pull him up.” Rory came over to squat down beside me. “You fight really well.”
“Not well enough.” I started to feel like air could get into my lungs.
Rory pulled out his cell phone. “I’m calling my uncle. He has a dog-catching business.”
I didn’t have my breath back enough to point out it wasn’t a dog, but I didn’t have a better idea. The creature looked so helpless, rolling frantically like a beetle stuck on its back, I couldn’t walk over and kill it. I could if it moved again though. The S10 the Kuru-Pira had thrown was on its side and still on fire. Luckily, the creature had rolled it away from everything else, so I didn’t think the fire would spread.
I looked at Blythe. “Fire bombs?”
She shrugged, chewed on her lip, and looked like she was getting ready to cry.
Tea Bag, the owner of the “piece of shit” as he’d called it, stood staring forlornly at the ruined vehicle.
Within three minutes, a van screeched into the parking lot and it stopped by Rory. Two men got out and opened the back. One pulled out a tranquilizer gun and the other opened a cage big enough for a bear.
“Catches dogs, huh?” I muttered.
Rory shrugged and grinned. His cheeks, red from the cold, got darker. “My uncles are prepared for this sort of thing. We’ve had some strange stuff going on around here lately, in addition to that concert.”
The one with the tranquilizer gun shot the Kuru-Pira. It screeched and flopped around before falling still. The uncles tied it up, then loaded it into the cage. They had to sit it up in the corner so its legs would fit inside. One of them walked over to us, his eyes narrowing on me. I stood, winced and held one hand to my lower rib.
Rory cleared his throat. “Uncle Gale? This is Beri. She’s looking for a friend of hers who is in that band.”
Dark eyebrows drew together on the uncle’s face. “You kids didn’t go to that concert, did you?”
“Nah, Tea Bag’s truck broke down.”
Gale eyed the smoldering truck, frowned. “We’ll come back and tow that after we get that thing set up at the Preserve.”
Rory rolled his eyes. “There are two creatures out there and you call it that.”
“Three now.” He crossed his arms and frowned at something over my shoulder. I turned to see Blythe dumping baggies on the ground.
I rushed in to explain. “They’re herbs. She collects them. Not drugs. I know what it looks like.”
“Tell her to keep her herbs away from these kids.”
I nodded, just glad he was carting that thing off, because I sure didn’t know what to do with it. The demons I’d fought from the Dweller had sort of melted into mush. “Hey, Blythe, gather up your stuff and do whatever it is you’re doing back at the room. We have to take care of that other problem.”
“What other problem?” she asked as she shoved baggies back into her yellow purse.
“The ancient one.”
“Oh right.” She stood up and slowly walked to Tea Bag, tapped his shoulder. “I’m so sorry about your car. I can’t buy you a new one—I don’t have a job right now—but I can help pay for a used one. I’ll give you my address… Wait, my house burned down.” She bit her lip.
I took pity on her. Something, probably the fire bombs, had her completely frazzled. I walked over and wrapped my arm around her shoulders. Big, startled blue eyes looked up at me. “I’ll bring some cash by the cafe tomorrow, okay?” I said to the forlorn teen.
“Sure,” he murmured. “But you really don’t have to worry about it. It was a bad truck. Not even worth five hundred bucks.”
“Well, I’ll bring that and you can use it as a down payment on another, okay?”
“Thanks.” He stared at Blythe. “She’s not going to cry is she?”
Poor boy looked so alarmed, I grinned.
Blythe sobbed.
“It’s been a rough couple of days. She’ll be all right. Come on, Blythe.” I walked her to the motel, feeling the suspicious gaze of Rory’s Uncle Gale the entire way.
“Not well enough.” I started to feel like air could get into my lungs.
Rory pulled out his cell phone. “I’m calling my uncle. He has a dog-catching business.”
I didn’t have my breath back enough to point out it wasn’t a dog, but I didn’t have a better idea. The creature looked so helpless, rolling frantically like a beetle stuck on its back, I couldn’t walk over and kill it. I could if it moved again though. The S10 the Kuru-Pira had thrown was on its side and still on fire. Luckily, the creature had rolled it away from everything else, so I didn’t think the fire would spread.
I looked at Blythe. “Fire bombs?”
She shrugged, chewed on her lip, and looked like she was getting ready to cry.
Tea Bag, the owner of the “piece of shit” as he’d called it, stood staring forlornly at the ruined vehicle.
Within three minutes, a van screeched into the parking lot and it stopped by Rory. Two men got out and opened the back. One pulled out a tranquilizer gun and the other opened a cage big enough for a bear.
“Catches dogs, huh?” I muttered.
Rory shrugged and grinned. His cheeks, red from the cold, got darker. “My uncles are prepared for this sort of thing. We’ve had some strange stuff going on around here lately, in addition to that concert.”
The one with the tranquilizer gun shot the Kuru-Pira. It screeched and flopped around before falling still. The uncles tied it up, then loaded it into the cage. They had to sit it up in the corner so its legs would fit inside. One of them walked over to us, his eyes narrowing on me. I stood, winced and held one hand to my lower rib.
Rory cleared his throat. “Uncle Gale? This is Beri. She’s looking for a friend of hers who is in that band.”
Dark eyebrows drew together on the uncle’s face. “You kids didn’t go to that concert, did you?”
“Nah, Tea Bag’s truck broke down.”
Gale eyed the smoldering truck, frowned. “We’ll come back and tow that after we get that thing set up at the Preserve.”
Rory rolled his eyes. “There are two creatures out there and you call it that.”
“Three now.” He crossed his arms and frowned at something over my shoulder. I turned to see Blythe dumping baggies on the ground.
I rushed in to explain. “They’re herbs. She collects them. Not drugs. I know what it looks like.”
“Tell her to keep her herbs away from these kids.”
I nodded, just glad he was carting that thing off, because I sure didn’t know what to do with it. The demons I’d fought from the Dweller had sort of melted into mush. “Hey, Blythe, gather up your stuff and do whatever it is you’re doing back at the room. We have to take care of that other problem.”
“What other problem?” she asked as she shoved baggies back into her yellow purse.
“The ancient one.”
“Oh right.” She stood up and slowly walked to Tea Bag, tapped his shoulder. “I’m so sorry about your car. I can’t buy you a new one—I don’t have a job right now—but I can help pay for a used one. I’ll give you my address… Wait, my house burned down.” She bit her lip.
I took pity on her. Something, probably the fire bombs, had her completely frazzled. I walked over and wrapped my arm around her shoulders. Big, startled blue eyes looked up at me. “I’ll bring some cash by the cafe tomorrow, okay?” I said to the forlorn teen.
“Sure,” he murmured. “But you really don’t have to worry about it. It was a bad truck. Not even worth five hundred bucks.”
“Well, I’ll bring that and you can use it as a down payment on another, okay?”
“Thanks.” He stared at Blythe. “She’s not going to cry is she?”
Poor boy looked so alarmed, I grinned.
Blythe sobbed.
“It’s been a rough couple of days. She’ll be all right. Come on, Blythe.” I walked her to the motel, feeling the suspicious gaze of Rory’s Uncle Gale the entire way.
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