Page 67 of Blood Bound
Longer if you are barefoot. Much, much longer, it told me.
That was good to know, but I wasn’t going to pull my shoes off just to marathon places. All I wanted to do was catch up to Vergis. I got in tackling range—overtaking Inkiri by about two bagu lengths—and then I made the actual tackle.
Except, since I couldn’t do sporty things, I ended up just sort of clinging to Vergis without actually knocking him off his feet. It still worked though. It slowed him down.
“Get off me, you little shit!”
“No! You can’t go there by yourself.”
“Stop!” Inkiri’s voice boomed, and I totally froze, clinging to Vergis all the tighter. I hadn’t known he’d be that good at giving orders.
Vergis stopped too. “They have my fucking father! Do you even know?—”
“Yes, Vergis, and we will go after them, but we will do it together.”
A loud whistling got us to turn toward the house. I was still half hanging on to Vergis, but I wasn’t going to relinquish that hold just yet. There was still a big risk of him doing something very unwise.
Charles jumped down the back stairs. “I’m coming with.” Made sense. The man was effing Rambo, after all. He was carrying two of those long guns and a duffel that looked pretty hefty. “We leave in three. Everyone, get your gear.” He strode right up to Vergis and me, peeled me off his son by the lapel, then handed Vergis a gun. “What did I fucking tell you about being a fucking hothead? It’s not going to help us get your father back, so pull yourself together and act like the smart killer I know you can be.”
Well, okay then. At least someone in this family was good at pep talks.
You know where Kinnek is? I asked the presence as frantic activity broke out all around us. Lissir met Inkiri on his way to the house and handed my mate his three swords. Luëris jogged up with a curved sword at his side, four of the bulky Raikengana who’d been so interested in catching Vergis’s eye with him.
Yes, I know where he is. They’re not moving to take him back to your mate’s world yet, but they are taking him back to where they have made a settlement. They will put him with the other slaves there.
“Slaves, just perfect,” I mumbled, but Vergis heard, and he stared at me. “I know where Kinnek is. Where they’re taking him.” I checked back in with the presence. “We can get close.”
Inkiri walked right up to me, still fastening his swords to his side. I saw him open his mouth, but I lifted my finger in a silencing gesture.
“No. You’re not telling me to stay back. Kinnek is…well, like family. We’re not leaving him to those…those inbred motherfuckers with the twisted horns. We’re getting him back, and I’m helping.” I was feeling plenty of drama queen energy all of a sudden. With any luck, it would translate well into rescue mission energy.
Inkiri smiled at me as if he were proud. “I was about to tell you to be vigilant and to stay behind me, my sweet mate.”
“Oh. Sorry.”
Charles clapped his hands. “Is everyone who’s going ready?” Luëris translated. There were mostly grunts, but some actual words of agreement all around. “Then let’s go and bring my husband home. Maybe put some bullets and a few knives in those assholes that took him.” He added something in Lugarra—the word “sakkir” was in there—and the Raikengana cheered.
We all headed to the gazebo and lined up inside the ko circle.
Vergis and I held hands, just like we had practiced.
“Ready, Princess?”
“Yeah. Do your best magic and treat the cola assholes like they’re pigeons.”
Vergis grinned the murderous kind of grin that I was sure could make even the most hardened fighters lose a few drops of pee.
“Sure thing,” he said, and off we went.
