Pilgrim Read Online Free PDF

rest of her body burnt.
    Nova bucked her body again and the wood
lifted a little higher. She tried again. This time, the log reached
the top of the support and fell back down. With just seconds to
spare, Nova wrenched her body up. The stick lifted into the air. It
hovered above the support and crashed down on the other side.
    The pole fell from its supports and
clattered to the ground. She was carried with it and landed
back-first onto the dirt and sticks. The wind was knocked out of
her and the impact was followed by the log slamming into her face.
She swore and pushed the log away.
    The ropes were looser now and she could
twist her hand around to untie the knots. She wasn’t fast enough.
The girl in the white dress shrieked and her mouth snapped closed.
The other children ran towards Nova with shouts, waving their
spears in the air. A boy flung out his foot and kicked her in the
temple.
    The force wasn’t enough to knock her out,
but it was hard enough to make her head ring and her vision blur.
Nova’s teeth clenched together and her hands balled into fists.
Waves of heat rushed over her cheeks as blood boiled to the
surface. Every time it looked like she could escape, she was
surrounded and then woke up to a situation worse than what she’d
been in before. She had no way to protect herself as the ten
children circled and began striking out.
    The girl in the white dress stood back from
the others. There was no evidence of the dislocated jaw. Her
haunting white eyes were gone. Nova lifted her arms to protect her
head but it was difficult when they were tied to the post.
    “Frickin’ cosmic craphole!” Nova bellowed.
She inwardly cursed herself for ever visiting the planet. No bounty
was worth this.
    She rolled to the side. Her feet and hands
were still tied to the log so she held it as close as she could and
took it with her. She used her bigger size to bowl over three
children and managed to escape the main ring. She was free of the
blows for a few seconds and returned to working on the knots at her
wrists. She bit down on her bottom lip and dared the rope not to
come apart.
    A piece came free and slid off. The tension
at her left wrist loosened and allowed her greater movement to work
at the rest of the rope.
    It was too late; the children were ready.
They fell down on her with knees and elbows. They pinned her to the
ground and held her limbs in place. There was no way she would be
able to undo the knots with their small bodies covering her.
    Nova heard it before the children.
    It was the sound she had been waiting for
and she instinctively breathed a sigh of relief. It was the sound
of engines and fans. It was the sound of air being pushed around
and spread in all directions. It was the sound of Crusader coming
in to land.
    A surge of relief flooded through Nova’s
body. The ball of tension she’d had in her chest dissipated and
left her able to breathe. Even the pain in her shoulders faded away
as she let her body relax.
    As the noise reached a crescendo, whirring
just above their heads, the lights flashed on. Huge spotlights
exploded into existence and lit up the village beyond. The glow
blinded everyone who saw it.
    The children cried out and backed away from
Nova. They pointed up at the ship with their mouths open. The young
girl in charge stared, her eyes glazed over. They backed away
further as the ship got lower. Their hair was flung about their
heads by the gusts of wind and their cries of panic were drowned
out by Crusader’s engines.
    Nova squinted her eyes shut against the
glare. She didn’t allow herself to smile. She wasn’t out of danger
yet, but she did allow her breathing to slow. She glanced over at
the children.
    They were huddled in a frightened mass,
clothes swirling around their bodies, staring up at the ship.
    Crusader landed on the ground beside Nova
and the door slid open. Cal floated out and using a fine knife,
sliced through her ropes. The bonds fell free and she leapt to her
feet.