Page 13 of Shifter King
"All right. Not that exact one. But what about this one?" QueQoa picked up the second.
"You are mocking these rules."
"You're just making them up as you go."
Amelia shook her head as she strode back into the smaller chambers of the bunker. It would be close quarters for all of them compared to the openness of their camp, but it would be safer and cozier. One of the rooms had obviously been intended to store supplies. Numerous baskets lined metal shelves though most were empty of all but dust, leaves, shells, and rubbish. She stacked the baskets one on top of the other. They would burn like kindling, but keeping these would benefit them. Four at a time, she carried them out into the main room.
WroOth had actually entered the bunker and helped QueQoa remove the last of the benches and the table. Now that he was down here, she realized he was missing his doublet and most of his tunic had been shredded and stained with blood.
"What happened to you?"
"Bastard of a mantis decided to ambush me and just start beating me."
"It took your doublet?"
"No," he grumbled. "It caught on fire, so I took it off—"
"Wait, why did your doublet catch on fire? And why are you missing a boot?" She dropped the baskets. "Your hair is covered in blood. Your blood!"
"Everything is fine. It happens."
"Mantises usually aren't that smart," QueQoa said. "And there was no good reason for it to be trying to herd us out of this forest."
"There was no reason for it at all." WroOth snapped his fingers and pointed at the baskets. "You want these out before the fire? Get them to the ladder. This whole place is on fire in less than seven minutes. What else is going up?"
"There are some chests that would be good to keep for storage." She picked up the baskets again. "Back in what I think were the bedrooms."
"Fine. They can come." He heaved a dramatic sigh as he deposited the bolts into his pocket.
"Thank you for your tolerance." She gathered up the remaining baskets, concerned at how dark WroOth's mood had become even if he tried to hide it. They needed to talk at some point but not now. Not when he was about ready to break that metal bench in half. He hadn't tended to any of the cuts in his clothing or even wiped away the blood. It didn't seem wise to ask him where his boot was again.
QueQoa was troubled as well, but he tried to show better cheer by pointing out how interesting it was that some of the grim worm scales were more grey than brown and that when they burned, they would smell more like wood chips than centipedes. When she tried to direct the conversation back to Laachtue, however, he said even less, though there was a warmness that emanated from him. "It's nothing to dwell on," he said. "Especially not now."
Amelia tried to carry the baskets up the ladder, but even though they were light, she struggled. Both QueQoa and WroOth chastised her and sent her out of the bunker. "It's almost time to set everything in this place on fire, and I'd much rather do that when you aren't down here," WroOth said, swatting her hair. "So climb up and stay out until it's all cleared."
She made her way up slowly, grateful for the fresh air. The stench of the grim worms clung to her even once she emerged onto the short-growing grass. Proteus pulled back with an annoyed grunt, his long trunk wrinkling.
She wiped her hands on her skirt, shaking her head. "I know it's bad."
Proteus continued to complain as he moved even farther back.
Hopefully the fresh air would cleanse the scent or it would be a long way back.
The enormous trees that had been uprooted for the spikes lay in two piles. The rich earthy scent masked the grim worm smell as she walked toward the nearest of the piles. Naatos and AaQar crouched over something by the closest of the dark-ridged trunks. Strips of black and pale-blue cloth lay over the mantis, some tied around the bands. Both Naatos and AaQar were missing sleeves.
Someone had set the mantis's head on a stone nearby. It stared at her with chilling unblinking eyes. Its antennae were still curled above its head. She grimaced, folding her arms tight over her chest. Mantises weren't the most pleasant of creatures to look at in the best of times. But there was something especially unsettling about this one. Like it was watching her with cruel intent.
"There." Naatos cut the band at its thorax. "This part has an electronic device."
"Let's see." AaQar took it away carefully. His frown mirrored Naatos's. "It's recording but not transmitting. Timed signal from the looks of it. Someone is going to come looking for these mantises when this tracer goes off and it doesn't check in."
"We can move the bodies. Or at least enough of them. And we can destroy all but the tracker. Or we could just let the bodies go someplace that whoever set it wouldn't follow."
Amelia stopped beside Naatos's shoulder. The tension in the air made her entire body ache. "What's going on? QueQoa said these mantises just attacked and had no smell."
Naatos remained crouched but looked her up and down, his brow raised as if he expected her to collapse in half a breath. "You look tired."
"That's just my face these days." She forced a smile. "Are you going to answer me or do I need to read your mind?"
