Alicia woke, and gasped to see Nnikor’s scaled, fanged face just centimetres from her face. He straightened at once. “It is almost dawn. You must guide me now.”
“Dawn?” Alicia wiped sleep from her eyes, then swung her feet over the edge of the cot. “But we must have been travelling for hours. Why didn’t you wake me sooner?”
“I only moved us far enough out so that we could not be seen from shore,” Nnikor said. “We have held position since then. We must have daylight to make the rescue, and it is fast approaching. So if you will guide...”
Alicia shook her head. “No. Not yet.”
“Your friends—”
“Can wait a few minutes longer. As long as this thing on my wrist is flashing I can find them. But I want to know what’s going on before I lead you or anyone else to them.”
Nnikor hissed softly, th
