"A full-grownlu-ongcan grow up to three times its size. This one is nowhere close to that."
Kira's mouth clicked closed. That put things in perspective.
Thelu-onglowered its head, snorting at them. Its lips curled, exposing the terrifyingly sharp teeth of a carnivore.
Kira swallowed hard, the thought of where she'd been minutes before making her slightly queasy. She wasn't afraid of death, but the thought of being some creature's snack was terrifying.
Graydon let out a low curse. "We're going to have to kill it."
"Wait," Kira started.
Graydon didn't listen, his powerful stride taking him close to thelu-ongbefore she could do more than form a token protest.
Kira screamed in frustration.
The insufferable man was going to get himself killed. What did he think he was going to do? Punch it to death?
Kira darted after him.
Thelu-ongtossed its head, biting at the air as it reared, springing even further out of the water, its movements frantic and mindless.
"Stop," Kira shouted, kicking the back of Graydon's knee and sending him stumbling forward. "You can't kill it."
"What do you suggest I do? Let him eat you?" Graydon asked sarcastically.
"Perhaps you can take a moment away from needless posturing and actually analyze the situation," Kira spat.
Graydon showed her his teeth, displeasure pouring off him in waves. "What's there to analyze? Once it's dead, you can talk about your feelings about its tragic end all you want."
He did not just say that.
Kira glared at him and pointed. "Look at the side of its neck. That's a Tsavitee control collar. The moment it senses its host's heart stop beating, it will attach itself to the next closest source."
Where Kira pointed, there was a large lump. On closer inspection, it resembled an alien tick, tentacles plunging deep into thelu-ong's skin.
"But if you'd like to be used as a Tsavitee puppet, go ahead, kill thelu-ong," Kira said, her words dripping with acid.
Graydon's eyes spat fire as Kira raised her eyebrows at him, unmoved by his temper tantrum. She was right and he knew it.
"What do you suggest?" Graydon said, the words sounding like they were forced out of him.
"Thank you for asking," Kira said, unable to resist prodding at him. His ire deepened until his eyes looked like storm clouds. "It'll be easier if we destroy the collar first. After that, thelu-ongwill either run off or you can kill it."
She'd prefer thelu-ongescape with its life intact. Something that beautiful didn't deserve to be destroyed because of a Tsavitee's poisonous interference.
"Fine," Graydon said, his voice rigidly controlled. "How do you suggest I do that?"
"Destroy the collar's brain first. One hard blow to the body should do it," she said. "Just be careful. If it senses its mission is compromised, it might try to attach itself to you."
She spoke from experience. The alien tick was a pain in the ass to kill. You had to be quick and precise or risk falling under a Tsavitee's control.
"Think you can handle that?" Kira challenged.
Graydon curled his lip at her. "The day I can't handle something like this is the day I admit a human is better than me."
Kira rolled her eyes at him, exasperation making it hard to keep her retort to herself. "I'll act as decoy. You take care of the collar."
"No, just stand where it's safe."
