Chapter 76: Chapter 76

Raven

^One Month Later^

“Is anyone out there?” Raven’s voice echoed into the portable radio.

From her high vantage point, all she got was static. Time was slipping away. The guys were losing patience with her constant excuses. She grabbed her pack and radio, and started her descent down the hill.

If she pushed herself, she could make another three miles before the sun set. But just as she was about to start, a rustling in the bushes stopped her in her tracks.

Half the creatures on this planet had already tried to kill her. She pressed herself against a tree and pulled out her weapon. Silently, she prayed that whatever was out there would just keep moving.

The snapping of branches grew louder as it approached. She muttered a curse under her breath and readied herself to strike. Once she was sure it was close enough, she lunged out, only to have a strong hand grip her wrist.

“It’s time to come home, Flower.”

“I just need to cover a—”

“We agreed, remember? If there were no leads, we’d leave,” Dhol interrupted.

How could she forget? But how could she give up now? Dhol took her pack from her shoulder and gave her a stern look. She knew what he was about to say: she needed to keep her promise.

Raven had every intention of doing so; she just needed a bit more time.

“The twins learned to roll over today, and Luka is crawling.” He smiled. “The wrong way, but he’s doing it, and you missed it,” he said, pulling out his device.

He showed her a recording of Laro and Arenk cheering them on. Kai and Ro rocked back and forth until they were on their backs. Luka was pushing himself around backward.

Raven couldn’t help but smile, even as a pang of sadness hit her for missing it.

“How much more are you willing to miss?” Dhol asked.

She rested her head against him. “Not another second. Let’s go.”

Every step back tugged at her heart, but she knew she was making the right choice. Tori would understand. She always put family first.

They were still a few miles from the ship when Dhol suddenly stopped the vehicle. Raven strained her ears to listen. It was too dark to see beyond the headlights. Nothing seemed out of place.

“What is it?” she asked, turning to Dhol.

“Something is out there.”

“Yeah, it’s a jungle, and it’s night. There are bound to be predators,” she said.

“It’s not an animal or a person. Something is watching us, following us,” he whispered.

Raven’s heart pounded as she stood up and poked her head out of the sunroof, hoping to catch a glimpse or be seen. She pulled out the radio.

“Is anyone out there?” she asked.

Static was her only response. Just as she was about to toss the radio in the back seat, the static broke.

“I’m thirsty,” a male voice crackled through.

She and Dhol exchanged a look. Before she could respond, he snatched the receiver from her. Raven kneeled in the seat to reach over his head, but he held it out of reach.

“That doesn’t sound like a woman. We don’t know who that is, what he wants, or if there are more of them,” Dhol said.

“It’s the only lead we’ve had,” she said, taking back the radio. “We need to follow it.”

They locked eyes in a silent standoff that he quickly conceded. He scratched his head and sighed.

“Fine.”

Raven took a deep breath and lifted the mic.

“We have water and food. Come out. Maybe we can help each other,” she said.

Static was her only reply. Maybe it was a code of some sort, but what was she supposed to say?

The only thing that came to mind was the last cryptic message her sister had sent before she vanished.

“The cup never empties,” Raven said.

“36 degrees, 41’12.5” North 8 degrees, 6’ 5.7” West,” the man said before the line went dead.

His accent was unfamiliar. Raven tossed the radio to the backseat, her heart pounding in her chest.

Dhol cursed under his breath and called back to the ship, relaying what had happened. After a quick discussion and vote, Dhol and Raven were headed to the coordinates given by the mystery voice.

“I still think this is a mistake,” he said.

“You’ve made that very clear, but this is the only lead we’ve had. Please understand,” she said.

“I understand, Raven, but you—” He slammed on the brake.

Raven’s head hit the dash. She shot him a glare, then noticed his attention was focused on something in front of them. Leaning forward, she saw a dark figure emerging from the bushes.

He wasn’t human, nor was he from the guys’ planet. The man was human height, but his skin was as dark as space, adorned with gold swirls.

His clothes were unlike anything she had seen before. Animal fur lined the collar of his jacket and his boots.

His eyes were just as dark as he approached her door.

Raven extended her hand. “Hi, I’m—”

He grabbed her wrist, pulling Raven from her seat. Dhol was quick to grab the man’s arm before he could pull her out of the vehicle. The sound of a gun being cocked echoed through the night air.

To their left and in front, two more men had weapons aimed at them. Those were definitely human.

“Let’s take it easy here, fellas.” Raven smiled. “We just had—”

Raven stopped speaking when she noticed what the man was looking at. It was her gold bracelet.

“Where did you get this?” he asked, his English rough and unfamiliar.

“My sister. Have you seen this or her? Where are you—”

“Let me go.” The mystery man glared at Dhol.

“How about you stop pointing guns at us and let me go first,” Raven countered.

He turned his attention back to Raven and studied her for a moment before waving to his group. Their weapons slowly lowered, and the man released her arm.

Dhol released the man’s wrist and settled back into his seat.

“Both of you, in the back,” he commanded.

“Sure thing,” Raven replied, earning a sharp glance from Dhol.

They both climbed into the backseat with one of the men, while the other two took the front. The ride was quiet and seemed to stretch on forever.

Raven’s thoughts began to drift, and she started to question if this was a wise decision, especially when they arrived at a heavily fortified village and drove through the gate.

The village was bustling with men, women, children, and elders. The vehicle came to a halt, and the three men guided them to a grand house perched on a hill.

The hill offered a panoramic view of the entire village. It was probably the residence of their leader. Raven’s legs ached from the day’s journey, but she pushed the discomfort aside.

Two of the men held the double doors open for them. What Raven saw next made her heart skip a beat. Humans. She saw humans. They rose to their feet and greeted her with warm smiles.

One woman was Asian, and the other Hispanic, but neither of them was Tori. The two women rushed over and enveloped her in a hug. Raven found herself hugging them back.

It was an indescribable feeling.

“Raven?” a familiar voice inquired.

Her head jerked up, and a chill ran down her spine. The two women stepped aside. Raven would recognize her anywhere.

She had the same dark, curly hair, light brown eyes, and a mole under her left eye. Was this a dream? Had she actually died in the forest from a gunshot wound to the head?

Her throat tightened, and tears welled up in her eyes. They moved towards each other at a snail’s pace, as if they might vanish into thin air.

Once they were within arm’s reach, Raven extended her hand, and the woman took it, their fingers intertwining. Raven pulled her close and held on tight.

“Tori.”

^End of Book One^