Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 88235 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 441(@200wpm)___ 353(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88235 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 441(@200wpm)___ 353(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
“A thing? What kind of th—?” Jodi began in a normal tone of voice but she didn’t get to finish her sentence because Melli leaned over and clapped a hand over her older sister’s mouth.
Jodi’s eyes widened and Melli shook her head and put a finger to her own lips.
“What is it, honey?” Vicky asked in a whisper, feeling sick. “What did you see?”
“I don’t know what it was,” Melli whispered back. “It looked like a lizard but it was walking on its hind legs like a person and—”
That was all Vicky needed to hear.
“Come on,” she told both girls. “We have to get out of here—now.”
They got up as quietly as possible and made a run for the front door. Before she opened it, though, Vicky took a look through the peep hole at the top of the door.
What she saw made her heart sink into her shoes—her front lawn was crawling with Varians.
Vicky had always loved how out of the way and isolated her house was—it was a rarity to have so much privacy in a good-sized city like Tampa. Now, as she watched the lizard-like aliens exploring her front lawn, she regretted it fiercely.
If she’d had any near neighbors, someone would have doubtless called the cops. Unless the aliens were using some kind of cloaking device, like Chain’s scatterlight cloak of course, in which case nobody outside the house would be seeing anything.
Well, one thing was for sure—they couldn’t get out by the front door. And the back door of the house was in the kitchen, so that was out too, she thought, feeling sick. There was only one thing left to do.
“Girls,” she said, looking at her daughters. “We have to hide!”
Chapter Thirty-eight
“And so, this meeting of the Kindred High Council is now called to order,” the droning voice of Commander Lordin, an elderly Blood Kindred who was apparently part of the Council, announced ponderously. “I will be presiding tonight since our High Chancellor, Commander Sylvan, has been called away to see to a medical emergency.”
Right, right—just get on with it, Chain thought, irritably. He was sitting at the back of the Council Chamber, waiting his turn to speak, and the proceedings seemed to be taking forever.
Why in the world Commander Sylvan had thought it was necessary for him to present the T’lix-Kruthe at a Council meeting was beyond Chain. All he knew was that it had kept him here aboard the Mother Ship for several days longer than he liked when all he wanted to do was fly home to Alpha Centauri. There he could be alone in his domicile and lick his wounds in peace.
He wanted to be someplace far from Earth—far enough that he didn’t see the blue and white ball out the viewing windows of the Mother Ship whenever he passed by one.
Far enough to try and forget Victoria and everything she had meant to him.
But instead, here he was—stuck on the Mother Ship and waiting to present the damned artifact he’d gone to so much trouble to steal twice.
I have half a mind to steal it again, Chain thought resentfully. Just walk right out of here with it and leave. Let’s see how long it takes all these pompous males to realize I’m gone and I’ve taken the T’lix-Kruthe with me.
That would certainly burn any bridges he had to the Mother Ship and ensure that he would never be invited back. That way he would never have any reason to even think of getting near Earth again. He would—
“And now, we have the presentation of the T’lix-Kruthe,” Commander Lordin’s droning voice interrupted his thoughts. “As you know, the Council has been eager to acquire this artifact which is said to contain the wisdom of the Goddess herself.” He motioned at Chain as he spoke. “Please come forward and show the artifact,” he said.
Chain got up, feeling somewhat self-conscious now that all eyes were on him. Not that he minded putting on a show, but he knew what all these high and mighty bastards thought when they saw him—There goes one of those dirty Snatchers!
Or something to that effect, surely.
Still, he kept his head high and his shoulders straight as he walked to the front of the Council Chamber with a piece of the T’lix-Kruthe clutched in either hand. He hadn’t put them together yet—Commander Sylvan had asked him to wait and do it as part of the presentation. Chain didn’t know why that was necessary either. Maybe Sylvan just wanted to add a little drama to the meeting.
The Goddess knows it needs something to spice it up in here, Chain thought dryly.
He reached the front of the room and stood in front of the huge table which seated all the males on the High Council. Several of the senior Priestesses from the Sacred Grove were there as well. And all of them were watching him.