Rayna's Sacrifice (The Katori Chronicles Book 3) by A. Lombardo (intellectual books to read .TXT) 📗

arms and legs ached from the riding and holding on to Kai. “What do we do now? Everywhere we turn, there are Beastmasters stalking us. Keegan is sure to find us.”

Ryker stretched his back. “I need to lead them away from you. Confuse them with new cross-tracks to hide our true trail.”

She breathed heavy. “What can I do?” She glanced down, noticing Kai stir. She knelt to touch his head and side. “Kai,” she jostled him, but he did not wake. “I cannot just sit here.”

“Keep him safe. With the sunlight fading, we will be difficult to spot from the sky. But those leopards you spotted will be coming. It will not take them long to discover our trail. I will double back the way we came, lead them away. Hide in these trees.” He stepped into the thicket with Kai.

Rayna’s stomach tightened as she watched Ryker transform and disappear into the night. Alone, she listened to the creatures of the night. Strange jungle bugs chirped, and other animals squeaked. A rustling noise sent her into the underbrush. On her knees, she hid and held her breath. Connecting to nature, she encouraged the vines to conceal her location. The smell of freshly stirred dirt mixed with a sweet fragrant flower. The vinea around her bloomed with bright white moonflowers.

Reaching to touch one, she heard another noise and lay on her belly beside Kai. Through the filtered moonlight, she spotted a strange creature scurry around the ground. It sniffed the air and weaved through the grass in her direction.

Their eyes met, and the animal froze. Sniffing the air, it ventured closer to her and her sleeping companion. It's long, sleek, fur-covered body was milky-white with a black mask, black feet, and a black-tipped tail. It had short legs and a round head with pointy ears on either side. Curious, it climbed into the vine-covered undergrowth.

The animal’s pungent smell reached her nose, and she scrunched up her face. Its beady black eyes blinked. It sniffed her and nosed closer to Kai. Rayna kept silent—she could not risk revealing her location to anyone nearby.

Up close, she decided it looked like a cat. Or a cross between a weasel and a cat, given its long body and fluffy tail. “Are you a daakoo, little bandit?” She had seen a sketch of one in a book, but in the low light, she could not be sure. She had no idea what they were capable of or if they were a threat.

When it let out a trill, followed by a few low whistles, Rayna smiled. It did not appear to be threatening. On the contrary, it was friendly. Then four more daakoo leaped through the vines. Each one circled closer. Three hopped on Kai and snuggled into his back, and the other two curled up around his neck. Kai groaned under the weight but did not wake.

She was about to shew them away when the daakoo began to purr and rub all over Kai. “Do you know he is a Beastmaster?” she whispered. Unsure what else to do, she kept quiet and held her nose. “You smell awful.” She waved her hand in front of her face to clear the stink.

Another louder noise caught her attention. The daakoo lowered their heads and hissed. “Shhh,” Rayna whispered.

Frightened, Rayna peered through the vines into the darkness. A rustling disturbed the vegetation. When the leopard stepped into the moonlight, she held her breath. The leopard sniffed the ground and walked in their direction. Unafraid, the daakoo slipped through the vines.

Angry barks and screams echoed into the night as the daakoo approached the leopard. Rayna watched the encounter. The leopard moved to avoid the daakoo stepping around it in the tall grass while keeping eye contact. A foul smell bloomed in the air and Rayna covered her face with her shirt collar.

The daakoo pack darted off the way Ryker had gone. Rayna lay holding her breath, partly out of fear, but mostly because of the smell. The leopard sniffed the air in every direction, but it was easy to tell he had lost the trail due to the daakoo scent. Unhappy with the situation, the leopard left the way it had come.

Rayna’s heart thumped in her throat. Thankful, the smell of the daakoo masked their scent and covered their trail. Fairly certain the leopard had been a Beastmaster, she could only hope it would not return. For now, she remained hidden–and grateful the smell had improved with the departure of the daakoo.

Beside her, Kai stirred and grabbed his head wincing in pain. Bleary-eyed, he stared at her. She was relieved to see him awake. Her face was near his, she could see the relief that she was with him. Moving onto his side, he massaged his ribs. A vine scratched his cheek as he tried to sit up. The action made his head swim and he fell back down.

Rayna whispered. “Keep still, Kai.”

“Where is Ryker?” he murmured, but before she could respond, he passed out once more.

Through the trees, a man darted into the clearing. “Rayna,” he called.

“This way Ryker. Over here.” Rayna answered, stepping out of the vines. “You were gone for hours, where did you go?”

“Beastmasters are everywhere. Keegan is here too. They have found the point where Kai crashed into the island as a dragon. Even with all my deception hunting tricks along our trail, they could still find us. We need to move into the mountains.”

“I saw a long dark ridge,” Rayna pointed, “back that way. Maybe there is a place to climb up or a cave to hide in.”

Ryker nodded. “Either way, we should get going.”

She wrapped her hand around the moonflower vine to create an opening. Kai moaned. “What is happening?” he asked.

“I am glad you are awake, Kai.” Ryker offered a hand up. “Can you move on your own?”

Kai rolled his head around to see Ryker. “I think so,” he stood and stumbled.

Ryker put his arm around Kai’s waist and his other under