Page 45 of Monster Married
I lifted the bag. “I don’t know how far that is.”
“It’s how far a grizzly can run in thirty seconds. You maybe wanna try moving like you have a bear on your heels?”
“Just lead the way so we can get back to our guys, okay? I really don’t want to be here unless it’s a naughty Red Riding Hood reenactment.”
I seriously needed to stop speaking, and the brain’s quality control unit needed to be fired and replaced by capable braincells, stat.
“You know, if furries are your thing, go for it. Just don’t tell me about it.”
Vergis navigated the forest ahead of me, fast and barely making a sound as he moved. I did my best to keep up. He kept looking over his shoulder to make sure I didn’t get attacked by a tree. I was starting to sweat, and neither of us was having a great time, but I didn’t want people to get shot. Other than the cola ash people maybe. But truth be told, I just wanted them to leave us alone.
At last, I heard the river over my panting. Vergis stopped on the shore to grab me. He was carrying two bags, both clearly heavier than mine, and it didn’t seem to bother him at all. He had muscles, magic, and a nice set of horns. How had he ever been jealous of me?
He pulled his knife out. “We’ll hop back slower. I want to pull some sacrificial power into my knife.” The blade caught the dappled light. “If the situation gets too fucked up, we’re going to hightail it out of Esaka, and since you have exactly nothing to contribute to a fight but screams, you’ll follow my lead and do as I say. Are we very clear on that, princess?”
“The others?—”
“Will do stupid things if it looks like we’re in trouble. Especially Inkiri. You move with me. If we can, we’re not going to stay in the circle, because the Koa Esher might try to use that against us.”
“Move with you, right.” Nothing was right. This wasn’t what married life was supposed to be like at all.
“When I tell you, you wish for clear skies. Now move.”
And with that, I was unceremoniously dragged into the river. It didn’t seem that deep, so at least I wasn’t in immediate danger of drowning. Getting all wet still wasn’t any fun though, and I shivered, the strap of the duffel slicing into my shoulder.
“One more thing, princess.” Vergis pulled out a set of earplugs and held them out to me. “Just so I don’t get told off for not protecting your hearing.”
I nodded. I remembered the ringing noise of him firing his gun that once, and I was definitely liking the idea of earplugs. I put them in right away.
Vergis unsheathed his knife. The water was up to about the middle of my thighs and maybe to his knees. “Wish for clear skies, now.”
“Clear skies,” I managed to say through chattering teeth.
The noise of underbrush being crushed by something big and a roar made me look to the other shore even as heat and brightness sizzled all around me.
“B-b-bear!” The magic was warming me up, but the water was still cold, and so the chattering teeth continued, although the bear might’ve had something to do with that.
“It’s fine. This isn’t a Shakespeare play,” Vergis said.
The bear roared. It was flicking huge.
“C-c-can we move?”
“I said I need to make sure my knife has enough sacrificial power to hop us back if needed. It’s just a bear.”
Had he ever even read an effing Shakespeare play? “It’s l-l-looking at us.”
“Well, kinda. It’s looking at you.”
“What?” He was right though. The bear’s bottom lip was sort of hanging, and I could see its teeth. It growled, then it stepped into the river, black eyes on me.
“Seriously. This is a thing with you, isn’t it? You’re a fucking trouble magnet, and for some stupid reason, I get stuck with you when most of the trouble finds you.” He pulled me closer, and I nearly dropped the duffel. “You know I’m not Mary Poppins, right? Brace.”
Brace? What the fudge did he mean by brace? I squeezed my eyes shut.
To my great misfortune and the misfortune of the bear who might have been a grizzly, I found out just what exactly brace meant. Wait for shit to hit, basically.
The heat intensified, and the light brightened until I had to close my eyes.
