Part 20 (1/2)

On the grease smeared flat was a pot filled with some dark green sludge that made him gag when he sniffed it. There was a bark cup half full of the stuff beside it. He picked it up and looked at it. Then for some reason, he sniffed it again. Under the foul odor was something else-something familiar. It was another faint whiff of Emily's scent.

She held this cup-possibly drank from it! But what in the Seven h.e.l.ls is this stuff that she drank?

Tragar carried it into the main area where Xen'dex was still questioning the witch.

”What is this?” he demanded, thrusting the cup in front of her. ”I can tell Emily held it-what did you give her? What did it do to her? Where is she?”

For the first time, the old female began to look really scared.

”That's just my medicine, so it tis!” she protested, backing away.

Xen'dex took the cup, sniffed it, and made a face.

”A medicine made with dark-weed and lyer juice? I don't think so. What have you done with her? What have you done with the Khalla?”

”Only helped her, like she asked!” the old woman who called herself Grandy See-er protested shrilly. ”She didn't want her nectar to flow, nor her honey neither. So Grandy See-er stopped them, so I did! Gave her my best star-silver nubbin pinchers! Twere most expensive but I gave them for free, from the goodness of my heart!”

”Star-silver!” Xen'dex looked so grim that Tragar demanded, ”What? What is it?”

The other male looked troubled.

”So many Beast Kindred have settled here and bred with the Wulven in the past thirty cycles that several Khalla have been born. It was one reason I came here-to offer my expertise. Because the Wulven didn't understand what was happening and some tried to stop the process-to halt the Tenrah in its tracks.”

”Well, you can slow it down some, right?” Tragar asked. ”That is what you taught us.”

”Yes, but stopping it completely is incredibly dangerous. This metal-this star-silver she's talking about-will do that. It's a natural hormonal r.e.t.a.r.dant. But if it isn't removed in time...”

Tragar felt sick. ”What? What happens?” he made himself ask.

His old master sighed deeply.

”If it isn't removed in time, the Khalla may die.”

”She won't die of the star-silver, so she won't,” Grandy See-er said. Her face broke into a crafty smile. ”Though she might have a hard time surviving where she went.”

”What? What are you talking about?” Tragar demanded.

”Why-I'm only talking about the direction she was headed when she and I parted ways,” the old female protested. ”Twas none of my doing-I tried to warn her. But she wouldn't hear anything I said-so stubborn she was!”

”Where?” Tragar wanted to shake her. ”Where did she go? Tell me, G.o.ddess d.a.m.n you!”

The witch gave him a wide-eyed innocent look.

”Why...to the Howlund, my Lord. Leastways, that's where she was headed when last I saw her.”

Chapter Seventeen.

”h.e.l.lo, little female-are you lost?”

The voice from behind her made Emily jump and gasp in surprise. She whirled around, putting an arm over her ridiculously capped nipples and stared up at a tall, muscular male with piercing blue eyes and a smirk on his face. She was lost actually-completely lost. But somehow she didn't think asking him directions would be a good idea.

”Um...I'm fine.” Slowly, she began to back away, only to b.u.mp into something hard and warm.

”What's your hurry, little female?” another deep voice rumbled behind her.

”Leave me alone,” she managed to say, though her mouth was so dry it was hard to talk. The bright blue sunlight beat down on her, making the whole scene seem horribly surreal but she knew she couldn't afford to believe this was all just a really vivid nightmare. Thinking like that would get her killed...or worse.

”We would, but clearly you don't want to be left alone.” There was a third voice now-another male was closing in, cutting off her escape route.

”Jey's right,” said the first male. ”If you wanted to be left alone, why would you come to the Howlund just at this time dressed like that and smelling so hot? I think you want to try love with a changed one-is that right, little female? You want to rut with a male in his fur-form?”

”Or maybe with the whole pack,” rumbled one of the others and all of them exploded into coa.r.s.e, deep laughter that set Emily's teeth on edge.

The Howlund-they said the Howland. Where have I heard that before? Suddenly she remembered-it was something Tragar had said. And hadn't he said it was someplace dangerous? Someplace she shouldn't go? If not, that was still the idea she had gotten.

So how did I get here all by myself with these weird things on my nipples? Emily asked herself desperately. And what in the world is inside me? Because she could feel something hard and cold and heavy in her channel-it s.h.i.+fted uncomfortably every time she moved.

Then a big, hot hand fell on her shoulder and she knew that it didn't matter how she'd gotten there or what else was going on-right now she needed to concentrate on getting out.

Emily shrugged off the hand and tried to bite back the frightened squeak that wanted to pa.s.s her lips as the three males got closer, forming a triangle around her. Oh G.o.d, this was horrible-she was being surrounded!

”What is that?” she gasped, pointing into the sky. ”I've never seen anything like it!”

The trick might've been straight out of a silly, slapstick comedy but it worked-all three men looked at the same time.

Heart pounding, Emily turned and dived under the arm of the first man who had opened his arms as though to catch her or maybe keep her from running. He let out a curse that sounded more like a snarl and Emily was sure he was coming after her. In fact, she was sure all of them were but she understood instinctively that she didn't dare to look back even for an instant-any delay might get her caught.

Not that she could outrun them for long-they all had incredibly long legs and she was running barefoot and didn't know where she was going. But she had to try. Dodging around other shoppers and vendors alike, she tried to get to the edge of the crowded market place. She just had to get away. She had to- Suddenly someone was right in front of her and though she tried to dodge, Emily couldn't miss them. She hit hard, nearly bowling the person over but somehow they stood their ground and didn't go down. There was a brief, blurred confusion of limbs and then someone was grabbing her arm and hissing in her ear, ”What are you doing out here like this, Sister? Has the madness taken you to behave so?”

Emily was prepared to fight but the feminine tones took her by surprise. She looked up and saw a girl with black hair and blue eyes looking at her with a frown on her face. Then the pert nose wrinkled and the blue eyes widened.

”Khalla!” breathed the girl. And without warning, she thrust Emily behind her back.

In front of them, the three males who had been chasing her came skidding to a stop. Emily stared at them fearfully but the girl who had grabbed her stood tall in front of her, glaring them down.

”Jey...Zeth...Tirn,” she said, frowning up at them all in turn. ”What are you doing, bothering this poor female?”

”We weren't bothering her-she came to us,” protested the first man.

”Stand aside, Saskia,” growled the second. ”She's an unmated female out in the Howlund just before the change. You know the law-she's fair game.”

”Yes, if she came here of her own volition.” The girl glared at them, not moving. ”But she was running from you-I don't think she meant to be here at all.”

”She's right,” Emily spoke up, wis.h.i.+ng her voice sounded stronger. ”I don't know how I got here but I certainly didn't come looking for, uh, anything. I just want to go home.”

”There, you see?” the girl demanded, frowning up at the huge males. ”She's not here a-purpose and she doesn't want the likes of you three. So be off now and leave her alone!”