Part 26 (2/2)
”Jeez, Claire. Hair s.h.i.+rt much? They're not ignoring the problem, they're recharging so they can continue to fight.”
”Well, we don't have that luxury. We have to deal with this segue and in order to do that, we have to know what's happening at the other end of the mall.”
”And in order to do that, we'll need their help. The food court's at the other end of the mall,” Diana continued before Claire could voice one of her usual ”Keepers do it alone, yadda, yadda” protests, ”so they obviously know a way to get in and out again.” She wiped nectarine juice off her chin and glanced at Kris, who nodded.
”We do.”
Her gaze s.h.i.+fted from Kris to the King. ”So we need to set up some kind of a recon mission. I suggest that Kris and I wander down for a quick look. She takes care of the navigating and any necessary bad-a.s.s whupping, and I handle the metaphysical stuff.”
Sapphire eyes narrowed in confusion as Arthur leaned forward, arms braced across his thighs. ”Bada.s.s whupping?”
”She means, sire, that I can smack any meat-minds we run across,” Kris explained, grinning broadly. ”But don't ask me why she's talking like that.”
”Don't ask me either,” Diana muttered weakly. She could only a.s.sume that the thought of spending time alone with Kris skulking through a dark mall had cut the circuit between her brain and her mouth. Claire was looking less than pleased with the suggestion and Sam . . . Sam was buried so deep in her backpack that only his b.u.t.t and his tail showed. Grateful for the distraction, Diana tossed the nectarine pit into the fire, turned, and hauled him clear.
”Hey! I was just checking to see if you packed my hairball medicine!”
”You don't have hairball medicine.” She pulled out a second tuna sandwich. The wrapping had been holed and a fair bit of the tuna excavated. ”You have your own food!”
”Yeah? So?” He licked down a bit of ruffled fur. ”You going to eat that? I mean, since it's kind of covered in cat spit ...”
Diana sighed and handed over the sandwich.
”You shouldn't let him get away with that kind of behavior.”
As Sam retreated to the edge of the firelight, she turned a pointed look on her sister. ”Like you're the expert. Austin totally runs your life.”
”Austin and I have an understanding.”
”Yeah, that he runs your life.”
”A reconnaissance mission has merit,” Arthur announced suddenly. From his tone, Diana a.s.sumed he'd done some thinking about it while she'd been dealing with Sam. ”But are either of you well enough to go? Both of you were injured in the recent battle; perhaps two of my scouts . . .”
”No.” Claire was using her don't-even-bother-arguing-with-me voice. ”It has to be one of us. Your people can't see what we need to know.”
”And I'm fine,” Diana broke in. ”Headache's mostly gone, I had a nice nap, I have two working arms ... it has to be me.”
Claire nodded agreement. ”You're right.”
”And Claire obviously got hit on the head and we never noticed.”
Arthur turned an anxious expression on the older Keeper, but she waved him off. ”Diana's just trying to be funny.”
”Now is not the time.”
Apparently a sense of humor was not a requirement to be an Immortal King. ”Sorry.” The apology slipped out before Diana remembered that Keepers never apologized.
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