Page 35 of Sanctuary

Misty placed her hand out to help him up.

Simon shook his head. “I’ll pull you down. I can stand.” He hefted himself from the floor using the wall. It was slower than he normally moved and again he grimaced before straightening. He rotated his shoulder and felt a heavy pull, but it was bearable. He reached over and picked up the tranquilizer gun.

“Stay up here with this,” he told Paige and handed it to her.

“I’ve got my knife,” Sarah said.

He nodded in her direction before heading down the spiral staircase. There were small lights at strategic points on the stairway which helped him see. He could hear the storm raging outside, and when he came off the last step, he landed in an inch of water. The door was closed, but water seeped in beneath it during storms. Simon didn’t think anyone was outside, but he decided to check.

Slowly, he opened the door. The low growl and push against his leg was unexpected. Before he could react, he realized it was Summa, a young male lion who for the most part was friendly. Simon had spent extra time with Summa, but he didn’t quite trust him yet. He looked around outside but saw no movement in the murky darkness.

“I guess you can come inside, but I have company, and you must be on your best behavior.” The lion’s soaked hair stuck up in odd places, and he peered at Simon like he would do anything not to go back into the storm. “Be nice to Indra too. If you give him a reason, he’ll put you on your back.”

Indra got along with the cats who left him alone. He’d gone with Simon to feed, and he and Summa never had a problem. Simon wasn’t sure how it would work up the stairs in the smaller area, but he didn’t know what else to do. He walked to the stairs and noticed Summa’s limp when he followed. The cat stumbled, and Simon saw the blood trail.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Savage Sanctuary Island, Misty

Paige and Sarah woke up as Simon walked over them to get to the stairwell. Sarah looked around sleepily, not sure where she was, and Paige looked thoughtful.

“How long did we sleep?” Paige asked.

“I think it was about an hour. I heard noises downstairs, and Simon went to check,” Misty told her.

“You know we’re kind of screwed here,” Paige said.

“Why is that?” Sarah asked while she stretched and yawned.

“We’re stuck, and when the storm ends, we’ll be caught,” Paige said in a matter-of-fact tone.

“The hunters are our biggest concern right now,” Misty reminded them.

“I’m not saying they aren’t, I’m just thinking ahead,” Paige replied somewhat belligerently. “Our boat is gone, and we’re stuck.”

“You’re the one who wanted to take the boat,” Sarah snapped, her eyes going hard with anger.

“I’m not perfect, and I thought it would be the best chance to get away.”

“You mean our best chance to drown,” Sarah shot back.

“I don’t know why you’re upset,” Paige insisted. “We’ll probably be eaten by one of the cats anyway.”

“They’ll eat me and Sarah, but they’ll spit you out,” Misty said, joining the conversation.

Paige stuck out her tongue. That was when the large lion scampered off the stairs and stopped when he saw the girls.

Indra rose and growled. The lion bared its teeth.

“Stop that, both of you,” Simon said, coming up behind the lion. “This is Summa,” he told the girls. “He’s hurt, and he might be the lion that was stabbed.”

“His teeth look really big,” Paige said.

The lion plopped down on its side suddenly and let out a strange low sound. Sarah, who had gone to her feet at the sight of Summa, dropped to her knees beside him.

“Be careful,” Simon urged.

The cat watched Sarah, but he didn’t lift his head.

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