Free Nova: A Scifi Alien Romance (Rebel Lords) by Kylie Gold Page A

opened wide enough to stick my head out, I scoped from left to right, making sure that no one was around. Satisfied that I was alone, I emerged from his dwelling just one step at a time. My eyes were wild as I scanned about the village, watching for any Navani. My heart was pounding rapidly in my chest, completely terrified of someone spotting me. In order to keep my focus on the mission ahead, I began to inch around the exterior of the hut, heading towards the back of it to keep out of sight. I kept telling myself I had to keep moving, no matter what, I had to keep moving. My eyes looked around the corner as I made my way to the side of the hut—behind his hut was thick jungle, but it was about five hundred feet away from where I stood. There was a small clearing behind his hut that I would have to cross in order to get into the safety of the jungle. I would have to be fast about it, not wanting anyone to spot me as I crossed the clearing. My body stayed pressed against the wood of Nova’s hut as I made my way to the very end of it. Once to the clearing, I looked both ways to ensure no one was lingering behind the huts. Then, I propelled myself forward as fast as I could in order to get into the jungle; my heart was in my throat as my nerves got the best of me.
    The sound of my footfalls almost silenced upon entering the jungle. The ground was just soft enough for a quiet escape, but firm enough not to suck me in. Sweat immediately began to form on my brow, I had forgotten just how humid and hot the jungle was. The air was so thick with moisture that it felt like a heavy blanket. As much as the heat persuaded me to slow down, I had to keep my pace steady—I needed to put as much distance between myself and that hut as I could. The fear of being caught would serve as my motivation to keep running.
    Various hues of blue and purple were the backdrop for my escape attempt. While it was not my first time in the jungle, it was the first time I was able to take in the scenery. The foliage on Shaviro was much more vivid than anything we had on the other colony planets. Back home the plant life consisted of different shades of green with occasional hues of yellow and brown. I wasn’t used to seeing such brilliant cerulean and lilac floral life. One flower in particular was roughly the size of a honeydew melon, blossoms covering the trees like ivy. The petals were a deep indigo around the edges and faded into a lighter periwinkle as they reached the plum colored center. If I hadn’t been running for my life I would have stopped to pick some to take home with me.
    The deeper I got into the wilderness, the hotter the atmosphere became. To my left, just on the opposite side of a low lying bush, I saw a small family of capybara like creatures grazing. Their heather-gray fur was dotted with drops of dew. The young offspring intently watched as their mother drank from a large leaf that was housing a small pool of water that had dripped off one of the trees that towered above. The nature there was enchanting, I found myself completely enthralled by it. But my feet continued to carry me deep into the jungle, uncaring where I was heading. I would eventually find a human somewhere, the planet really wasn’t very large.
    It felt like hours had passed. My throat had started to grow drier with each passing moment. Stopping at the nearest tree, I was delighted to see that the branches were covered in bowl-like leaves. Each one of them was filled with rainwater. I pulled one of the lower lying branches down to my mouth and tipped a leaf toward me so that I could take a drink. The third leaf-full of water had finally been enough to quench my thirst. I stood with my back against the smooth lapis colored bark of the tree. My intention wasn’t to take a long break, but my legs were begging me for a short rest.
    A shrill cry echoed through the jungle and instantly ripped me from my all too abrupt moment of peace. My heart pounded in my ears as I