dejectedly.
‘Oh for god’s sake,’ Toby said. ‘Untie him, Pig-face. I can’t bear to look at him. He looks like he’s about to start bawling. Get up, you sniveling idiot. You can redeem yourself by sniffing out the Golden girl for us.’
Ratboy got gratefully to his feet, rubbing himself where the ropes had cut into him. He hated Toby so much. And it was Toby that looked like he was going to cry, earlier, when Ratboy had pointed out that it was getting late. One of these days he’d get his revenge… But for now he might as well try to look like he was helping. ‘Do you think the lawyers found them yet?’ he asked.
Toby was rubbing at his own rope marks, and spat in disgust. ‘Of course they did, you idiot. McKitten and Turtle are like bloodhounds. God knows how they do it. But they always get their man.’ He sighed and paced the clearing, running his hands through his hair and trying to think. What would El do once the girl had been served? Who would he send after them? ‘Probably,’ he said, thinking out loud, ‘there are already unicorns on their way.’
Pig-face looked [more] confused [than usual]. ‘But…’ He squinted with the effort of thinking, ‘I thought there were already unicorns with them? They took the ones we had.’
Toby drew back his hand to slap Pig-face, but held it in the air, shaking with anger. He sighed, and dropped his hand. No, it wasn’t Pig’s fault he was stupid. Plus, the guy was frickin’ huge . Toby had no problem bullying Ratboy, but Pig-face was a different matter. He might fight back. ‘Yes,’ he said, slowly through gritted teeth, ‘I know they took our unicorns. I was there. I’m talking about different unicorns.’
Ratboy risked asking a question. ‘Why would they send more unicorns? The party is on its way to the castle anyway. I mean, I think. Where else would they go? They asked where we were taking them.’
Toby pulled thoughtfully at his lower lip. True, the Hero party was on its way to the castle. But he didn’t think El knew that yet. Ugh, this had all gotten so messy. Why couldn’t he have just met them at the portal? The longer this whole thing dragged on the deeper he was getting in trouble. He glanced at his two companions. All along he’d been planning to blame them for the mishap. Now he wasn’t sure, even if he did that, that it would save him.
‘I don’t think they know that the girl and her guard are going to the castle yet,’ he said to Ratboy. ‘And I think that by now they’re getting pretty impatient. I have a feeling that we need to get moving, and fast. I’d bet money that after the unicorns have found the Hero party, they’ll have instructions to find us . And these won’t just be regular unicorns. I know the Overlords. They’ll send the Dark Ones.’
Chapter Eleven
The Dark Ones
‘CAN YOU MOVE IT OKAY?’ KEL WAS EXAMINING RACHEL’S HAND. She wiggled her fingers experimentally.
‘Yeah,’ she said, ‘I think so.’ The burning sensation had gone away, but her hand looked like it had been dipped in red paint. And ever since the departure of McKitten and Turtle, the unicorns had been very uneasy. Rachel looked over at them as they pulled at their tethers, throwing their heads back and snorting. Something was very wrong.
‘I think I know what this is.’ Everyone turned to look at Caroline. ‘I heard about this from another Safeguarder. The cat said you’ve been “served”, right?’ Rachel nodded slowly. ‘Well,’ the other girl went on, ‘I think it means that someone here in this Altworld is looking for you. And now they can find you.’ She nodded at Rachel’s hand.
Rachel scowled at the hand Kel was studying. She had tried to scrub the red off, but it was like it was tattooed on there. ‘But who would want to find me?’ she asked. ‘Who even knows I’m here? I thought we were just supposed to be finding out where the unicorns were going?’
Kel gave her back her hand and exhaled. ‘Yeah,
‘Oh for god’s sake,’ Toby said. ‘Untie him, Pig-face. I can’t bear to look at him. He looks like he’s about to start bawling. Get up, you sniveling idiot. You can redeem yourself by sniffing out the Golden girl for us.’
Ratboy got gratefully to his feet, rubbing himself where the ropes had cut into him. He hated Toby so much. And it was Toby that looked like he was going to cry, earlier, when Ratboy had pointed out that it was getting late. One of these days he’d get his revenge… But for now he might as well try to look like he was helping. ‘Do you think the lawyers found them yet?’ he asked.
Toby was rubbing at his own rope marks, and spat in disgust. ‘Of course they did, you idiot. McKitten and Turtle are like bloodhounds. God knows how they do it. But they always get their man.’ He sighed and paced the clearing, running his hands through his hair and trying to think. What would El do once the girl had been served? Who would he send after them? ‘Probably,’ he said, thinking out loud, ‘there are already unicorns on their way.’
Pig-face looked [more] confused [than usual]. ‘But…’ He squinted with the effort of thinking, ‘I thought there were already unicorns with them? They took the ones we had.’
Toby drew back his hand to slap Pig-face, but held it in the air, shaking with anger. He sighed, and dropped his hand. No, it wasn’t Pig’s fault he was stupid. Plus, the guy was frickin’ huge . Toby had no problem bullying Ratboy, but Pig-face was a different matter. He might fight back. ‘Yes,’ he said, slowly through gritted teeth, ‘I know they took our unicorns. I was there. I’m talking about different unicorns.’
Ratboy risked asking a question. ‘Why would they send more unicorns? The party is on its way to the castle anyway. I mean, I think. Where else would they go? They asked where we were taking them.’
Toby pulled thoughtfully at his lower lip. True, the Hero party was on its way to the castle. But he didn’t think El knew that yet. Ugh, this had all gotten so messy. Why couldn’t he have just met them at the portal? The longer this whole thing dragged on the deeper he was getting in trouble. He glanced at his two companions. All along he’d been planning to blame them for the mishap. Now he wasn’t sure, even if he did that, that it would save him.
‘I don’t think they know that the girl and her guard are going to the castle yet,’ he said to Ratboy. ‘And I think that by now they’re getting pretty impatient. I have a feeling that we need to get moving, and fast. I’d bet money that after the unicorns have found the Hero party, they’ll have instructions to find us . And these won’t just be regular unicorns. I know the Overlords. They’ll send the Dark Ones.’
Chapter Eleven
The Dark Ones
‘CAN YOU MOVE IT OKAY?’ KEL WAS EXAMINING RACHEL’S HAND. She wiggled her fingers experimentally.
‘Yeah,’ she said, ‘I think so.’ The burning sensation had gone away, but her hand looked like it had been dipped in red paint. And ever since the departure of McKitten and Turtle, the unicorns had been very uneasy. Rachel looked over at them as they pulled at their tethers, throwing their heads back and snorting. Something was very wrong.
‘I think I know what this is.’ Everyone turned to look at Caroline. ‘I heard about this from another Safeguarder. The cat said you’ve been “served”, right?’ Rachel nodded slowly. ‘Well,’ the other girl went on, ‘I think it means that someone here in this Altworld is looking for you. And now they can find you.’ She nodded at Rachel’s hand.
Rachel scowled at the hand Kel was studying. She had tried to scrub the red off, but it was like it was tattooed on there. ‘But who would want to find me?’ she asked. ‘Who even knows I’m here? I thought we were just supposed to be finding out where the unicorns were going?’
Kel gave her back her hand and exhaled. ‘Yeah,
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