Chapter 26

Koa watched Alex as she fidgeted uncomfortably, eyes downcast. Watching her curled up in shame and embarrassment, her cheeks puffed up as she blew out air. She was so awkward it was kind of adorable. He just couldn't stay angry.

'Like a scared little chipmunk.'

"What?" Alex looked up and met his gaze. Koa quickly averted his eyes. His inner thoughts panicked when he realized he said that out loud.

Instead of responding, and partly to hide his embarrassment, Koa stood up, walked over to the backpacks. He pulled out the blankets and mats the returned to the other two.

"We should get some rest. The day has been long." He tossed one to the wizard then proceeded to lay out the second one. He could see that Alex was still nervous, though perhaps for a slightly different reason. Clearly this trip was a two person trip and she was an unexpected burden.

'That's right, you are a burden. Someone who was never supposed to be a part of this.' Koa reminded himself. Yet, even with these thoughts, Koa couldn't get rid of the feeling of guilt. He sighed and walked over to Alex. She looked up, her brown eyes round in surprise.

"I'll take first watch. Get some rest." He mumbled as he handed her the bedding. Then he walked away, finding a spot to sit just slightly away from the other two.

It didn't take long for Alex and Adamend to settle in. Koa sat quietly watching the girl as she slept. For someone who had been kidnapped and dragged into some alternate world, she slept easily. Actually, she was probably just too exhausted to fight.

Koa sighed for what felt like the hundredth time that night. This girl had him acting in ways he had never done before. It wasn't that he was particularly fond of her. Or maybe he was, but in a way that someone might become fond of a nervous chipmunk that had fallen into a pail of water. Koa wanted to protect her. But at the same time he felt a huge weight on his shoulders when she was around.

Alex rolled onto her side and mumbled something incoherent. He watched as her forehead creased with tension, then relaxed.

'It wasn't like this with Adamend, so why this troublesome human?' His eyes travelled from her face to her neck and the green stone that hung there. Even in the dark the stone had a faint glow. Without the book Koa really had no more use for the stone and he really never had any use for the girl.

Koa got up and walked to where Alex slept. He squatted down and touched the stone. Alex moaned and Koa noticed a crease had formed again between her eyes.

'I will find a way to send you back home.' He reached up and gently smoothed out the crease. Alex seemed to relax at his touch and the gentle sound of his words. 'That's right,' Koa reminded himself. This girl is here because of his carelessness. She is a burden because he made her one. It was his responsibility to get her home. Until that happened, he had to keep her safe.