His voice was calm, yet his expression didn’t match the tone. “Howler monkeys?” she asked. “That is an odd name.”
Extremely hairy and mostly brown in color, they were indeed odd-looking primates. Their snouts were short and stubby, and the nostrils were wide and round. It was their heads that had her really studying the creatures because their faces appeared almost... orange. At first, she wondered if they had all been slapped with orange paint, but then she realized that was what they were supposed to look like. Their tails were longer than their bodies and were the very things keeping them attached to the tree branches, while their hands and feet clutched different branches—almost forming a spider web. Many of them filled one tree alone, yet it seemed that all the trees held about the same number of monkeys.
“I’ve never seen anything quite like it before,” she continued. “I suppose they are cute in an odd sort of way—”
“Listen closely,” he cut her off with a slow but steady voice. “Donotmake any sudden movements. You might think they are cute, but they are easily irritated. Making them upset is not wise, because they have been known to attack humans.”
A surprised gasp stuck in her throat. They wouldattack? They looked harmless. But as she watched his crew cautiously prepare for the battle they thought could possibly happen, she realized she’d better follow Felix’s warning this time.
She wondered if she would get another vision. In fact, she almost wished for one, only so she could prepare herself. But so far, nothing flashed in her mind.
“Attack?” her voice squeaked out.
“Mostly they will urinate or fling their um... waste... on us. However, there have been a few times I’ve witnessed them springing out of the trees and physically beating a person to death.”
“Oh, dear.”
He loosened his grip on her arm. “Stay by me and I’ll protect you. We don’t want to do anything to agitate these wild primates.”
“All right,” she whispered as fear slowly seeped into her body.
One of Felix’s crew members slowly approached him and passed him a machete. Felix gripped the handle and stepped closer to Katrina. All the talking—and even whispering—on the small vessel stopped as the barge crept underneath the trees.
Panic knotted in her throat as she switched her attention from one monkey to the next, trying to study their eyes. They all appeared to be watching them with great intent, and she prayed they could pass beneath the trees without any disturbance. Even the thought of them flinging their... unmentionables on her or urinating made her want to gag.
Her heart hammered, and she tried not to get too frightened. Felix promised he’d protect her, so she must trust him.
He took careful steps, shifting even closer to her. “Katrina,” he whispered, “you’re breathing too loudly. Try to calm down.”
Silently she groaned. How in Heaven’s name could she calm down when everyone around her was on guard for a battle to the death?
From one of the trees, a monkey rose higher than the others as if the animal was ready to pounce. She held her breath.Oh, please don’t!The grip Felix had on her wrist tightened. He, too, must be preparing for something to happen.
Without being able to stop it, a small peep escaped her throat as fear consumed her.
“Shh...” he said softly.
The barge inched its way underneath the watchful monkeys. They only needed to pass two more trees before they were out of harm’s way.
Her body shook, and for the life of her, she couldn’t control it. Felix released her wrist and gently slipped his arm around her waist, pulling her against his frame. The warmth from his body brought a strange sense of comfort to her.
“We’re almost there,” he said.
She held her breath again, saying a silent prayer they could get past without any difficulty. After a few—but very long—minutes, relieved sighs from Felix and the others swept over the stillness. Her sigh echoed theirs as her legs threatened to collapse. If she didn’t find someplace to sit soon, she’d be on the floor by Felix’s feet.
Katrina waited for the others to start moving before her wobbly legs carried her to a crate and she sank on the wooden top. For some reason, the tips of her fingers were throbbing painfully. She glanced down and realized she had been clutching the tablet to her chest, wrinkling the pages. Shifting her attention, she glanced back at the trees and monkeys. A cold chill ran through her when remembering Felix’s words about how dangerous they were.
What were the odds that this was the most dangerous thing she would encounter during their journey? Would she have to worry about being attacked again?Oh, Father... why would you put me in danger?
At this moment, she didn’t want her father’s inheritance. He could take his wealth with him to Hades for all she cared! She would just have to find other means to help obtain medicine for her mother. And she didn’t even care if he was shot with a dart—or if his house burned down. She hated feeling this frightened.
A shadow passed by, and she blinked at the vision. Felix stood in front of her with his arms folded over his wide chest.
“Are you all right, Miss Landon?”
“Y—yes, I think so. I’m just a little shaken, that’s all.”
“Well, you can relax now. In a few more hours we will be at the point in the river where we’ll stop and continue the rest of the journey on foot.”
