Page 87 of Crossing Quinn

“The one being held tomorrow. On your birthday,” Papa answered.

I was beyond horrified. “Why didn’t someone say anything?”

“I left instructions,” Detja said haughtily.

“The only instructions we received were about shit cleanup,” Quinn responded and helped me to my feet.

Zarek teleported in. His cold gaze surveyed us from head to toe. “Aruid said you let naugers into the tunnels.”

“Let!” My voice was a screech.

Quinn grabbed my hands before I could summon a fireball. “We did not let naugers into the tunnels, but I think Aruid did. Xenia held them off until an energy barrier could be raised. If she hadn’t, the naugers would have made it into the city.”

With her best ice queen demeanor, Detja turned on Zarek. “Did you assign them thirty tunnels to clean?”

Zarek frowned. “They were to clean three a day, which would give them enough time to prepare for the bonding ceremony.”

“Do they look ready for the bonding ceremony? Not only has Xenia lost a considerable amount of weight, she’s covered in dung. We’ll never get them cleaned up in time,” Mami’s voice was shrill with outrage.

Papa added, “They do stink.”

“Papa!”

“When is the last time you ate?” A faint glow lit my father’s eyes.

“I don’t know.”

“She hasn’t eaten any solid food in a week. My blood has kept her going,” Quinn answered.

“This is how the Coletti treat their females?” My father was transforming into his berserker mode.

“Wait, Papa! It’s not Quinn’s fault. After fourteen hours of cleaning out those stinky cages, I was too exhausted to eat.”

His mouth a merciless line, Zarek vanished. A minute later, he reappeared and dumped Aruid in front of us.

“They are lying, my lord. The hybrid is responsible for the naugers getting into the city, not me,” Aruid whined.

“I challenge you to combat,” Quinn snarled.

Aruid wrinkled his nose in disgust, “I will not fight a filthy hybrid.”

From the expression on Zarek’s face, that was the wrong thing to say. I summoned a fireball and let it float above my right hand. “I’ll fight you. Actually, it’s more like I’ll turn you into a pile of ash.”

Wulf, in full body armor, teleported in. “My lord?”

Zarek pointed to Aruid. “Give him to the naugers.”

With a shriek, Aruid fled.

An immense power rippled the air as Zarek stopped Aruid’s flight. The suicidal ass toppled to the floor. His terrified gaze fixed on the Overlord.

I whispered psychically to Quinn. “He can’t move, can he?”

“No.”

Wulf picked Aruid up and teleported.

Detja clapped her hands. “The bonding ceremony will be held tomorrow, and we have a lot to accomplish.”

“A challenge worthy of you,” Zarek commented.

I laughed. “A challenge? We smell like dead Tanezumi.”

“I have the perfect solution for that,” Detja answered. “Follow me.”

“I would follow you into the ninth level of hell to have sex with Quinn.”

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