goes flying onto the creature’s head, barely holding on. I suck in a breath as I recognize the graceful movements and the long, fluttering black hair. Vektal. My hand goes to my mouth, and I press my fingers against my lips so I don’t scream in fright.

Please don’t get killed for me, I think. Please.

I watch as he gracefully flips to his feet atop the monster’s head. It swings back and forth, trying to dislodge him, but Vektal’s holding on tight. He pulls something from his vest —a bone blade, I think—and raises it high into the air.

With a battle cry, he plunges it downward, and the creature screams and writhes in pain. Behind me, a few of the women choke out cries of their own. I’m breathless as Vektal raises the knife and slams it home over and over again, driving it into the creature’s eye.

With a final gurgle, the creature staggers. It takes one step forward and then collapses. The ground shudders with the force of it, and I can’t help but rush forward to Vektal. I push through the thick, knee-high snow, ignoring my exhaustion. I have to get to him, to know he’s all right.

When I do, I see he’s covered in blood and gore from the creature, wiping his face clean on one edge of his vest. He grins at me, and it’s so boyish and did-you-see-me that I choke back my sob and fling my arms around his neck. “You scared the shit out of me,” I babble in English, not caring that he’s getting my new clothing all gunked up.

“Georgie?” he asks, patting my back. “Are you well?”

“I am now,” I answer in his language. “That was scary as hell.”

“They are strong,” he admits. “But not so strong that I would not bring one down for you and the humans.”

“Just as long as this is not a regular occurrence,” I tell him.

His hand touches my belly, and there is warmth in his shining eyes. “We will need one for our kit, and I will gladly do so.”

“All right, all right,” I grumble. “So what now?”

He presses a kiss to my forehead. “Now, we get the khui. Gather the women.”

My stomach drops at the thought, but I force myself to nod. If they risked their lives to get us the symbionts, the least we can do is hold up our end of the bargain, since it’s for us anyhow.

I go to Tiffany’s side and help her walk, trying to seem more confident about this than I really am. If I freak out, so will the other humans. I need to be cool, calm, and collected about things.

I manage to remain cool, calm, and collected for all of five minutes as we gather nearby. The men are watching us avidly, hope and hunger both in their eyes. I ignore them, focusing on the gigantic fallen sa-kohtsk. The long, spindly legs are splayed, and the fat belly of the creature sticks out. I look for something that resembles a remoraplease please don’t look like a remora—but the thick, bushy coat of the creature hides anything that might be living against the skin.

“Where are the khui?” I ask, since the men seem to be waiting for the humans to say something.

“Inside,” Vektal says. He moves forward and touches my jaw. “Are you ready, my Georgie?”

Oh God. I don’t know that I am. I swallow hard. “Let’s do this.”

He nods and pulls his longest, thickest blade out of the sheath at his belt. I brace myself as he sets the tip of the blade against the creature’s belly. In a swift motion, he sinks it deep and then begins to cut. Blood gushes and dribbles out of the wound, and someone behind me makes a choking sound. There’s a sickly, coppery smell in the air, and I force myself to ignore it.