She was weightless, floating in the void. Or so it felt until her body slammed into something firm yet forgiving. This was not the rocks far below. Amazingly, she realized she was still alive. Alive and intact, so far as she could tell in her weakened state.

The reality of the situation was that Heydar had managed to secure one fist deep in a crack just as she fell, wedging his hand in as hard as he could then pivoting out, extending his free arm beneath her.

His powerful muscles tensed as he caught her falling body, absorbing the impact, his tattoos flaring and shifting within his skin, drawing from the system’s power and adding to his natural strength. Even then, her velocity was almost too great to overcome, but with every ounce of resolve he possessed he managed to hold on and draw her in close.

Heydar took a moment to catch his breath then shifted her motionless weight, draping her over his shoulder and securing her as best he could, tucking her arms into the gap between his pack and his shoulders. The pressure would not be comfortable, but at least she wouldn’t slip out as he climbed.

He grabbed the rock with his free hand and carefully withdrew his other from the rocky crack. It was scraped and bruised, but otherwise intact. She had hit hard. Had he tried to simply hang on with his fingers her impact would have undoubtedly peeled both of them off the rock face.

Quickly, but carefully, he ascended the cliff, making sure to only grab the easiest, most secure of handholds as he carried her upward. It took several minutes of slow going before he reached the top and crawled onto the summit.

He moved a safe distance in from the edge and set her down, untangling her from his pack’s straps.

“What happened?” she asked, her voice weak.

“You pushed too hard.”

“But I felt good. I was able to climb so easily.”

“Yes, your pigment has grown strong within you. Too strong for so short a time. The bond is still tenuous, yet you pushed too hard and drew deep upon it before it was fully set in your body. And now you will be weaker for it, though with your body’s reaction to the pigment I do not know for how long.”

Darla shook her head, trying to knock the cobwebs loose.

“I’m fine,” she said, trying to get up. She immediately fell over, which was why he had made a point to set her down far from the cliff’s edge.

“Shh. Rest, Malaika. I have you.”

Darla was drifting off even as he lifted her up in his arms as if she weighed nothing. By the time he started walking she was melting into his embrace, a moment later falling sound asleep against the warmth of his broad chest.

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CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

Darla woke to find herself covered with both of their furs, cozily ensconced in a bundle of warmth. Wiping the drowsiness from her eyes she looked around. Heydar had made camp under a copse of trees up against a jutting rock. It wasn’t a cavern by any means, but the location was a fairly secure one against the elements.

The ground beneath her was slightly raised. She reached behind her and felt a closely woven layer of small branches covered with abundant leaves to cushion her. Heydar had made a point to keep her off the cold ground while she slept. Again, going above and beyond without her even asking.

She smiled lazily to herself as she gazed up at the sky through the branches. It was just barely light out, the sky a lesser shade of blue.

“Wow, I must’ve really drained myself if I slept until sunset,” she mumbled, pushing up onto her elbow.

Her body ached. A lot.

Unlike recently, her new runes were not feeding her body with a seemingly endless surge of energy. In fact, at the moment Darla felt like she was almost entirely back to her old self again. Tired and aching, namely. She hadn’t realized just how much the pigments were boosting her muscles.

And now she felt like a hot mess, and it was entirely her own doing. Heydar had been right. She’d pushed herself too far hard and was paying the price.

Heydar’s silhouette separated from the nearby tree he had been leaning against, her silent protector moving close and sitting beside her. He gently brushed the hair from her face, concern in his gaze, his warm fingers soothing on her cool brow.

“You are awake,” he said, offering her a drink of water from the skin hanging around his neck.

“Thanks. I’m parched,” she said, greedily gulping down mouthful after mouthful.

“You would be. You overextended yourself.”

She painfully rolled her aching shoulders. “Yeah, I realize that now. Thank you for saving me.”

He nodded once, saying nothing more, settling down behind her.

“You really do look out for me,” she said, reaching out and taking his hand, pulling his arm around her as she nestled up against him with a contented sigh. “I really did overdo it. I can’t believe I slept so long. It’s already nightfall.”

“This is morning,” he corrected.

“Wait, what?”

“You slept straight through the afternoon and night. It is a new day. This is why you must be cautious until your pigment is fully settled.”

Darla was freaking out on the inside but only felt a slight surge of adrenaline. For one, she’d used it all up the previous day. For another, she was still in a semi-daze, and curled up in Heydar’s arms she felt no fear despite the instinctive moment of panic.

“Wow,” she finally managed to say. “Note very much taken. I should have listened to you. Sorry.”

He squeezed her close, his hand drifting to her breast as he pulled her in tight. “Your reaction is natural, especially for one unfamiliar with our ways. I can imagine how intoxicating a sensation it must have been for you. And without generational knowledge of what to do and not to do, pushing yourself too hard is not entirely unexpected.”

“But still a big no-no.”

“Well, yes, naturally. But one that is understandable and readily forgiven. What is important is you are unharmed.”

“But we lost half a day’s time because of me. More, even. We should be at the crash site by now. What if the others have been captured or killed because I slowed us down?”

“Then we will deal with that when we come to it. There is no sense in what ifs, Darla. You will find life far more pleasant if you do not deal in them.”

His hand squeezed tighter, her nipple caught between his fingers. A jolt of happy arousal ignited between her legs despite her exhaustion. Darla snuggled her ass back against him, savoring the growing bulge in his trousers pressing hard against her. She was tired, but not too tired for this.

And apparently, he was more than game for some playtime.

Slowly she began grinding against him, working his length with her rear, taking her time, enjoying every bit of the moment, the heat of his cock hot against her ass even through their clothes.

Heydar let out a low groan of pleasure, his lips finding her neck and kissing it, his hot tongue darting out and tasting the salty tang of her bare skin. Darla felt her body flutter with anticipation.

A cracking twig snapped them both from their moment. Heydar was on his feet in a flash, still erect as he crouched low, both of his blades in his hands.

Again with the knives. How did he get them? Was he even wearing them? Darla marveled.

Another crackling broke the silence, then another. Heydar shifted his stance, his erection dropping rapidly as his body transitioned into fighting mode.

A blast hit the ground at his feet, a crackling bolt of some sort of power. Plasma? Electricity? Darla didn’t know what it was, save that it seemed deadly enough whatever its nature.

“Drop the knives,” a strange, deep, rumbling voice said from the cover of the trees and brush.