“Something like that,” she blushes. “But when I crash-landed here, I was worried there was some sort of tracking device on the pod. If Stremon could figure out how to track my ship, he’d be able to find me.”
“Doesn’t look like he’s found you yet,” I shrug. “You should be safe enough here, sweetheart.”
“That’s just the thing, though, Ezra. He’s a bounty hunter. He’s a hunter, like you, except he hunts people. And Ezra? He doesn’t fight fair. If Stremon manages to find me, he’s going to kill me, and he’s going to make it hurt.”
She shivers, and I wish I could take away her fear.
Maybe I can, even just a little.
I stop moving and turn to her, cupping her face in my hands.
“I will protect you, Dagger. No matter what happens, I will protect you.”
Chapter 12
Dagger
We walk until we reach a place where the jungle ends and we’re surrounded by more water. There are large rocks jutting from the surface every few feet. On the other side of this water, I can see more trees, more jungle, but the water stretches from left to right as far as I can see.
“How do we get across?” I ask Ezra.
“Those,” he points to the rocks. “We’ll climb. Don’t worry,” he adds when he notices my terrified face. “It’s no problem, sweetheart. I’ve done this a million times.”
“What are you hunting, anyway? Can’t you just get one of the wild animals we heard last night?”
“I’m looking for fereers. While their nests can be in any environment, they’re notoriously hard to find. Across this water is the only known area for fereers to live and raise their young. We’re guaranteed to find some here.”
“You sound like a salesman,” I groan, but I take his hand and allow myself to be led to the water’s edge. I peer down. Like the lake we swam in earlier, this water is clear. It’s like looking through a piece of glass.
Unlike the lake, however, this water is very deep and houses all sorts of monsters and creatures. I can see them beneath the surface, swimming there, and it frightens me.
“Do those bite?” I ask, pointing at one particularly long, purple fish-thing.
“Of course they bite. Don’t fall in the water. They’ll eat you before I can get to you.”
“I’ll do my best,” I whisper, but I’m not so sure this is a good idea.
It kind of seems like a terrible idea.
Ezra produces a sort of harness thing from his bag and puts it on me. He puts one on himself, too, and then he attaches a rope that will hold us together.
“But if I fall into the water, won’t I drag you down, too?” I ask.
“No, but even if you did, there are worse ways to die than by the side of a beautiful woman.” I’m not sure what to say to that. Ezra always knows exactly what to say to make me feel beautiful, sweet. He always knows exactly what to say to make me feel perfect.
I don’t think I’ve ever felt as accepted as I do when I’m with him, and I don’t want the feeling to end. I never want this to end. I don’t want my friendship, my romance, my whatever-it-is with Ezra to end.
So I take a deep breath and I follow him to the first rock.
“I’ll go first,” he says. “Look,” he points to the edge of the rock, close to the surface of the water. “There’s a small ledge on each rock and there are places up high to grip. Move slowly, okay? Don’t rush. Just hold on and move carefully. Watch your feet. You won’t be able to put your entire foot on the ledge, but that’s all right.”
“I think I can do this,” I say, looking at the rock. It’s huge, but if Ezra says it’s going to be okay, then I trust him. I know he won’t do anything to hurt me or risk my life.
“Of course you can,” he kisses me. “You’ve got this, baby.”
Ezra goes first. Despite his huge size, his enormous stature, he makes standing on the ledge of the rock look easy. He points to the holes up high where he grips the rock with his hand. Then he moves over a little.
There’s plenty of slack on the rope, but it’s time for me to join him. I try not to think about what’s going to happen if I fall into the water, and I reach for the first rock. I can do this. I have to do this.