Abandoned In Wasteland, He Rode To Me

Chapter 5

Moonlight carved his features into sharp relief. It was him: the tribesman from the flight, the man who had saved me at the weigh station! But... this was the Dead Zone. Why was he here, and why was he so composed?

I glanced at the bow and arrows slung by the saddle, my guard up. I shook my head. "No thank you, my friend is coming to pick me up..."

I turned and hurried away, the sound of hooves following close behind. For some reason, the rhythmic jingle of the bell made my fear subside. Then, a howl cut through the air. My heart stuttered. I whirled around, locking eyes with a pair of glowing green orbs. Wolves. My heart hammered, my brain screaming at me to run, but before I could turn, the wolf bared its fangs and lunged at me.

In a split second, a sharp thwip pierced the air. A feathered arrow grazed my hair, buried itself into the wolf's open maw, and pinned it to the grass. The wolf didn't even have time to howl before it was dead. The man rode up, his bow still in hand.

"A lone wolf," he said coolly. "If we don't leave, a pack might find us."

Before I could react, he hauled me onto the horse, and I fell into an embrace that smelled of pine resin. I was still trembling, my body rigid, desperate to get away. Sensing my intent, he stowed his bow and kicked the horse into a gallop. The white horse let out a whinny and surged forward. I gripped the saddle, the wind whistling past my ears. My heart eventually settled, and I realized how close I was, my back pressed against his chest. It was too close for comfort.

My rational mind returned, and I stiffened. I surreptitiously pulled out my phone and started recording. "What's your name?" I asked carefully. "You're the one who saved me at the station, right?"

Silence.

"Thank you for saving me. Where are you from? Any siblings?"

Still nothing. The biting wind felt like blades against my skin. The silence made me want to pour my heart out. "Actually, I'm here to claim my father's remains from the Ridgewood Sheriff's Office, but I was abandoned halfway here by my..." My knuckles turned white, gripping the saddle and the phone.

"Kael Ashford," the man behind me said abruptly.

I blinked. "What?"

"My name." He paused. "You can turn off the recording. There's nowhere to charge your phone here."

I looked down. My battery was at 10%, and there was still no signal. Exposed, I sheepishly ended the recording, trying to think of a way to change the subject. Just then, headlights flared behind us as a black Hummer roared up, catching us. Damian poked his head out the back window, shouting anxiously, "Celeste! Stop! I'm here for you!"

A wave of relief washed over me. Kael immediately pulled on the reins and helped me dismount. As the vehicle stopped nearby, Damian strode over and yanked me toward him, eyeing Kael with suspicion. "Who is this? Did he do anything to you?"

I frowned, ready to deny it, but Kael just gave me one deep look, said something in the tribal tongue, and rode away, as mysterious and free as the wind.

Damian looked me over, his face tight with worry. "Celeste, are you alright? Thank goodness I arrived in time, or he would have kidn*pped you!"

Rage surged through me. I jerked my arm away. "Arrived in time? You dumped me here all day! If he hadn't saved me, I'd have been eaten by wolves by now!"

Damian stiffened, quickly explaining, "I didn't mean to. Vivienne's leg... it was serious. It took time to get her to the hospital. Look, as soon as I was free, I came for you. I didn't abandon you."

He pulled me into his arms, patting my back soothingly. "Don't be angry, Celeste. I promise you, from now on, you'll always be my priority."

I had been furious, but that promise made my nose sting, and tears welled up. With my father gone, Damian was the only person I could rely on. Seeing me cry, he became anxious and guilty, ushering me into the car and comforting me the whole way.

Wrapped in a blanket, I watched the vast, empty steppe blur past the window. The tall, hawk-like figure was gone. For some reason, a pang of loss washed over me. I looked at the driver, who was also a local. "Driver," I heard myself ask, "what does the name Kael mean?"

He spoke with a thick accent. "Dava means moon. Kael means ocean."

I froze. A strange feeling of fate washed over me. Kael. Sea Moon.