Regali (A Walker Saga) (7 page)

I shook it off
. I needed to focus. Time to get the fourth girl.

I was trying very hard to breathe, but I was pretty sure there was no air on Regali. Where there should be oxygen it seemed there was water, that’s how dense the air was. We’d just stepped free of Colton’s doorway into a reasonably clear place in the jungle. This spot was courtesy of Magenta’s memory of Regali. I did wonder if she could be trusted not to send us straight into whatever natural dangers existed here. But so far the only thing that looked to be killing us was the moisture in the air.

“If I knew we were going to a sauna, I’d have worn a bikini
,” Lucy huffed out. “And I’ll be the first to say holy eff.”

I looked around. “Word. So any ideas how we’re going to move through this jungle?”

I felt extremely small and insignificant at that moment. The trees surrounding us were massive, spanning high into the sky. And the canopy was so thick that I couldn’t even see the color above. There were smaller plants as well. In fact the entire area looked impenetrable from the round clearing we were standing in. Blue streams of light filtered through the leaves, but it was dim under the canopy.

“Have you ever seen such a beautiful color?” Lucy had moved a little away from us and she was crouched down.

I stepped over behind her to peer over her shoulder. And that’s when I saw the sight that had Lucy enthralled.

They were purple open-budded flowers, growing in small, tight bunches around the edge of a tree. The purple was not any old ordinary color
. It was light lilac with a pearly sheen streaking the petals.

I had to move closer also
. There was something fascinating about the beauty of this plant. I reached out a hand to touch them.

I heard the shouted warning from behind
, but it was too late.

Lucy, who was closer, reached them first. Her hand had only just brushed along the stem when the thorns emerged from
their hiding place.

“Ouch
!” she cried out, withdrawing her hand.

Her cry had been enough for me to halt halfway to the flower
. I managed to avoid the large spikes.

“Are you okay?” Colton was
beside us. He reached out to take Lucy’s limp hand.

“I’m not sure.” Her voice wavered. “It doesn’t hurt too much
, but I feel a little strange.”

“We need to move now.” Brace’s voice was low. “Someone
’s coming.”

“We need to make sure Lucy
’s okay first,” Colton shot back.

And then she fainted
. I caught her head before it hit the ground.

“What happened to her?” I bit out.

This couldn’t be from shock. The thorns had only left two small punctures.

Brace reached out and
, managing to avoid the hidden thorns, snatched one of the flowers from the bunch. He brought it close to his nose.

“It has a scent
; it’s bitter,” he said. “I’m guessing there’s poison laced in these thorns.”

I couldn’t help the gasp which escaped. “What do we do then? We have no idea what the poison is and how to counter it.”

Colton reached down and pulled Lucy up into his arms. “We have to find a local. They’ll be the only ones with knowledge about what we’re dealing with.”

Brace placed both hands on my friend’s chest, above her heart. He muttered a few words, despite the glare Colton level
ed on him.

“I
’ve slowed her heart down, just a little, which will give us more time before the poison spreads.”

I stood on tiptoes to give him a hard kiss. “Thank you.
Now let’s find a Regali native.”

“No need to go anywhere,” Brace said, “someone
’s above us right now.”

I remember
ed him saying that before. I glanced up into the canopy. The trees were a multitude of colors, from the standard green to burnt reds, olives, browns and even some black. They looked diverse and dangerous. As if time had not touched this world. But they also looked like they would be great camouflage for anyone hiding.

“Hello
,” I screamed up. “Please, we need some help; my friend has been hurt.”

There was a slight rustling but no
one moved into my view.

“Can you see them?” I asked Brace
, who was also peering up.

His brow furrowed. “I think I’m seeing something, but I’m not sure it’s right.”

“Get your ass down here, or I’m coming up and things are going to get very messy.” Colton was practically growling. His voice had lowered into a register not usually accessible to humans.

The rustling sounded again, closer than before. I spun once
, but there was nothing behind me. Well, nothing I could see. My heart rate sped up. Not only were we facing these unknown Regali inhabitants, but Lucy was still unconscious. And I didn’t like the pale nature of her face. She was losing color at a rapid rate.

“Brace
, now!” Colton barked the order at him.

And despite the fact he was the new Princeps of Abernath
, he obeyed his friend without question or even a glare. I blinked once and Brace was gone. Almost immediately the noises started in earnest around us: screeches, falling debris and this odd thumping beat.

“How is she?” I asked Colton, my words tense.

“Pulse is weak.” He wiped at her brow. “She’s cold and her skin is leaking fluid.”

Typical Walker, unused to the frailties of a normal human body. Cold and sweaty didn’t sound like a good combination. I caught a flash of white in the upper trees
. It looked like Brace’s shirt. Suddenly a large branch was visible over our heads, falling at a rapid rate. Colton was ten times faster than me, shoving me clear and still managing to move and stay on his feet with Lucy.

I landed on my hands and knees about three feet from where I’d stood. The leaves and thin branches had crashed onto my legs and for a moment I was trapped. I struggled and was just about to wiggle free when a thump landed in front of my downturned face. Two objects moved into my vision. I lifted my head slowly, wondering if I
was seeing correctly. I was pretty sure the objects were feet, but they weren’t human.

“Abby, you have to move now.” Colton words blasted through me
.

I managed to jag my legs free and rolled to the left as a pair of heavy hands came down near my face.

