Total pages in book: 137
Estimated words: 130081 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 650(@200wpm)___ 520(@250wpm)___ 434(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 130081 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 650(@200wpm)___ 520(@250wpm)___ 434(@300wpm)
Then he turned away and continued making his way between the trees.
Nate stood frozen with indecision for a moment. Should he follow a stranger into a forest he didn’t know? Part of him shouted that it was a bad idea. But on the other hand, what else could he do? He couldn’t just stand here holding Lan’ara, and the walk back to the seaside resort where they were staying was at least half a day. Also, the old man seemed to know some way to help or heal Lan’ara, though he wasn’t being very upfront about what it was. He seemed to think that Nate could heal her somehow. But how?
Well, you’re never going to find out how unless you follow him, whispered a little voice in his head.
Which seemed to be true.
“All right—hope I won’t regret this,” he muttered and set off, following the little man deeper into the silvery white forest of softly humming trees.
They walked for what felt like hours until they finally reached a small but cozy-looking cabin. It was made of the same silvery-white wood as the singing trees but the sides of it were covered in pale purple moss and it was thatched with dark blue straw. Golden light spilled from the windows, offering a homely glow in the middle of the woods.
It was starting to get dark and Nate’s stomach was growling—they hadn’t eaten all day. He hoped that he could get some food as well as some help for Lan’ara. She had stirred several times in his arms as he carried her through the forest, but she hadn’t ever woken completely. At least she was still breathing deeply and evenly, though.
“Here is my domicile,” the little bald man said, turning to him. “As the fated mate of a Freelon, allow me to invite you inside and offer you the hospitality and healing of my humble home.”
“Uh, thanks.” Nate nodded gratefully. As strong as he was, his arms were getting tired. He wanted to lay Lan’ara down and examine her more thoroughly to see if he could get her to wake up.
He climbed up the two steps and the old man held the wooden door open wide so he could step inside without hitting Lan’ara’s head. Nate had to duck his own head to get past the door’s frame, but once inside, he found that the ceiling opened up a little—though it was still only around six inches from the top of his head.
Like stepping into a fucking hobbit hole, he thought. But he was used to being too tall to fit in a lot of spaces.
The hut was small and he appeared to have stepped right into the kitchen and dining area, if the stove-looking thing in the corner and the crude wooden table and chairs was any indication. There was a pot of blue liquid bubbling slowly on the stovetop that gave off a sweet, nutty scent which made Nate’s stomach growl again.
But he didn’t have much time to look around because Teetsook was already beckoning him through a curtained archway into the room beyond.
“Come…come—you can lay her here on the sleeping platform,” he said impatiently.
Nate ducked through the doorway, being careful of Lan’ara’s head, and found himself in a surprisingly airy bedroom. In the corner, on a raised platform about five feet off the ground, was a puffy looking mattress with a colorful quilt. The cheerful red and orange and blue pattern was the brightest thing Nate had seen so far, on this world of muted pastels.
“Lay her there!” Teetsook demanded, pointing at the raised mattress again. “She will be safe until you can begin the healing.”
“Begin the healing? How?” Nate demanded.
But the little old man only shook his head and indicated that he should lay Lan’ara down again.
Carefully, Nate did as he said. She moaned softly as he laid her on the puffy mattress and her eyelids fluttered but again, she didn’t wake up.
“There now, there now,” the old man crooned. “Such a lovely Freelon, too! You are very lucky to be the fated mate of such a one,” he said to Nate. “Though I do not think you know so—how could you let her get so low? Why have you not fed her?”
“Fed her what?” Nate demanded in exasperation. “You think she fainted because of low blood sugar or something?”
Which was entirely possible, since neither of them had eaten since breakfast, which had been a buttery roll stuffed with some kind of soft, spreadable purple cheese. It had been delicious, but they had eaten hours ago. If Lan’ara really did have a blood sugar problem like hypoglycemia, it made sense that she would faint.
But Teetsook was shaking his bald head again.
“No, no—she is an Empath! A highly sensitive one—her needs are greater than those of us who feel less strongly,” he told Nate. “You need to feed her with your emotions. Put your hand against her cheek and feel at her—but only positive feelings, mind!” he added, as Nate tentatively cupped Lan’ara’s cheek in his hand. “Don’t go giving her negative thoughts and emotions—that will only make her worse!”