Page 36 of Condemned

Boots crunched through the forest litter—Takk’s boots, and he slowed as he came into their light.

The four mauleons gathered closer.

“What’s this?” Drawing off his gloves, Takk held his palms toward the fire.

They hesitated, shifting their feet. Finally Timin spoke up. “She thinks we are fools.” He cracked a wide grin. “And almost shot me. We’re waiting to see what you want to do to her.”

Oh, this was too much. Riled up, she raised her hands then erected the middle finger from both in the universal insult.

At least she hadn’t said it.

“Ooo.” Zo rubbed his hands together. “Whipping it is.”

After shaking his head at her, Takk looked along the line of his mauleons. “Let’s get to the barn I’ve arranged. I’ll decide then and there.”

As they packed up camp, with her fastened to a hammered-in stake by a neck chain, Timin held up the gun she’d almost shot him with.

“This isn’t functional anyway, girl,” he sneered. “The trigger locks.” He aimed it off to the side and pulled the trigger. It fired off a pulse of blue energy, cracking into and highlighting a sapling, which promptly cracked down the middle. Flames licked upward.

“Gorram! What’d you do?”

She shook her head. “Nothing. I told you I don’t know how to fix guns.”

His scowl said Timin thought her lying. His question about why the gun had fired, she thought she knew the answer.