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nIf you like music while you’re reading, try “Walk Through the Fire” by Zayde Wolf Ruelle. It’s what I listened to while writing the next couple chapters!

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n~ SASHA ~

nA few days after they moved positions, Sasha sat in their little cave-hollow, shrouded by tree branches and bushes Zev had found and pulled closer to give them more insulation. He’d gone hunting—he was always so scared to leave her, she had to promise not to move from the cave until he came back.

nThe humans still hadn’t found them, though there continued to be daily arrivals of new people, and others leaving. Hundreds of humans were in Thana—and the glimpses Zev had gotten of those leading the mission, they were frustrated and angry.

nIt was beginning to become clear to them that the Chimera really had escaped, either leaving Thana or hiding successfully.

nThough the activity for searches continued, both Zev and Sasha felt like the Team were losing their intensity, and hoped they would soon stop. They’d cleared the land for miles around the village and City. Zev grieved the Creatures, but prayed that his message to Horton had gotten through and those that were being stubborn had decided to leave. He couldn’t risk moving into that area and being discovered. 𝓷𝑜𝐯𝔢𝓵𝓊𝓈𝑏.𝑐𝑂𝓂

nThough he knew he could evade a person or even large groups of people. Their technology could see and detect things that their human senses couldn’t. Though Zev doubted this many people all had the technology to detect him, he couldn’t know which of them did. It was just too risky.

nSo, they’d hunkered down on this little plateau above the Gateway cave and were waiting the humans out.

nSasha got tenser every day when the number of humans using the Gateway didn’t ease. Zev was almost certain that they had guards posted in the cave itself, out of sight. He was concerned that when it was time for them to go, he’d have to kill again—

nand even if they avoided other eyes and got into the Gateway, their presence would be noted as soon as the bodies were discovered.

nSasha had told him not to think about that yet. That they’d face it when the time came. But it niggled at her more than she wanted to admit.

nShe’d smiled a genuine smile because Zev was flirting and it felt so normal. So him. She hadn’t felt that from him in so long. They’d made love since they came to this cave, but it was always with a desperate edge, as if it might be the last time.

nIt was such a relief to see his playful side emerge again. It gave her hope.

nAnd then he’d turned his attention to playing her body like a musical instrument, and her attention had shifted to keeping herself quiet.

nSasha blushed, remembering. Then shook it off. There was nothing but frustration to be found sitting there, alone, in the dark, with that train of thought. She needed to wait until he came back before she let herself fall into that.

nBut she would. She hoped he came back in a good mood.

nSasha sighed. They’d had so much time alone the past three or four weeks, it should have been such a special time. Time truly in private. If there hadn’t been so much danger, if they didn’t have a baby to save, she’d never want to leave.

nAs always, that thought gave her pain in her chest.

nThey had a baby. And he was utterly alone. Growing and developing without the safety of her body. Without her voice and Zev’s to orient every new awareness.

nThe Team had stolen that from all of them, and Sasha grieved it. And it made her rage.

nBut they were going to do something about it. She set her jaw and glared at the dark.

nThose bastards, Nick, Nathan, Horace, the rest of the Board… they could all suffocate in their own urine as far as she was concerned.

nNothing was going to stop her from getting her child out of their hands. Nothing.

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