Banished To Earth Book One (35)

   “And it might not. Once she meets Nikki, Beth and Trudy, I’m sure she…”

  “Pry!” Chase could not believe she was sharing such precious information with a stranger.

   She shrugged, “Oh, he is good. I can tell. He reminds me of you.”

  Now Tucker was blushing, “Uh, I did threaten to kill you both. That’s mighty nice of you to say. But how ‘bout we finish this conversation on that beach you were talking about.”

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     They could easily see the irritation on Chase’s face. He knew they were right. It was time to move. He was not about to make that mistake twice. Move, move and keep on moving. He threw his hands up.

    Pry, small as she was, still managed to lift Silhouette. It certainly helped that she was much shorter than Tucker, sleek, compact and not at all gangly.

    She wanted to make sure the Huntress was in good hands. Her hands. She still trusted Chase, but not with Silhouette.

   Chase snorted and swiped an extra-large portal in the air. They leapt through without another word of debate.

   Chapter 20

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    A crisp sea breeze whipped through Pry’s flowing white mane when they stepped from the portal and onto the beach. Silhouette was still draped in her arms.

   “Get her into the water,” Tucker said, eyeing the shimmering moonlit swell. “The ocean is supposed to be good for us. It should bring her around, if that’s what you really want?”

   “It is.”

   Endowed with not only Crychee strength but Hunter strength as well, carrying Silhouette through the soft sand was not difficult. She did slip a bit in the rolling surf as she lowered the sleeping, albeit disgustingly filthy, beauty into the cold Atlantic ocean.

    Pry eased away, but not too far, fearing the waves might wash Silhouette out to sea before reviving. Cold, gritty foam lapped against her legs, soaking her pants and boots. It chilled her, then warmed her. An energy she had never experienced coursed through her body. It was the most invigorating thing she had ever felt. Her features brightened when she saw Silhouette’s body jerk and roll onto its stomach, letting the churning foam wash away every speck of monster filth.

   She inhaled a chest full of sea spray and rolled onto her side. Her sleek black form glistened in the moonlight. “Someone's been doing their homework.”  She cooed, as she went on all fours, arched her back, dunked her head in the churning surf and sucked in a stomach full of foamy brine. Flinging her head up, she slung her long black hair high in the air. Her sea spray poured down on them like rain.

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    She cocked her head and combed her fingers through her hair. “Not exactly a hot shower, but even more refreshing. Thank you, Tucker,” She teased.

  “Yeah,” Said Chase, “he did tell us to put you in the ocean.”

   “Did he now? Or did he say, ‘just throw her in and walk away’?”

   “No, I didn’t, but I wanted to.”

   “Then it’s a good thing Hunters can’t drown. But you know that.” Silhouette grinned, “and I just love butts.”

   “Well, here's another but, lady.” Chase said, folding his arms across his chest, “But we don’t hurt people, no matter what. The unchanged are no different than us.” 

   “Whoa, your tone is all drippy with threat and fear.” She rose from the surf, slowly and purposefully, letting the glistening water trickle down her sleek feline form, liquid diamonds gleaming in the moonlight. “Where’s my thank you for saving you all from the big nasty in the parking lot?’”

   “You’re here and not there,” Tucker said, bluntly.

   “Here?” Her voice- honed razor-sharp with disdain, as she strode through the tumbling foam with the regal bearing of a queen. “And where is here?” She asked, as she lifted her palms and searched for any latent shift portals. “Here is nowhere. It’s just dead beach. Old Shift portals everywhere, and the Fall makes for lousy tracking-a perfect place to drop me off.  Not that I would follow you anyway.”

    “We’re not going to leave you here,” Pry said tenderly. “You belong with us, not out there taking crazy risks.”

   “Us?” Her eyes narrowed. “As in more than you three, or just you three.”

   “Just us three.” Chase lied.

   The Huntress lifted her chin, her nostrils flaring. She swung around and smiled at him. “Just caught a whiff of deceit. Of course, that’s why I asked. Did you just lie to me?”

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   “No.”

   “Lying again. You’re a good guy, Chase. Good guys make bad liars. They can’t get away with anything. That’s why they are good.”

  “Circular logic,” Tucker grunted.

  They all looked at him. “What. I gotta brain. And I know how to use it. People always underestimate us, country boys.” He chuckled, but just for a moment. “We don’t trust you. Why don’t you shift away? You don’t want to be with us anyway.”