Out of Control by V. M. Black

Author:V. M. Black [Black, V. M.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Swift River Media Group
Published: 2015-01-06T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nine

Tara nearly pitched herself over onto her own nose when she tried to squat and the tip of the sword’s sheath caught in the dirt. She took a step forward to catch herself—which, with her pants around her ankles, nearly caused her to fall again. She managed to steady herself and, very carefully, moved the sword clear before doing her business and cleaning herself with a handy leaf.

She bet the elves didn’t use leaves. She bet they had magical toilet paper.

But she’d managed not to fall over or pee on any part of her clothing, so she decided to call the endeavor a success. As she approached the place where she’d laid out the blanket, she saw a silhouette at the edge of the woods, standing facing the faintly glowing ward. Even with her shifter senses, she couldn’t make out his features in the darkness at that distance.

“Chay?” she asked dubiously. He seemed the wrong shape, the wrong size—and even as she called out the name, she realized that there were tiny lights playing around his fingertips.

At her voice, they vanished instantly, and the figure turned. “No, your friend Harveth. I am sorry for surprising you. Are you alone?”

“What were you doing?” Tara asked as she stepped into the small clearing.

“Looking for some peace,” he said, flashing a smile. “Isn’t that what you’re doing?”

“Not exactly.” The voice was Chay’s, floating out of the darkness.

Harveth jumped slightly, and at this distance, Tara could see that his smile wavered slightly. “Ah. Now I understand. Pardon me, both of you. I was just trying to judge how close the next junction was.”

“Junction?” Tara repeated.

“We stopped here for a reason, you know,” the elf man said. “We arrived just in time, too, before nightfall made travel impossible. Sometime between now and morning, there will be a junction here, a window of time when several worlds come very close together. The Guardians will be able to…to punch through, I suppose you could say, and send the evacuees to safety there. It’s a good world. A quiet backwater. If things go badly here, these people and their children’s children might live there in peace for a very, very long time.”

“What about us?” Chay demanded. “We need to get back to Earth, not this backwater you’re talking about.”

Harveth’s smile returned. “Of course. The Guardians will stay here with you and will find you another junction, one with Autavin. The closest is both farther away and much weaker. They couldn’t have gotten you there before nightfall even if they’d taken the shortest path. This is the best choice. You will be safer without all the evacuees slowing you down.”

“Why are you one of the evacuees?” Tara asked. “Why aren’t you fighting? You seem strong enough.”

He smiled. “To you, perhaps. But alas, to the elves, I am a cripple.” He held his hands palms out. “My talents are poor and disorganized. My magic, as your kind so often calls it. Good evening to you both. I apologize for my most unfortunate intrusion.

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