The shout escaped from Sunny spontaneously, and she watched, eyes wide with horror, as the knife sank deep into the centre of Kilnor's chest, and he crumpled. She screamed his name, the sound wrenching from her chest. His golden eyes met hers, holding her gaze for an endless second, before they fell closed.
All the breath felt as if it rushed from Sunny in one go, and she began to gasp and pant, her breathing ragged.
This couldn't be happening. Kilnor could not have fallen. Any second he would open his eyes and again stagger to his feet, continuing to slice at the Olcen until they all were dead, and then they were going to find a way off this planet, and she was going to find a home with him. He was supposed to be hers forever.
In the distance, something rumbled. The Olcens that had managed to down Kilnor grunted unhappily to each other, and then left, disappearing quickly into the trees. Sunny barely noticed the sound nor the Olcen's leaving in her haste to climb down the tree and reach Kilnor.
Her haste caused her to miscalculate some of her descent, and she scraped the side of her face against the rough bark of one branch and slammed her collarbone into another. She just managed to avoid dislocating her right shoulder as she swung down from the last branch. Her knees buckled as she landed, but she managed to remain upright as she stumbled the few feet to Kilnor's side.
He was awfully still, his limbs crumpled and his skin bloody.
"No..." Sunny moaned faintly, and when her knees again buckled, she could not find the strength or the will to remain standing. She dropped to the ground next to him.
She was oblivious to the rumbling sound growing louder and louder, whatever it was making the noise coming closer.
The knife still stuck out of Kilnor's chest. Shaking, she lowered her hand to his face, cupping his cheek in her hand. He was still warm, still faintly clinging to life, but there was nothing Sunny could do.
A small vehicle flew through a gap in the trees behind her, entering the small clearing. It shined silver, all sleek lines as it hovered a few feet off the ground. It slowed to a stop, settling onto the ground with a thud.
Again, Sunny didn't notice. She held Kilnor's face between her hands.
"I'm sorry," she mouthed, but no sound escaped. "I'm so sorry."
Once more, her eyes fell on the knife in his chest.
A soft whoosh of motion was the only sound that indicated that a door had opened on the hovering vehicle behind her
It was an affront to nature, that knife. Nothing, nothing, should have been able to hurt Kilnor like that. The thought ran through Sunny's mind on repeat, and she steeled herself, reaching down to pull it out.
It slid free with a sickening squelch, that was only partly obscured by the sound of thundering footsteps.
That was the first non-Kilnor-centric sound to attract Sunny's notice, and her head spun wildly to face it. The sight was so unexpected she gasped again in shock.
Miotalans ran towards her.
They reached her just as that fact fully registered in her mind, and yet, she sat there frozen. She could hear them shouting between themselves. Someone large and coppery ran past her, what looked like a medical bag clutched in his hand. Rough hands grabbed her around the biceps, hauling her to her feet.
Sunny let them, her entire body feeling limp. The adrenaline from the earlier fear was beginning to recede, but Kilnor still lay crumpled on the ground.
YOU ARE READING
Heart of Gold
Romance"Two moons, she thought wondrously. Scientists and astronomers alike would kill to see such a sight, and all it had taken was being kidnapped by aliens and dragged halfway across the universe to be sold at a slave market." "I have never heard of a...
