Tuesday Tales – Fans – The Child
Welcome back to Tuesday Tales! This weeks prompt is Fans.
As I’ve just begun the fourth book in The Tribe series, I thought I’d weave this weeks prompt into my first chapter.
This is book 5 in the series. Kane and Velli have been through quite a lot in this series, and aren’t even actually married yet (though they are mated). This books begins with them heading home (to the reservation in Canada) after helping a friend in the states.
Though they’ve had a chaotic time at the sanctuary, they’ve not forgotten about the organization that seems hell-bent on getting to Velli…or the Hunters they employ to do so.
So, here ya go:
A sudden cold burst of air hit Velli in the face. She startled out of her half-asleep state to regain her bearings. “What the hell are you doing, Kane? Turn those fans off.”
“Shh. Don’t wake the kids.” Kane’s voice remained hush but tense as all get-out.
Velli wiped her eyes and tried to re-orient herself. They were still in the SUV, but according to the GPS in the dash, they were nowhere near home. She glanced into the back, relieved to see all the kids still dozed.
Their friend Derek also slept, sprawled in the seat next to Tam. For the three days they’d remained at the sanctuary to be sure Tam remained at the utmost of health the young clone hadn’t slept a wink. He’d been too curious about everything.
Soon as they’d begun to drive, Tam had drifted off. Kimi and Aidan weren’t far behind. At Aidan’s slightly increased growth rate he’d been sleeping more, and when he woke to feed ate for a long time, mixing solid food along with brief hits of breast milk.
Velli sighed in relief. “They’re all still asleep. What was that all about? And why aren’t we home? We’ve been on the road long enough we should be a lot closer.”
“We’re being followed.” Kane’s words were enough to snap her attention back to him. His hands clenched the steering wheel so tight she worried over the normally sturdy device. “For about an hour.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah. That’s why I waited to wake you. Thought maybe your paranoia passed onto me somewhere along the line.” He tapped the GPS to pull the view out. The circuitous route it showed had to have taken an hour at least. The twists and turns he’d employed in random areas and over various highways looked like a bowl of noodle soup.
“They’ve been following us that long?” Velli turned in her eat again. In the distance, maybe twenty yards back, two dim lights shone back. “Fuck.”
“Think it’s your old friends?”
“Well it sure isn’t your friendly neighborhood Spiderman.”
“Hunters, then.”
“Most likely. I’m not sure why they’re staying back. If they’ve been following us this long, their orders are beyond me.”
His eyes narrowed. “Unless I’ve done just what they wanted.”
Velli didn’t need to ask to see where his thoughts were heading. “If they were waiting for backup it would already be here.”
“So what do we do now?”
“Stop the crazy train, head south and stick on the route.”
“Are you making us switch off?”
Velli paused at the suggestion. She still had safe houses scattered across the country. While she’d liquidated some, instinct had her keep several. After a moment’s contemplation, she shook her head. “No. Just draw them away from home.”
Kane grabbed her wrist when she reached for her seatbelt. “What’re you doing?”
“I have a theory, no we have a theory. No better time to test it then in the now.” She twisted her arm free enough to half-climb over the seat. She put a sound-blocking bubble around Derek’s head before she used the same water to splash him right in the face.
The man jerked away so violently he nearly kicked Velli in the face. She caught his leg in time, grinning as he came to. With her finger at her mouth in a hushing motion, she dropped the bubble. Derek’s brow furrowed as he leaned forward. “What was that for?”
“You snore.”
“Shut up.”
“No. Just use a little magic, will you?” She leaned closer. “We’re being followed. I wonder if you can sense them with your magic.”
“Why would I be able to?” Through his doubt came a curious tickle of magic.
“Don’t disturb the kids,” Kane muttered.
“Right, sorry.” Derek reined it in. His features remained tense with concentration. After several tense, silent minutes, his brows rose. “Well, what have we here?”
“So you can sense them.” Velli glanced at Kane. “The question is, can you disable them? They’re insanely powerful, and fast, but they follow orders. I’ve found them resistant to most forms of magic, but are their implants immune?”
*~*
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