Hands that matched the feet. They were paws, like those of a large lion, but they were clearly bipedal.

I lifted my head to take in the entire image.

It was furry. A short dense golden-colored fur covering its entire body. It was male – the fur partially concealed it’s very obvious male genitalia – but nothing short of pants would fully hide it. I quickly continued up to the face. He was half lion, half humanoid. Such a strange but perfect combination of human and beast. Growls dribbled from his throat. He bared his mouth of razor-sharp teeth at me.

“Wait
!” I yelled, sensing he was ready to pounce on me. “We’re not your enemy.”

The very bright green eyes regarded me for a moment. He was intelligent and fiercely beautiful in a very primitive way. A few more growls emerged
. They almost sounded like talking.

I held my hands up in front of me, and when he didn
’t attack I slowly unfolded my legs and moved into a crouch, then up to standing. All the while my eyes remained locked on the lion-man.

“So I’m going on the assumption that you don
’t speak English.”

With a flicker of his tail – yes
, he had a tail – he was suddenly gone.

“Are you okay, Red?” Colton, using Brace’s nickname for me, shouted from across the large branch that separated us.

“Fine. How’s Lucy?” More importantly.

“She’s holding on.” He shifted his head, looking around. “Do you know where Brace went?”

I opened our bond.

Brace, you okay
, jungle man?

Warm laughter crossed my mind.

I’m a little tied up at the moment. Apparently their queen controls the vines, because they have me wrapped up tight.

I couldn’t help the laugh that escaped.

Are you telling me the big bad Princeps of Abernath is tangled in some plants and can’t get himself free?

He growled at me.

Gee, everyone wanted to growl at me today.

She has energy power
. I could fight her, but then we’d have every inhabitant of this jungle on our asses. That wouldn’t be helpful.

He paused for a moment.
And I’m still badass.

I laughed again, cutting it off at the thump in front of me.

Another lion – I looked down quickly – woman this time – was standing before me. She had a huge mane, much taller around her face than the male one.

“Who are you?”

I sighed in relief. Her words were low and growled, but I managed to understand the rough English.

“We need your help
. My friend was pricked by the thorns on your purple flowers.” I spoke slowly, pointing down to the many plants which lined the path.

“You speak tongue of the gods.” Her gray-green eyes flicked to her left
.

Colton was moving toward us. Lucy was deathly pale
. If I hadn’t been able to hear the faint thump-thump of her heartbeat I would have suspected we were too late.

“I am Klea, a
leon and royal guard.”

The lion-woman – Klea – drew my attention again.

“Only our Queen can help your friend, but I do not trust you.”

“Klea, always with the overprotecting. You know I am safe.” Lyrical words rang out from the large bushes around us.

I watched in amazement as the greenery parted and out stepped the most stunningly beautiful woman I’d ever seen. She was taller than I was, her skin a tawny golden color. Her hair looked like it almost reached her calves, a silky brown in a shade darker than her skin, with green ivy patterns spanning all the way.

And the eyes
– unbelievable. They were violet-colored, shaped into an exotic slant. She was dressed in a two-piece outfit that I was pretty sure was a patchwork of leather and plant.

When she s
tepped free of the plants, she looked like she was gliding across the mossy ground, her bare feet treading gently.

“Place her on the ground.” The Queen
’s musical voice echoed again.

She stopped at Colton’s side, Klea moving in to stand protectively at her back.

Colton crouched to gently lay Lucy on the soft green ground covering. The woman reached behind to carefully pluck up a purple flower.

She leaned her head over it. “Thank you for your sacrifice
,” she murmured.

I hovered closer as she opened Lucy’s pale lips
. Then she tilted the flower and a few drops of liquid fell from the center of the bud into my friend’s mouth.

“This
calia flower holds the power of death and life. Very few would think that which poisons could also save,” the Queen said.

Lucy started to cough
. She wrinkled her nose and I gasped as pink flooded back into her features. It was as if she’d been a wax statue suddenly brought to life.

“Your friend will be fine.” The Queen regarded me solemnly
, her eyes roaming my features. “I am Ria. I must say I am surprised to find strangers in my jungle. Why have you come?”

I opened my mouth to answer, but slammed it shut again as a bunch of vines dropped down in front of me. From the center emerged a black-eyed but still semi-smiling Brace.

“Sorry about that. You were too strong to fight. I only wanted to calm you down,” Ria addressed him. Her tone of voice was so soothing; everything about her exuded tranquility.

“No problem
,” he said shortly.

I could tell he understood and was fine with what
had happened in the trees.

“Are you okay?” Colton’s soft words had me spinning my head back to Lucy.

Her eyes were open. She was staring up into his face.

“Why am I on the ground?”
she asked. “What happened?”

“Don’t touch the purple flowers
,” I said with a grin.

Now that she was okay, things felt much more relaxed.

“They’re a lot like you: pretty on the outside and deadly under the petals.”

She laughed as she struggled up to a sitting position. Colton moved back then
, some of the warmth and concern he’d displayed disappearing. Ria was the one to help Lucy to her feet.

“Holy hotness,” Lucy said as she looked between me and
the Queen. “Usually, Abbs, I think you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen, but she might have you beat.”

I nodded. “Oh
, yeah, she’s kicking my butt in the hot scale.” I could admit it; no use denying the truth.