AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The monitors came in close, eager to catch our expressions during the upcoming battle. I could picture those watching increasing their bets, and they wouldn’t be placing deenairs on us.
Summer rushed around me and raced toward the creatures; her hands full of sand. She threw it and ran back around behind me.
The scoopeens paused, then kept coming, shrieking out challenges.
“You mother fuckin’ awful scorpions,” she cried, running past me again to throw more sand. “Go back to where you came from!”
The scoopeens stopped, their claws clicking, their poisoned tails swaying over their heads.
Poison . . . If there was any time where something should work, it was now.
While Summer stooped down to gather more sand to throw, I ran forward. I didn’t dare test this with her between me and the scoopeens. My scales lifted, and I pinched my eyes shut, though only for half a tick. Then I willed my scales to do what was intended.
“Whoa,” Summer breathed. “Now that’s cool.”
Something shot from a few of my scales, hitting the lead scoopeen in the face.
It snarled and backed up, nearly tripping in its haste to put distance between us. The others must’ve sensed something horrible was happening, because they pivoted and ran with the lead scoopeen.
Emboldened, I ran after them, willing my scales to shoot more poison. Only a few did, the liquid splatting on the back of another scoopeen. It faltered, but with a howl, ran faster, its scaley hide smoldering.
With one monitor hovering beside me, the other remaining with Summer, I chased the scoopeens all the way back to their swirling desert hideaway, then collapsed at the top of the hill after they’d disappeared into the sand. Sitting, I watched the hole, daring for them to reappear.
Summer caught up and dropped beside me, leaning against my side.
“I found someone,” she said, lifting her arms.
The tumble thing was a creature. Its round body was surrounded by briar-like brush, and it stared at me with pale blue eyes.
“I’m not sure what it is, but its friendly,” she said, snuggling the spiky creature against her neck.
I worried it would scratch or bite, but it appeared to nuzzle her.
“I thought I’d call it Tumbles, a completely unoriginal name, but who cares but me?”
“I care, Summer.” I put my arm around her and held her close. “I care.”
