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I jogged after the dog, trying to go slow so I wouldn’t scare him more. With my mask on and not an inch of my skin showing, I was probably scarier to the poor guy than Tetiana and Binx combined.
The dog kept running all the way to King’s Court Drive, stopping in the parking lot of a small strip mall.
The strip mall’s shops were closed. The parking lot was nice and empty with only two cars in the whole thing.
“Hey, buddy.” I made my voice as inviting as I could and crouched down trying to appear less scary.
The dog was sitting on the sidewalk in front of a very popular café, Queen’s Court. The café was closed, thankfully, as the dog backed up until his rear touched the massive windows.
“Do you want to go home? Your owners must be worried sick.” I crept forward, holding out my gloved hand.
The dog sat down and slightly wagged his tail, his expression hopeful.
“You’re so handsome,” I said—compliments worked on people, why not animals? “Let’s get you all sorted out so you can head home.”
I was almost to the sidewalk. The dog whined and then bolted, streaking down the sidewalk.
He was about two stores down when a massive body came shooting out past the side of the strip mall, hitting the parking lot pavement with a pained ‘oomph’. The body rolled, hitting a parked car, and denting the door with a massive foot.
CHAPTERNINE
Jade
Istared at the thrown blob, my mind recognizing that it was a troll slumped in the parking lot but refusing to comprehend what was strong enough to so easily toss a troll.
The troll made the dog change his mind as he made an abrupt U-turn and came running back to me, body slamming me as he whined in fright.
I grabbed his collar so he couldn’t run off and he practically climbed into my lap, so I decided to pick him up as I took careful steps backward—I wasn’t about to investigate whoever had thrown the troll when I had the dog to think of.
Thankfully, I heard the familiar tap of Tetiana’s boots behind me. Backup had arrived.
“You got him,” Tetiana trotted up the sidewalk, her breathing labored. “Well done! Also, wow. You can run. Very fast!” She made a show of sucking in air as she caught up, joining me to stand in front of Queen’s Court. Her red eyes abruptly sharpened and she glanced at the slumped shape in the parking lot. “You have company?” She asked, her voice low.
I passed the dog, who was snuggling into my shoulder, over to her. “Yeah. Is Binx on the way?”
Tetiana cradled the dog, who licked her cheek and didn’t seem very scared of her now that there was a real predator. “She’s a block behind me. I heard her hissing at the radio.”
I nodded. “I’ll approach—for observation only. I won’t be attacking. Warn Binx, I’ll be back.”
“Understood.” Tetiana rocked back and forth patting the frightened dog.
I slunk down the sidewalk using a huge wooden planter for cover when I reached the end of the strip mall.
The troll groaned but wasn’t moving. I wasn’t certain he was conscious, but at least he was alive.
I held my breath, but I didn’t hear anything moving in the area. I pressed tight against the planter and peered around the corner.
There was nothing. The road that looped back behind the strip mall—where employee parking was—was empty.
I stood up and took one step down the road keeping myself pressed tight against the building.
Faintly, I heard pained groans that sounded like they were coming from the back parking lot.
Was it another fae fight? Are they battling in the back parking lot? But what fae are large enough to throw a troll so far?
My senses abruptly lit up screaming at me that there was another vampire in the area besides Tetiana.
“We meet again, slayer.”
