Saving Verakko: The Clecanian Series Book 3 by Victoria Aveline (books to read for teens TXT) 📕

the river will split in two before too long. One branch leads to Sauven, deep in the forest, and the other leads to another city.”

Ice slid down her spine. Two cities. Two options. What if I choose wrong? “I’ll have to see which direction seems like the one Alex would’ve picked when we get there.” She drew her knees to her chin and gazed at the sizzling pieces of meat again.

“Who is Davy Crockett?”

Davy Crockett? Lily blinked at Verakko’s thinned lips and tight jaw. Then realization dawned on her. She hid a smirk. “King of the wild frontier. Why do you ask?”

A muscle ticked in his jaw. “His name came to your lips so readily. I was curious.” The corner of his mouth lifted. “Maybe he’s the one you dream about at night?”

“Excuse me?” Lily had been having crazy dreams lately. Did Verakko somehow know?

“You make noises in your sleep, and you put off scents. Sometimes fear, other times”—his eyes glowed brighter in the darkness—“other smells.”

Her entire body heated with embarrassment. “We were having a nice night. Why do you have to say stuff like that? Do you like to make me uncomfortable?”

Verakko shrugged and fiddled with the strips of meat, now brick red. “I prefer your face flushed, not pallid.”

Warm coals glowed in her belly. Was he trying to distract her from her worry?

She swallowed. “Davy Crockett is an old folk hero. His was the first name that popped into my head. That’s all.”

“Folk hero?”

“Yeah. A person who existed a while ago, and their life has become something of a legend. Usually super-exaggerated. Davy Crockett was a frontiersman. I think there’s a story about him fighting off a bear when he was three.” At Verakko’s confused look, she explained, “An enormous animal very unlikely to be fought off by a grown man, let alone a three-year-old.”

Verakko gave a grunt, then replaced the cooked meat with raw and held out a leaf to Lily. She took the green plate and peered down at the arrangement with a raised brow. Thin slices of wanget fruit were fanned out around a pile of guren nuts and neatly arranged strips of meat. If she focused on only her plate, she might’ve been able to pretend she was in a trendy restaurant in Portland.

Lily lifted a piece of meat to her lips and hesitated.

“What’s the matter?” She found Verakko’s eyes on her again, a twinge of annoyance lacing his voice.

“Nothing. I just haven’t eaten meat for a while. I’m normally vegetarian. I mean, I love meat. I’ve hunted for most of my life, but when I hunt, I make sure the animal has a good death and no part of it is wasted. You can’t be sure of those things in the city, so vegetarian it is. I also feel a little bad that the animal is so large. I’m worried the meat will go bad before we can eat it all,” she rambled.

The muscle twitched in Verakko’s jaw again, and Lily inwardly cursed. She didn’t want him to think she was ungrateful.

“I killed it quickly. It felt no pain.” Verakko loaded his leaf with a pile of cooked meat, a little more raw than she would’ve liked. “And as for the quantity, I assure you, I’ll finish whatever you don’t eat.”

Lily eyed his large exposed biceps. He must eat a ton to keep up that physique.

Without another word, she popped the piece of bright red meat in her mouth and failed to stifle a moan. The texture was warm and buttery, and the flavor was mildly salty. God, I missed steak.

Her stomach gave a painful clench, and all at once, her hunger hit her. Not caring that she likely looked like a starving dog, she shoveled the meat into her mouth, chewing so quickly she grew dizzy from lack of breath.

When her stomach was full of the delicious meat, fruit, and nuts, which tasted surprisingly similar to a bitter chocolate, Lily reclined onto the soft fallen leaves and stretched. The protein was like a shock to her system, lifting her mental fog and raising her spirits.

She closed her eyes and listened to the humming of the forest. The sounds were so similar yet so different from the white noise playlist that put her to sleep every night on Earth. The chorus of buzzing and chirping from unfamiliar creatures, mixed with the soft rustling of the leaves in the wind, had been her lullaby for as long as she could remember. As an adult, it was the only remnant of her bone-deep ties to nature.

“And you were worried about having too much left over?” came Verakko’s satin voice from across the fire. He was still working on his food, eating it slowly rather than inhaling it, and had a curiously satisfied look on his face.

She wondered with a passing thought how unattractive she must appear but then promptly decided not to care. There may be grease on her chin and stains on her white shirt, but she was full and relaxed for the first time in weeks. And it was all because of him.

A slimy feeling of guilt that had been wriggling around her mind all day returned. “Verakko, I need to say something.”

He shot her a curious look and nodded.

“What I said before…when I said I didn’t want you here… I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that. I’m grateful you’re here, and not just because you caught us some food. It was…” Lily’s voice caught in her throat, and she swallowed before continuing. “It was really hard being alone.” She held his gaze, hoping he could see her sincerity. “I’ve been struggling with a lot, and I didn’t mean to take it out on you.”

Verakko silently held her gaze for a moment. “I know. You don’t need to apologize.” He said with a crooked smile.