Predator: Survivor

Chapter 35

Sitting in front of her with his legs crossed Bor looked at her intently. "What do you remember?"

They were sitting in the open area of the small fighter class ship. The space was probably supposed to be a sleeping and recreational area but Izara could hardly imagine the owner of the ship using it for that. Izara resisted the urge to turn and look at the tall huntress who had Bor's eyes. She had already gawked at Bor's sister enough when she was briefly introduced to her while they both saved her from Black Mountain.

She forced herself to focus on the moment. "Not much. I remember you...you falling. I pushed you. I just remembered that I wanted you safe. Do you remember that?"

"I remember it clearly," he said gruffly.

"Are you mad? I wasn't trying to hurt you. I just know something was trying to kill you," she asked worriedly, reaching out to trace the stapled wound on his chest. His scaled skin was still raw on the spot. "And I had to get you away," she tried to explain. It was hard to remember everything through the painful snapshots of her muddled memories.

Bor shook his head. "I have no anger at you. Only at myself."

Shocked by the anger in his words, Izara stiffened and sat up straighter. "What? Why? Without you, I would not be alive. Did you climb back up the cliff or how did you-"

Bor's hands balled into fists at his side. "I did not save you," he said gruffly. "You saved yourself before the humans intervened."

She really tried to remember that day. But everything was coming up blank. She remembered Bor's pained eyes and the sudden hole in his chest and she remembered pushing him away and him falling, but that was it, nothing else.

Seeing the confusion on her face, Bor continued. "You pushed me onto Mokembi's ship just as the humans from Black Mountain came to retrieve you."

Izara's head swam with that information. "Talk about perfect timing," she laughed.

Bor grunted.

Behind her, Mokembi said something in their low guttural language and Bor's eyes flashed with anger at his sister before immediately dampening. Whatever she said struck a nerve with her brother. Bor looked away and stared at a far wall.

Looking back at Mokembi, Izara met the huntress's glowing gaze and frowned at her before turning back to Bor. Gently, she reached out letting her fingertips ghost just underneath his mandibles. With little to no pressure, she turned his head back to her.

"What is it? What did she say?" she urged. "Does she not like me?" Her heart lurched at the thought of his family not approving of her.

Bor's brow bone lowered in confusion for a moment before his eyes lit up with mellow amusement. "No, Mokembi does not dislike you. She is angry with me. Rightfully so. I have failed you in many ways in my attempt to protect you."

Izara didn't understand. "I don't-" Her words were cut off with a cough. It still burned a little to breathe too deep.

Bor shook his head and abruptly stood up. "You will go back into the sarcophagus. Your lungs are not finished healing."

Izara glowered up at him. Her lungs did still feel weak from the gas she had inhaled but that wasn't nearly as important as this conversation right now. But she knew from the look on his face that arguing with Bor would be pointless. He would just pick her up and stuff her into the healing pod like a load of laundry.

"We'll finish this once I'm out, right?"

Bor nodded. "There will be much to discuss once you are healed."