Wednesday Briefs: Ancalagon Ch. 96

 

Maybe he had a point about Bouncer. But that was just because we were his pack and he spent so much time with people instead of animals. Garjah just snorted.

“Eat your food, you took it after all. And we’re not going back to the party.” I looked at Garjah. “Right?”

“No. My staff can finish up there. I’m more needed to question the man Bouncer just caught. Zeekah, go back and get Ases. We need his mech.”

“Yes, sir.” The officer behind me saluted, then rushed off. I guess I didn’t need him if I was sticking with Garjah, and I planned to stay close.

“You think the Kardoval will just let Ases leave with his mech?” I ignored the way Bouncer was tearing into his food. He was always ravenous, and meat was his favorite meal. Getting to use his curved claws to dig deep furrows in the meat reminded me of when I’d first met him, how unable he’d been to dig into the tree to get to the grubs he’d wanted.

He really had grown.

“They have no choice. I make all the decisions regarding the planet’s security.”

I blinked, the glimmer of an idea teasing at my mind. He’d said that before, but I hadn’t really understood. Seeing it in action was something different. He gave an order, everyone else followed. No one argued, there was no second-guessing his orders. Garjah spoke, they acted.

It was a scary amount of power and really explained exactly why he’d been such an overconfident ass when we’d met. Sure, he hadn’t been the captain of the ship and in charge of flying it, but basically everything else was under his control.

Then I came along. I smiled.

“What’s that smile for?” Garjah looked around the room. The kitchen crew was still backed away on the far side of the room, eyeing us warily. I tried to picture the scene we made from their point of view. A beast gnawing on a huge chunk of meat he stole, a grinning hybrid human, and the head of all the planetary security who’d just had one of their team taken away.

I’d have probably fled the room by now.

“Nothing important.” The hum of Ases’ mech preceded him.

“You asked for me?” Ases flowed into the room, his arms tucked inside the flowing silvery sleeve of his tunics. He almost never looked out of place but a kitchen? Not his natural environment. He either caught his food in his shifted form or he had it made for him.

“We have need of your mech.” Garjah pointed at pot. “Can you please have it destroy that?” I hadn’t realized how on edge he’d been, but he’d never fully turned away from the pot on the floor, and he hadn’t allowed anyone near it.

“No problem.” Ases turned to his mech. “Please destroy that silver ball like you did the others.”

“Yes, Ases.” The mech moved forward, oddly graceful for all its size, and lowered its body. It aimed one arm right into the pot.  The blast took only a few seconds, and then it was done. The mech straightened and moved back.

The pot wasn’t even damaged. “That’s some amazing targeting.”

“My father procured the very best.” Ases put his hand on the AI mech. “Safety is very important to him.”

“We appreciate your help. Would you mind going back with Essell to safe quarters here? I will have you escorted, but I would feel better if you stayed together.”

“Wait. Where are you going?” I didn’t know what was going on, and I was nervous about it. “What kind of safe quarters?” He’d sent the other guy to something like that. Was he locking me up? I tilted my head, giving him serious side eye. “Why can’t we stay with you?”

“I need to go interrogate the male that Bouncer found for us, and I don’t want you there for that. Since we don’t know who did this or why yet, I don’t want to rely on our allies for protection. I have a room I know is safe with no exterior doors or windows. With Bouncer and the mech, I know you’ll be protected until I can come back.” Garjah folded his arms over his bare chest, and I had to fight the urge to sigh.

“For how long?” I hated being cooped up, and Bouncer really hated it.

“As long as it takes.” Garjah stepped forward, rubbing my upper shoulder. “I will come for you.”

“You better.” I sighed. “And make it fast.”

“The sooner I go, the sooner I can get back,” he said.

“Fine.”

Garjah waved at the officer behind Ases. It was the same one from before. “Zeekah will stay on the outside of the door.”

“Of course. I won’t let anything happen to your bonded or the ambassador.”

“I’m sure we can protect ourselves,” I protest. Well, Ases had his mech and I had Bouncer. They’d protect us. “Come on, Bouncer. Time to go.” He looked up, over half the meat already gone. There was no way he could still be hungry, but I could see the protest in the way his shoulders hunched and his ears were starting to wilt. “Bring your food.” Who knows how long we’d be? He might need it.

Bouncer opened his jaws as wide as they’d go and wrapped them around the meat. It was still bigger than his head. Zeekah led the way, I followed him, Bouncer followed me, with Ases behind him and his mech taking up the rear. We were a strange parade, but we didn’t really have to go that far. It was in the building at least.

I’d been picturing a tiny, bare room shaped like a box. I hated the lack of windows, but it wasn’t too small and there were a few seats scattered around a table. “It’s been a while since we’ve been locked up. At least this is more comfortable.” 

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J Ray Lamb

Julie Lynn Hayes