The Island (The Madion War Trilogy #1)

Chapter Four, Part IV - Galian

Was I slightly nervous to be exposing my back to a Raven soldier? I'm not going to lie and say I was completely okay with it. After a while, I relaxed. But I did not sleep.

The day's events finally came washing over me in a delayed-response slow motion. From my first air battle to being shot out of the sky to finding Theo nearly dead in her ship. And I'd saved her, I'd given her my blood, the very same person who'd tried to kill me. And now we were stuck on this island together, relying on each other to make it until morning, or until the Kylaen air patrol found us.

I mulled her words. She was so sure the Kylaens would be the aggressors, shooting her on sight or taking her prisoner. Did she really have such a low opinion of my people?

This girl, this pilot, this soldier, she was an enigma to me. I had never met another person—female or otherwise—so intense and closed off. Every move she made seemed to be a calculation of her survival rate, and the odds never seemed to be in her favor. Rave was a hard country to grow up in, but to see one of its citizens up close, made it clear just how hard it was for them.

My pity for her grew as I thought about all the hardships she must have endured to get to this point. And yet, for all her gruffness, I did think she had a good soul, somewhere deep down.

When I turned over to glance back at her, she'd nodded off. I sat up and shook my head. So she wasn't completely infallible after all. I walked over and crouched down in front of her, waiting for her to wake up and bark some derogatory order at me. When she didn't even flinch, I gathered her in my arms and carried her to the makeshift shelter. After I laid her down, she curled into a ball, looking much calmer, and more peaceful than she had all day.

Desperately wishing for coffee or a book or something to pass the time, I settled for sitting next to the fire and watching this enigmatic Raven girl sleep.