Catalyst by Dani Worth Read Free Book Online Page A

came from the forest behind us. The lizard creatures halted at the edge of the trees, pacing, watching us. “There are so many of them, they have no reason not to rush us,” Bastian said.
    “Unless they don’t like the water. Maybe that’s why whoever used to live here built their homes around it.”
    “Then we’re staying by the water.”
    Nodding, I kept my gaze on what looked like five sets of red eyes peering at us from the trees. “There are doors back there, but it’s going to be a long trek around this lake to get to them.” Thirst was already a problem for me. Between the run, the adrenaline rush and the leftover repercussions from gas inhalation, my throat felt like something had scratched it raw. “Did you say there are water tablets in the bags?”
    Bastian knelt, opened one of the packs and began rummaging through it. “Just food packs and a few first aid supplies. Oh, a tiny med scanner.” He tucked his hair behind his ear. “They obviously don’t want us to die here.”
    “But why drop us here? The planet seems deserted.”
    “This part of it anyway. Maybe they dropped us in the wrong place.”
    “If they knew about those creatures, everywhere is the wrong place—so I’m not so sure we weren’t meant to be left as dinner.”
    “With weapons, food and a med scanner?”
    He was so young. I’d forgotten there for a while. After staying in some of the worst sectors in the known universes, I wasn’t so innocent. “There are people who get off on being cruel. Set us up with a false sense of security and bam. They could have us on vidscreens right now, enjoying the show.”
    “I didn’t get the sense the one in charge was deliberately cruel. His friend either. Now Juniper…”
    Sighing, I knelt to look in the other pack for water tablets. “Yeah, I honestly didn’t either. Though a ‘good’ space pirate is a pretty funny concept. Trust me, I’ve met some bad ones—including one I’d still like to get my hands on.” I pulled out bunched-up clothes. “Watch to make sure those things don’t run at us. I’m going to check the lining.”
    They hadn’t packed any water tablets. That meant they either planned for us to die of thirst or the water here was drinkable. I crept closer and placed my palms on the damp sand a few inches up from the water. Grimacing, I noticed the hand I’d used to stab that creature was dark with drying blood. The water trapped in the sand didn’t burn my fingers—not that it meant anything, but I crept closer and stuck the tip of one finger into it. Cool liquid washed away some of the blood. I raised my finger and stared at it, watching for blisters or a rash. “Pretty sure we can bathe in this,” I murmured after a few minutes passed without changes to my skin.
    “Hope so, because look.”
    I followed his pointing finger, my eyes going wide as I saw the mass of black clouds moving closer to us. “Shit! Come on!” I grabbed one bag, stuffed the clothes back in, and threw the other to Bastian who caught it before he nodded toward the jungle.
    The creatures were looking at the clouds too, and every hair on my body stood because it seemed like they were following what we did—like they weren’t dumb animals, but sentient creatures, smart.
    Maybe they were the reason there were no aliens here, when it was obvious from the structures there once were. A shiver racked my frame even as the temperature suddenly spiked by a good ten degrees. Sweat instantly layered my skin. “Something tells me we don’t want to be in this rain.”
    We took off running again, but I knew we wouldn’t make it around the lake and into one of those doorways in time. “We have to brave the trees.” Humidity, so thick I could taste it, thickened the air.
    The rain began.
    Warm. It was uncomfortably warm. Drops came hard and fast and they pelted our clothes like small jabs. I was glad for the thick, long sleeves because the drops stung when they hit the bare skin on my hands and