“He’s fine,” I snap.
“You must be his human,” Barrera says. “He said I should follow your orders as if they came from him.”
I nod. “That’s me. His pet human.” I glare at Xolotl just a bit, but I don’t actually care. I know he meant well when he told him whatever he did.
Still, I already feel a little pathetic, surrounded by all the high-powered people.
That’s when it hits me.
Before, I had powers thanks to our bond. He still has magic, so can I still pull on it? And will my pulling on his magic deplete his already low abilities? Or is mine different somehow? Could I protect us while he’s weak?
I wish I’d thought to ask, but here we are.
“We need some food,” I say. “I’m starving to death.”
“What do you like?” General Barrera asks, still eyeing Xolotl with too much curiosity for my liking.
“Burgers,” I say. “We need a whole platter of the best burgers you can find.”
A barked order and five minutes later, Xolotl looks more himself when the platter of hamburgers comes.
“Half have both cheese and everything else. Pickles, tomatoes, lettuce, onions. The others are plain. I wasn’t sure—you didn’t specify what you wanted, sir.”
It takes a moment, but I realize Barrera’s calling me sir. “Oh, that’s fine,” I say. “This is perfect.”
I eat two burgers—I’m surprisingly hungry for having done nothing at all—and Xolotl polishes off fifteen. When he straightens, the color’s returned to his face. I’m about to suggest he give Barrera new orders when a unit of soldiers appears from behind a copse of trees and immediately open fire.
Barrera doesn’t look surprised.
I block the bullets with wind, but it’s hard. At least I can do it. I’m not sure Xolotl’s up to it yet.
“What was that?” Xolotl stands. “Are you not in control here?”
“He is,” I say. “He ordered that to see how weak you are right now.”
“Hit him with everything,” Barerra says, proving he’s every bit as ambitious as Xolotl feared. “He barely parried the last hit.”
I block the first volleys of bullets, but then I tap out, and my attempts with wind, always feeble, fail. The missiles streaming at us hit their target dead on, connecting with Xolotl’s massive chest.
21
Xolotl
Barrera’s exactly the kind of general I always liked the best. He takes initiative, and he’s full of ideas and energy. He’s also as bloodthirsty as I’ve seen, not pausing for a moment before taking the life of most anyone.
Including his own boss.
The very person who set up this coup in the first place, killing all his commanding officers and giving him the power he has, is the person he tries to kill. I had never once considered someone like him might be a liability to me.
After all, I’m proof against all weapons.
Or I was.
Gabe’s bullet took a chunk out of my shoulder, and it took me quite a few moments to heal the damage. A dozen or so axolotls are now living in Birch Creek behind Whitney’s house, thanks to that incident.
Imagine my surprise when my own general hits me with the strongest missiles they have, and instead of blowing me to kingdom come, they disappear into my body just as they always have.
I can’t help my massive smile.
