Hidden Rage: Kindred Tales

“Call it off?” Dragon could hardly believe his ears.

She nodded firmly.

“I’ve talked to your Sire about it and he agrees. We think she’s a bad influence on you, Son! She’s dividing the family—coming between you and Zerlix. I think it would be better if you sold her and found another bride, maybe a nice Saurian girl. At any rate, someone not so…opinionated.” Her nostril slits flared in disapproval as she emphasized the last word.

“Bobbi was probably upset because Keelah was her friend—she was supposed to be her attendant at the wedding and then Zerlix went and sold her,” Dragon said reasonably. “Look, let me just talk to her and tell her I’ll go find Keelah. I know it’s supposed to be bad luck for me to see her before the wedding, but in this case, I think we need to make an exception.”

“Oh, she’s not here.” Mother Tizlah crossed her arms over her chest and frowned disapprovingly. “I couldn’t stand to have her near me one more minute.”

“What?” Dragon’s heart began to pound. “Well, where is she then?”

“Res. Leeza and Res. Jynah took her to the Market to get your wedding gift,” Mother Tizlah said coolly. “And I certainly hope they take their time. I don’t want to see her again until she’s ready to apologize to me and your brother.”

“She’s at the Market?” Dragon exclaimed and the words he’d heard in his rooms came back to him.

“Go to the Market and follow her scent,” the voice had said. Could it be the voice of the Goddess that Bobbi had told him his people—his real people—worshiped?

“I said she was at the Market.” Mother Tizlah sounded irritated. “If you go get her, be sure to tell her she’s not welcome back in my house unless she’s ready with an apology for all the nasty things she said!”

Dragon didn’t answer. He was already running down the long, tiled hallway, headed for the door that led outside. He thought he knew where Bobbi was headed and it wasn’t just the Market. If she knew that Keelah was in the blue light district, she would go after her friend, which would be very, very dangerous. What if she was grabbed off the street? Or mistaken for a Pleasure Girl and used? Any number of terrible things might happen to her and he wasn’t there to protect her!

He burst outside and took a deep, gulping breath of air, smelling and tasting it for her essence. Since a Kindred warrior’s nose is hundreds of times more sensitive than a bloodhound’s, it wasn’t long before he caught her scent.

Hurry—HURRY! the being inside him growled. Dragon was in complete agreement with it. He took off at a dead run towards the Market.

He just prayed he got to the little feela before it was too late…

58

“I said she’s not for sale.” Zerlix swaggered into the room, an ugly sneer on his flat, scaly face.

“What? What are you talking about?” Bobbi demanded, clutching Keelah’s hand. “She is too for sale and I’m going to buy her!”

“I am very much afraid the gentleman is correct,” Rep. Wheezler said politely, coming back into the room.

“But why not?” Bobbi demanded. “He sold her to you—why can’t you sell her to me? I don’t care how much she costs—you can have all my bangles—every last one of them!”

The pimp’s slitted yellow eyes shone with greed but he shook his head regretfully.

“I’m sorry, but Rep. Zerlix didn’t actually sell the girl to me—he only paid a nominal fee to keep her here for a few hours and tell her a falsehood or two. So she is actually still his.”

“What? But why would he do that?” Bobbi demanded.

“Because I knew that it would lure you out here, away from Dragon,” Zerlix answered her question before Wheezler could. “You’re such a nosy little mammalian bitch, I knew you wouldn’t be able to resist coming down here to get your little friend.” He grinned at her. “And now I’ve got you right where I want you.”

Bobbi felt sick. This was a trap and Keelah had been the bait. How could she have not seen it before?

What an idiot I am! she thought. I should never have come here alone—I should have waited for Dragon!

“Now, you little bitch,” Zerlix snarled, taking another step towards her. “It’s time to pay up for all the humiliation you put me through this past month. I’m going to try out your mouth and your slit and you’re going to love every fucking minute of it! Gonna spike you hard tonight!”

Bobbi felt like someone had replaced all the blood in her body with ice water. Where could she run? Where could she hide? Dragon was far away, back at the house—even if he had known of her predicament, there was no way he could reach her in time. She was completely on her own!