I jerk back from a shock, dropping my coffee cup and grabbing my left wrist. My heart starts pounding at the foreign feeling, and my breath comes faster as I slightly pull at one of the pieces of bark. The tattoo that JP gave me in my father’s office is vaguely glowing. Placing my hand over the tattoo, and warmth pulses out of it, reminding me of JP. It’s as if I’m wrapped up in warm, fluffy towels fresh from the dryer, surrounded by my favorite foods.
“What’s wrong?” Chester asks, cupping my face with his free hand.
“JP,” I say, looking up at Chester. “I can feel JP. I know which way to go,” I explain, smiling. “I don’t think he’s in distress, but I know which way he’s at. He’s that way.” I point to our left, and that’s when I notice my coffee in Chester’s hand.
Aww, this man truly loves me and knows the way to my heart.
“You saved my coffee?”
“Of course!” he says, kissing my forehead and handing back my cup. “So, which way do we go?”
Taking another sip of life, I close my eyes and allow the pulse of the tattoo to turn me in the right direction. Nodding, I put my coffee away and let out a small boom, watching it roll along the walkway, revealing two pathways at the end. The pull to JP is coming from the right, so we turn that way and continue the process until we round a corner and find a pack of wild animals tearing at a dead carcass.
Over a dozen of them are snarling, fighting, and foaming at the mouth, but before we can back up, the closest one jerks its head up, spotting us.
Oopsies. I think I just poopsied.
“Chester,” I whisper. “It might have spotted us. Do you think it will see us if we don’t move?” I ask out of the corner of my mouth.
“I think it’s too late for that,” he says, slowly reaching into his bag. I can only guess he’s going for his guandao.
“No, I heard about this. Keep absolutely still. Its vision is based on movement.”
“Where did you hear that?” Chester asks adamantly.
“It was during our last movie night,” I say helpfully.
“Moni, that was Jurassic Park, and those”—he jerks his chin in the direction of the monsters—“are mutated demonic chihuahuas.”
“Hmph.” I pout before pulling my sais free. “Well, at least you can’t say I didn’t try to help.”
“I would never dream of it,” he says before leaning over and giving me a quick kiss.
The dog that spotted us yips and pulls the attention of the others. Their beady, bloodshot eyes narrow as they focus on us,and their sharp canines snap in our direction. They dig into the soft ground as they take off toward us and I grip my sais hard as Chester and I brace ourselves.
“Flank ‘em?” Chester asks as he turns to press his back against mine.
“Yep,” I say, holding strong. Having Chester by my side and the training from L.A.M.B. gives me the courage to face down anything, especially these little ankle-biters. Their size seems to double as they approach, and my eyes go wide.
“Okay, I wasn’t expecting that,” I mumble under my breath and turn to face them fully. “Change of plan.” Extending my arms, I arch my arms wide and release a thunderous boom that rolls through me and out of my tiny frame. The demented puppers slam into the shimmery walls and slide down them in heaps, completely unconscious or maybe dead. Either way, I’m not willing to check.
“Hmm, I’m impressed,” Chester says, grabbing my hand and his bag and running through the mess.
“So am I.” I give Chester a wide-eye look as we run past my handiwork.
We make it around another corner with my boom technique when I smell a heavenly scent that’s only second to coffee.
“Is that popcorn?” I ask, taking a deep breath and letting my eyes roll back into my skull for a moment.
Chester steadies me as he peaks around the corner and meets my gaze with a frown.
“No, it’s definitely not popcorn.” He gently pushes me back and brings his weapon in front of him.
“Then what is it? Because I swear I’m smelling popcorn, and I’m craving a movie night right about now,” I ask, shrinking down and peering over his shoulder.
“You’re smelling their genitals,” Chester whispers.
“WHAT!?” I shriek, but Chester quickly muffles my protest, his hand covering my mouth as well as the entire front half of me.
