“The caves?” Kingston, who’d snapped a piece of aloe off, waggled it at us. “Were you planning on hiding, nieces?”
Giya rolled her shoulders back and straightened her neck. “No one’s hiding.”
“But, Giya—”
“I’m fine, Amara. So how do we defeat them? Do we have to brew a potion with weird-ass ingredients again?”
I stared at her resolute profile, again wondering what sort of trials she’d gone through to get here.
“No potion-brewing,” Kingston replied. “Just good-old-fashioned skewering.”
“I’m guessing I’ll need a spear then.” Giya trod back toward the beach, splitting the clear water with her lean legs. “Where do we get weapons?”
Kingston stroked his hunk of aloe. “At the caves. I can take you girls since Remo’s all set with his little machete.”
Remo stalked out of the pool and caught up to Giya. “They’re not going anywhere with you.”
Even though Kingston stared steadily at Remo, the pulse point strained the skin of his neck, betraying his bogus sangfroid. “Amara has gotten you so well-trained. Bet she offers great treats.”
My mouth opened to tell him off, but Remo beat me to it. “Were you hoping for another machete between the eyes to avoid becomingtigrilunch? Because, and I speak for everyone here, we’d much rather see you face off with the tigers.”
Kingston shot him an oily smile that made the welts on his face writhe. “I was going to spare you, but you deserve the apple just as much as your master.”
Vibrating with the need to shove my dust down his throat, I clenched my fingers and attempted to coax it out one-handedly. Like all of my previous attempts, it failed. Behind my back, I joined my fingers and fashioned a spear.
As I brought it in front of me, Giya cocked an eyebrow. Thankfully, she didn’t ask where I’d found my weapon. Had she noticed my tattoo? She probably would’ve asked whosewitaI carried beneath my skin if she had.
“Hey, Remo, can I trade you a spear for a machete?” I asked, coming to stand beside him. “I like smaller weapons.”
“That must be a relief to your guard dog.” Kingston shot Remo a wink that made me want to pop my bastard uncle’s eye out of its socket. Both eyes for that matter. “Being on the small—”
Before we could trade weapons, Remo jumped on Kingston, smacking him into the sand. And then his hands were around his neck, both thumbs digging into the hollow at the traitor’s collarbone.
“Remo, take the sp—”
A deep growl thundered over the waterfall, making my spine snap very straight. I spun just in time to see a purple beast emerge from a cluster of aloe across the horseshoe beach, golden eyes set on the four of us, lips hitched around its shiny fangs.
Giya took a small step back. “Holy . . . spirit.”
A snarl broke out of the mammoth cat as it kicked up clouds of white sand.
“Remo!” I yelled, raising my spear.
My palm slickened around the long handle, and my bicep trembled. Gritting my teeth, I nocked my arm farther back and then let the spear fly. It hit thetigri’s broad chest, bounced right off. The wild cat snarled. It was so close, its rancid breath tinged the air, overpowering the scent ofpanem. My heart catapulted into my ribs. Thetigri’s hind legs bent and then uncoiled, and the furred monster was airborne.
Giya’s hand clapped mine, wrenched me back. “Amara, run!”
I couldn’t move.
Screeching something, she hauled me back, pulling so hard she almost dislocated my shoulder. My feet slid, and I flailed backward, just as the tiger hit the patch of sand I’d been standing on with an enraged whine, before crumpling like a tissue, silent and inert, the machete sticking out from between its eyes.
As Remo freed his weapon, he yelled something, but I couldn’t make out a single word over the buzzing in my ears. Grasping I was out of commission, he trotted to where my spear lay on the ground, grabbed it, then raced back to us. I watched him scan the jungle, chest heaving. Was anothertigricoming? Or was he looking for Kingston? Where had my cowardly uncle disappeared to?
Remo tilted his head in the direction of the caves. Giya’s grip tightened on my hand as she followed Remo through the dense brush. In increments, my hearing began to return. I picked up the sound of shouts over the chorus of thunderous growls and snarls.
Had they managed to tempt the six other beasts with the butchered bodies of their brethren?
A branch snapped.
