Free 1.5 - Destiny Unchosen by Lindsay Buroker

Jakatra said after a few moments.
    “Why?”
    “They’re climbing up that tree.” He pointed to another stout trunk about fifteen meters away. “They’ll be able to leap down on us from there.”
    “Great.”
    A light appeared in the distance, something that reminded her of a headlamp. It was up in the air, a little higher than their branch, and it was coming their way. Jakatra, focused on the felines climbing the tree behind them, didn’t seem to have noticed.
    “Any chance that’s Eleriss?” Temi asked. “Coming early?”
    “That is not his truck.”
    Temi thought about pointing out that the word hovercraft might be more appropriate for their flying vehicles, but it hardly seemed important just then. “Any chance it’s someone else coming to help?”
    “A chance.” Jakatra turned, putting his back to her as he faced the light—it was getting closer. Whoever was flying the craft knew exactly where he was going. “Stay behind me,” he added.
    Given that she was standing on a branch, Temi couldn’t imagine where else she would go, but was happy to follow the order.
    The top of the hovercraft was open, and she thought she could pick out a couple of heads in there, but its headlight didn’t do anything to illuminate the people riding inside. If they had weapons, she couldn’t tell.
    She expected the craft to fly closer, but it stopped, the powerful yellow beam of its headlight sweeping back and forth, searching the trees. Searching for them. The light brushed the snarling felines below—Temi tensed, because a new one was climbing the tree—but it didn’t stop there. The beam traveled up the trunk to shine in her and Jakatra’s eyes. He lowered into a deep crouch, ready to spring. But where? Thirty feet to the ground? Into the maws of those giant cats?
    As if he knew what she was wondering, he looked up, his gaze lingering on a higher branch for a long moment. The sturdy tree would support their weight if they climbed higher, but Temi didn’t see how that would help them against a flying car.
    The light dropped, and the craft spun in the air, turning its backend toward them. It soared away, and soon the trees hid it from view, though its light was still visible as the craft moved about in the forest. Was it looking for something further? Maybe it was someone out there hunting for mushrooms, someone who wanted nothing to do with the cats or Jakatra and Temi. Of course, if that were the case, she would have expected the people to help, to try and drive the creatures away.
    “The appearance of the technology did not scare the saru away,” Jakatra observed.
    “Because these ones are controlled by those glowing dots?” Temi asked.
    “Likely.” He seemed to have something else on his mind—other suspicions—but that was all he said.
    The scrape of claws sinking into bark reminded Temi that they still had other problems. Jakatra moved farther out on the branch, so they could both attack at once. With two swords slashing toward it, they knocked the cat free before it found its way to their level. These small triumphs no longer inspired Temi, not when more creatures would soon start up to take its place.
    Jakatra’s nose wrinkled, and he faced in the direction of the hovercraft again. The headlight had disappeared—or wasn’t visible from their position—but a new light had appeared, this one orange and flickering.
    “Fire?” Temi hooked her arm around the trunk and leaned out for a better view. Her stomach sank. A lot of fire. Flames were licking up the side of a tree about a hundred meters away.
    “Fire,” Jakatra agreed grimly.

Chapter 9
    A normal forest fire that size wouldn’t spread quickly and might burn over there all night without bothering them, but Temi had a feeling this wasn’t a normal fire. The hovercraft wasn’t anywhere in sight, but it was too much of a coincidence to believe flames had randomly started up right after it left. It wasn’t even dry here, not like in the