Wednesday Briefs: Ancalagon Ch. 103

 

“How did you find me?” I stared at him, wide-eyed in shock. I jerked away from the tree, crouching with my lower arms braced against the ground. I could dart left or right, though he was blocking the direct path toward the spring where Bouncer and Ases were hunting. I wasn’t sure I wanted to lead him toward them anyway.

“I didn’t find you. I found him.” He pointed over his shoulder at Bouncer. He slipped around Timok, as silent as I’d expected him to be, and came to stand at my shoulder. I put one hand on his back, but I didn’t move otherwise.

“How?”

“Do you really think I’d allow a creature that can kill so easily to roam free? What if he wasn’t as tame as you and Garjah thought?” Timok held up a comm pad and pointed to a dot on it.

“You tagged him?”

“Good thing I did. Do you have any idea how long it would have taken to find you otherwise?”

Ases cleared his throat. “That was the plan.” He stayed behind a tree that was to one side and behind Timok. “Can I get my robe or pants, Essell?”

“Yeah, sure.” I pulled his robe off my shoulders, then balled it up. “Here, pass this to him.” I tossed it at Timok. He grunted in surprise, and I sprang to my left, moving away from him and putting a tree between us. Bouncer moved with me like he knew what I was going to do before I did it.

“What are you doing?” The robe dangled from Timok’s hand. He frowned at the tree I hid behind. I peeked around it then scanned the rest of the area.

“Anyone else around?” I whispered to Bouncer. His ears were swiveling, but he didn’t seem to stop or pinpoint any particular area, so maybe Timok was alone.

“Staying alive,” I answered.

“Which is a good thing, but did you get hit in the head while doing it? Garjah’s house was destroyed; were you harmed before you escaped? Do you need medical attention?” He reached into his pocket. I tensed.

“Hey! I need my robe.” Ases’s distraction was perfectly timed. Timok stopped reaching into his pocket and looked over his shoulder away from me and toward where Ases was hiding. As soon as he looked away, I took off for a different hiding spot. Bouncer scrambled beside me.

This time I scrambled low and went for a set of bushes out in the open instead of trying to tuck my body behind a tree. They were massive, but it was too obvious. I sank down, sitting as still as I could to avoid shaking the thin limbs on the bush and giving away my location.

Ases, bless him, tried to get Timok’s attention again. “Naked here. Robe, please.” He caught the end of the sleeve and yanked, which pulled Timok’s gaze away from the area of my bush.

Timok let the fabric slide out of his hands. “Yes, do cover up.”

 Ases turned so his back faced Timok, not letting his imperious, slightly superior air deter him for a second. “Essell doesn’t need medical attention; he needs Garjah.” Ases crossed his arms over his now robed chest. He shook his hips to wiggle the draped fabric into place.  

“You do both know I could hear exactly where he went, right? There’s not exactly a lot of places to hide.” Timok waved a hand around the light foliage and lack of hiding places.

Ases flicked out his claws, crouching slightly. “If you’re here to hurt him, I will hurt you.”

“I would never.” Timok spread his arms apart. “I have only ever helped him.” He glanced right at where I was hiding. “Have I not, Essell?”

Stars. He did know exactly where I was. I tensed, then stood and walked out from behind the bush. “Someone helped the Kardoval attack Garjah and us at the same time. You were with him and now you’re here without him. Where’s Garjah?” Saying his name was hard, and my voice cracked on the last question. I swallowed hard against the pain in my throat, my eyes burning.

“He fought the attackers and told me to escape and find you.”

Jumping back into the conversation, Ases said, “We’re just supposed to believe you?” He huffed. “Why would we do that?”

“Besides all the times I’ve saved his life?”

“Maybe that was all part of it. Get his trust, get Garjah’s trust, then zap, blast to the back when you betray them.” Ases mimed the shot, which looked strange with his partially-shifted hands.

Timok sighed. “Did you know that I was raised in a residence right next to Garjah? That we grew up together? Aside from a bond mate, we could not be closer. I would never hurt him. Since he loves you, I would not hurt you.”

Did we dare trust him? I looked at Ases, and he didn’t seem inclined to, but he didn’t know Timok. I’d spent enough time around the abrasive doctor that it didn’t feel like he was lying to me. Surely, if he’d been told to get close to betray us, he would have been nicer to me. Bouncer sat next to me and leaned against my thigh.

That, more than anything else, convinced me to take the leap. Surely if he sensed deceit in Timok, he’d still be on edge.

“What can you do to help us?” I asked.

“You believe me?” Timok raised his eyebrows.

“Isn’t that what you’ve been telling us we should do?” I snapped. “What other choice do we have? We’re alone on this planet, and I need help to save Garjah.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa. Garjah wanted me to save you. He can get himself out of trouble.”

“Really? Because he told me there was no way the Kardoval were behind the attacks, and I think it’s obvious they are.” I crossed my arms, daring him to deny me.

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J Ray Lamb

Julie Lynn Hayes