RETH

"Just rest brother," Reth rasped. "Conserve your breath."

The bird's face crumpled and he shook his head. "They're c-coming. C-could see... Run. Th-they're s-slow. T-trees anda€| watera€| east. Phyo w-will spread w-worda€”" He cut off, eyes widening and his body beginning to shake.

Reth put his arm around the male as he whimpered.

"C-can't sh-shift."

"Shhhh, quiet, brother. Don't use your air."

"D-dyinga€| Reth. D-don't l-leave me for thema€| p-pleasea€|"

Reth, horrified, pulled back to meet the male's eyes.

Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, but much faster from his side. He grimaced, groaning in pain. His legs weren't moving. Creator's light!

"P-please, Reth."

Reth dropped his head for a moment to gather his control. He wanted to roar. He wanted to find these humans and launch his beast at them. Eat them alive. He trembled with the fear and the fight of it all. But the male shuddered and a tiny cry of fear seeped from his throat.

"P-pleasea€| Retha€| p-please."

Screwing his eyes tightly shut, Reth wrapped his arms around the male's head and pulled him into his chest.

"The Creator bless you for keeping us safe," he whispered, his breath catching in his throat and making the final words a croak. "You will fly with Him in paradise tonight, brother. Thank you. I will not forget you."

The bird sobbed as Reth flattened his hands to either side of the male's skull and twisted his neck in one, sharp jerk.

His body went stiff, jolting as if electricity coursed through him, then he slumped. Reth held him for a moment longer, praying, crying, pleading with the Creator to take him and keep him.

Then, unwilling to meet the bird's unseeing eyes, he rolled and crawled as fast as he could back to Elia, his heart jumping in his chest, erratic and painful.

When he reached her, she'd found her breath and was peering at him, lying flat on her stomach and peering at him from over the side of the hammock.

He rushed to her, gripping her hand.

"Is hea€”?"

Reth shushed her. "Can you run?" he rasped.

To his eternal relief, she nodded.

He raised his head again to look in all directions. He couldn't hear or see humans in any direction. Were they obscured by their technology, or too far away?

The bird had said there was cover to the westa€”and he could indeed see dark mounds in the distance.

"Come, Love. As fast as you can. Run."

Then, staying low, he pushed to his feet, helped her up and they began to run.

*****

RIKA

Rika and Reece were both seated on folding chairs inside a square, white tent. Rika recognized it as one of the tents they usually used for equipment or cooking spaces, but here there was nothing in it but a large folding table set with different devices, notebooks, and pens.?

Rika sighed and tugged at the bonds around her wrists again. She knew all she was doing was creating scrapes on her skin, but she couldn't seem to stop fighting it. Her heart raced and slammed against her ribs, her mind screaming in panic. She was bound. She was held. By men.?

She had to get out of here.

The men who had brought them there had disappeared, but she could hear them talking outside the tent and the wider noises of the camp beyond. They'd been blindfolded when they were brought inside the masking, which had just about tipped Rika over the edge. She was grateful they didn't keep the masks on when they'd come in here.?

"Just breathe," Reece said softly. "You need to slow your heart rate. Breathe in through your nose for a count of five and out through your mouth just as slowly as you can. See if you can time with me." Then he started breathing, deep and slow.?historical

She glanced at him from the side but did as he said and tried to follow him for several breaths.?

He nodded. "Your heart's a little slower now."

"Thank you," she said quietly. "I have a panic thinga€| very inconvenient. How do you know about breathing exercises?"

Reece shrugged. "I might have panicked myself a few times over the years."

She was going to ask, but then the tent flap behind them snapped back and three men strode in. One was the guy who'd been in charge of the soldiers that brought them in. She didn't recognize the other two. They all wore the fatigues of the soldiers who had taken them into custody, but the guy in front walked with the air of authority that Rika recognized.?

"Rika Cooper," he said, tapping on a tablet that looked small in his hands. "We thought we'd lost you."?

She nodded quickly. "Me too," she said breathlessly, which wasn't faked. "Buta€| who are you?"

He looked up from the tablet and met her eyes, his face expressionless. "I'm Jared Stockton. I'm leading this mission. And you are someone I was tasked with finding while I was here."

"Wella€| mission accomplished, I guess," she laughed nervously.

He raised an eyebrow. "Can you give me your employee number, just so I can confirm your identity?"

Rika snorted. "You think another human snuck into Anima to impersonate me?"

He looked at her flatly, and Rika sighed and rattled off her number, trying to make it sound like she was much more comfortable than she actually was.?

"Very good," Jared said, tapping on the screen of his device.?

"Great. Can you untie me now? You're kicking my anxiety into high gear."

Jared looked at her again, his head tilted to the side. "Being in the hands of animals didn't do that?"

"Of course it did!" she snapped. "That's my point! I thought I was going to come here and things would get better!"

"They likely will," Jerad said tonelessly. "But given the number of surprises we've had in the past two days, you'll forgive me if I ask for your patience. Now, who is this?" he said, tipping his head to Reece, his eyes glinting. "He's definitely not one of ours."

*****?

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