Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 79603 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 398(@200wpm)___ 318(@250wpm)___ 265(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79603 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 398(@200wpm)___ 318(@250wpm)___ 265(@300wpm)
Imani was beginning to think everything was going to be okay because the big Nightwalker was following her lead beautifully. They walked together over the whizzing traffic which looked like blurred lines of light below in the darkness. But when they got to the middle of the bridge, J’are balked.
There was no warning. One minute they were walking along and the next minute Imani was pulled up short because the big Kindred had stopped moving.
She tugged at the leash but it was like pulling on a steel beam.
“J’are?” she turned around to see that he was standing stock still in the middle of the bridge. His pale green eyes were glowing as he looked intently into the darkness at the other end of the bridge. A low growl was rising from deep in his chest. He looked for all the world like a dog or wolf who senses danger ahead.
“J’are?” Imani said again. Her heart was suddenly pounding. “J’are, what is it? What do you see?”
She didn’t expect an answer—not a verbal one anyway—but the big Nightwalker surprised her. Without looking away from whatever he was watching at the other end of the bridge he growled out,
“Free…me.”
“What?” Imani put a hand to her rapidly beating heart as she saw that he was holding out his manacled wrists. He wanted to be let loose from his harness—which was something Judge Thoughtgood had specifically forbidden. Then again, she had also wanted to put the big Nightwalker to death. But still, doing what J’are asked would be violating a court order and Imani had never done that—never even dreamed of doing it—for her entire legal career.
Still, the low growl rising from the big Kindred’s throat was raising the short hairs at the back of her neck. Clearly J’are was seeing something she couldn’t—sensing danger that was still invisible to her. She remembered her best friend’s dad—the one who rescued wolfdogs—saying you should always trust your dog’s instincts. He often said most of his animals had better common sense than any of the people he knew.
Of course, J’are wasn’t really an animal but he certainly seemed to have the instincts of one. Abruptly, Imani made a decision.
“All right,” she said, getting out the key to the manacles, which still hung around her neck on the thin chain. “All right, I’ll set you free but you have to promise not to get into trouble.”
J’are made no answer as she unlocked his harness. He simply shrugged his broad shoulders, letting the loops of leather fall to the walkway.
“Okay, we can’t just leave this here. The judge will expect to see you wearing it again in court tomorrow.”
Imani was just stooping to pick up the harness when something whooshed over her head and J’are’s growl turned into an angry roar.
“Oh!” she gasped and overbalanced, falling back onto the rough walkway on her behind.
J’are was grappling with someone or something in the darkness. It was difficult to see what it was but Imani thought the dim lights from the traffic below illuminated huge, insectile eyes. She caught blurred impressions of snapping mandibles and multiple long limbs flashing in and out of the shadows. Whatever it was, she realized, it was trying to get to her. But J’are was holding it back.
The attacker—whoever or whatever it was—fought in perfect silence punctuated only by the occasional grunts and growls of effort and anger from the big Kindred. Suddenly he gave a roar and there was a wet ripping sound like thick flesh being torn.
The assailant finally made a sound—it let out a high-pitched, unearthly shriek which set Imani’s teeth on edge as a cold finger of fear skittered down her spine. Then, whatever it was, scrambled away into the darkness.
“J’are?” Imani got shakily to her feet. The big Nightwalker was standing there, breathing heavily and still growling fiercely under his breath. In one hand he was clutching something long and stiff which still twitched and jerked spasmodically.
“J’are? What’s that you have?” Imani heard the quiver in her own voice and she tried to make it sound steadier. “What is it?” she asked him again, coming closer.
In the dim light from the traffic below, she saw what he was holding was some kind of a leg—an insect leg—but a huge one. It had long, chitinous spines along its underside and wickedly sharp claws on one end. The other end was a bleeding stump, leaking black ichor.
“Ugh!” Imani took several big steps back in disgust. “Get rid of it, J’are!” The thing he was holding looked like it had been pulled off a giant roach!
Or maybe a giant praying mantis, whispered a little voice in her head. A praying mantis like the ones she kept seeing everywhere including her hotel, the ride services she’d tried to call, and in the courtroom besides Lady Bittlebum!