The Invisible Planet

Part 56: Hold

Angeline crawled back into the corner behind the door, still clutching the knife. Drops of Takka's blood lay fresh on the floor. Despite the fact that he had attacked her, she felt guilty for having hurt him. The feeling of choking on her own blood from the TreeHugger's bite was still fresh in her memory.

The back door opened and she clamped her hand over her mouth, freezing in terror.

"It's alright, it's me," said Shay. "Come on."

She scrambled up and followed him out toward the forest, still clutching the knife. He stopped and took it out of her hands with a sideways glance, tucking it through his belt before he continued. "What in the Star's black sky possessed you to confess to Aster?" he asked.

"He deserves the truth, and— I was tired of lying. He and Marita already figured out I'm pregnant."

"Oh, well they figured out the thing you were supposed to tell them, may as well come clean about the stuff that'll make them want to string you up," he retorted.

"They've been calling me Annie since we got here because I lied about my name on Midelian," she explained.

"Because it's not possible to get Annie from An-geline."

"But he didn't know it's supposed to be Angeline. How am I supposed to have a baby with someone who doesn't even know my full name? Or that I killed someone?"

He gave her a confused look. "One of those is a tad more personal than the other. I really don't think anyone would fault you for keeping that second bit a secret."

"I told you."

"Well, I'm not one of the people stuck here because of it. I'd probably care a bit more if I was. You know, some of these people feel that the crash ruined their lives."

She didn't respond, clutching her clothes tightly to her chest.

"Nice reflexes, by the way," he remarked.

"What?"

"Getting the better of Takka like that. It's not easy to get the jump on one of us."

"I didn't mean to."

"That's probably why it worked. If you intended to attack, he would've known to dodge." He stepped to the side of the cove's entrance and gestured for her to enter first.

She hesitated. "What if there's something in there?"

"There's nothing there," he assured.

She took a wary step back and he sighed, shifting into the narrow path.

A smile crossed his face and he looked back at her. "You're going to have to pick a side, pretty soon. We won't be able to fit you in or out," he teased.

She rolled her eyes as she followed him.

He stepped out onto the path through the meadow of flowers and held up his hand for her to wait, pointedly surveying the area. "Would you look at that? Completely empty, as always," he ridiculed, shooting her a lighthearted glare.

She glared back. "How do I know none of them followed me?"

"Because I would've noticed," he answered. "I'm not going to let anything happen to you."

"Will you stay?" she asked.

He gave her a disappointed look. "You know I can't."

"Just this once. Please."

"Don't look at me like that. Come on." He led her toward the cave.

"Like what?" she asked.

"Like that, with your puppydog eyes," he said, ducking behind the waterfall. "I'm liable to do something stupid again."