Page 39 of Game on Askole

Oh fuck! Talk about bad timing. My eyes bugged when I noticed the huge golden tarantula riding on his shoulder. Spiders gave me the creeps. The little buggers were always scurrying about, waiting for an opportunity to jump in my hair and giggle evilly while I had a meltdown. Where was a stun grenade when you needed one? Wait a minute. It was the perfect time to see how Lothel handled my demented act. I screamed bloody blue murder and jumped on the table.“Keep it away from me. Keep it away from me!”

A blood-covered Voss appeared.“Nice try.”

“Has the female been damaged in some way?”Lothel regarded me warily.

“I’m not a Happy Meal, and you don’t get to munch on me,”I bellowed and popped him in the mouth.

Tihar’s sword was suddenly against Lothel’s throat.“Do not touch her. She is my chosen.”

Oh hell. I picked up the last bowl of salsa and dumped it on Lothel’s head.“I challenge you to a duel. Swords at dawn. Mwah-hah-hah.”

“Is she serious?”Lothel didn’t seem worried by the blade cutting into his neck.

“It’s an act,”Voss stated, giving me the Coletti version of the stink eye.

On a private link, I whispered to Tihar,“Back off. I’ve got it handled.”

“It is my duty to protect you.”

A bloody Sariel zipped up and commanded,“Put the sword down. Now.”

Tihar lowered his sword and promptly grabbed Lothel by the neck.“Sarah is mine. I will fight you for her.”

“She belongs you?”To say Lothel was stunned would be an understatement.

“That is unknown. We will test her blood in two days’ time to determine if her DNA has been compromised,”Sariel advised.

Tihar bared his fangs at Lothel.“The mating dance has started. Touch her and die.”

Voss sighed in aggravation.“I suggest we discuss this situation over a great deal of Mallon brandy in my office. Once I tell you how troublesome this female can be, you won’t be so eager to claim her.”

Lookee there, I had missed a bowl of hot sauce. Voss would look good wearing it. Before I could reach for it, Kaylee grabbed it.

“Not a chance. This is the good stuff.” She grabbed a chip, dunked it, and chowed down. “I dreamed of chips, hot sauce, salsa, and chocolate every damn day I was sloshing about that stinky swamp and eating God knows what.”

The spider jumped on the table and stuck its face in the red sauce.

Voss and Lothel teleported away.

“I will be back,”Tihar promised and zipped off with his father.

A buzzing filled my head, and then I heard the spider ask,“The crazy one is family?”

“She is,”Kaylee answered, stuffing another chip in her mouth.

A talking spider? The universe was truly wacked.

The spider raised its head, and I started laughing. Its fangs held a chip dripping with hot sauce. Anyone who liked Mexican food couldn’t be all bad.“I thought spiders ate bugs?”

“I am a Tabor. A distant cousin of your Earth spiders, and we eat many things”

“Her kids really like chowing down on Tai-Kok,”Kaylee inserted.

“Whoa! Really?”

Kaylee nodded.“Yep. They’re a great source of protein”

Damn. Just the thought of the monsters being drained dry by itty-bitty spiders brought a smile to my face.“Any time the babies need a snack, you let me know, and I’ll bring them some Tai-Kok.”

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