Page 102 of Centaur Bolt

“Oh, it was undoubtedly that,” Vali replied. “But she was also right—Cara would have known from her energy that she hadn’t fed. And I’m not into voyeurism, even though I’m sure Kiko wouldn’t have minded.”

“Maybe she was here, and we missed her?” I wondered aloud.

“Not likely,” the Dragona said. “I’m sure she’s okay, but she’s pushing things, in typical Satyr fashion.”

We waited while the streets and aisles grew darker. I started to get seriously annoyed, and part of me wanted to leave her here.

But what if she was in trouble?

We had no way to know.

A few minutes later, it no longer mattered. I heard Vali mutter a curse under her breath as three hooded forms advanced toward us along the now dimly lit street.

“Don’t suppose you have a weapon on you?” I whispered.

In answer, she sprouted wicked talons from her fingertips.

“You any good with those?” I asked.

“No,” she admitted. “I have some training, but I’m a bookworm, remember? I had bodyguards for these things.”

Yes, I suppose she had. We could sure use them now. The three forms spread out as they advanced, pushing us back toward the alley along the grocery store.

“I don’t need to be an expert to make them bleed,” Vali hissed between her teeth.

Which was the moment when strong arms grabbed me from behind…

* * *

I dropped my shopping bag as the iron-like arm closed around me. I embraced the rage associated with hard-won merchandise in peril to help fight the panic, and I sensed the first tingle of white noise. But if I Jumped now, I would leave Vali behind.

Unless I could get my hands on her, we were fucked.

The Dragona had also dropped her goods to crouch over an arm’s length from me. She faced three attackers staying just out of range of her talons. If I grabbed her, could I Jump us both out of here? But where the hell was Kiko? She’d walk right into this.

So instead of reaching for that spot deep inside—I bit the arm holding me.

My little humanish teeth sank deep, and I kept going. I must have done something because he cursed and swung me off my feet, which he likely hoped would help extract me from his hide.

It had exactly the opposite effect. Was it my imagination, or did my teeth actually penetrate flesh? A coppery fluid flooded my mouth, confirming the impression. How had I drawn blood with little human teeth?

Answer: I hadn’t. The hands reaching to grip his arm were no longer my own. Claws glinted in the dim overhead lighting, shredding the cloak’s heavy fabric.

“She’s a fucking Dire!” my captor exclaimed, yanking my very non-human canines from his arm. He kept his fist in my hair to distance them from his skin.

One of his friends—there were five altogether—held a piece of rope. “Hold her still!” he said.

Then a deep voice rumbled from the shadows. “May I suggest you let them go, so I can let you live?”

Everyone froze. I squinted, but could only decipher a shadow a little darker than the surroundings. But there was no mistaking what arced above it—Dragon wings.

The thugs weren’t as impressed as me. “Get lost, Dragon. We spotted them first.”

One of the others hissed, “They’ll be worth a pretty penny on the market. Especially the Dragona.”

I was getting a little tired of being last on the most-valuable-player list. But in this case, maybe it was a good thing.

“Told you they wouldn’t listen,” another deep voice stated.

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