Maia and the Secrets of Zagran (The Lightbound Saga Book 2) by S. G. Basu

Author:S. G. Basu [Basu, S. G.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Vinayaka Publishing
Published: 2014-12-14T19:00:00+00:00

34: The Note

They were halfway to the entrance when the sound of heavy footfalls came from the other end of the path. Gus and another man came striding toward them, their brows knit and fists clenched.

“There they are, Bikele,” Gus exclaimed when he saw the group. “I told you there was nothing to worry about.”

The man named Bikele looked livid. He glared at the group long and hard before making a loud grunt to show his dissatisfaction. He was very tall. Dark circles ringed his sunken eyes, and his dusky complexion had an unhealthy pallor. His greasy hair was unkempt—strands fell across his face in a stringy, jumbled mess.

“Let’s go, kids,” Gus said cheerily as he led the way. Bikele had fallen a few steps behind and Maia felt his lingering gaze at the back of her head.

“We’re done for. Aerika will be all over us now,” Maia sighed as she walked quickly alongside Dani.

“We shouldn’t have gone down there,” Dani whispered.

Aerika stood at the bay; she did not look pleased. She strode up to the approaching group, tapped her feet a few times, and shook her head.

“What is it with you?” she snarled. “Waylaid again?”

As everyone else fell silent, in an unexpected and unnecessary urge, Maia blurted out a lame defense.

“We lost track of time, Trainer Aerika,” she said earnestly. “We really did.”

“That’s unfortunate, Miss Maia,” Aerika snapped, “I wonder why such calamities keep befalling your team in particular.” Aerika was not one to buy into justifications or excuses, certainly not from a group of kids who had done nothing but repeatedly annoy her.

“Into the transporter, all of you.” She whipped a bony hand toward a much larger Aqumob that was anchored at the dock. The vehicle they had arrived in was nowhere to be seen, neither were the crafts assigned to any of the other teams—Maia assumed they had already been towed back to Zagran.

“And by the way,” Aerika turned back from the sheaf of papers that Gus had handed her to sign. “This counts as your third strike.”

“But please . . .” Nafi wailed, but Aerika did not even spare her a glance.

Disappointment of being punished with yet another strike wiped out all the joy of their victory. Maia headed toward the waiting vehicle, dragging her feet as she walked. It seemed impossible now that they could survive the next three months with only two strikes remaining.

“Maia?” A gruff voice made Maia jump and turn around.

Bikele stood with a small piece of folded paper in his hand. “You dropped this.” He held the paper out in her direction.

Maia was sure she had not brought any paper with her, let alone dropped it. She shook her head and had started to explain that the paper did not belong to her when he spoke again.

“You want to take this, Maia.” There was no friendliness in his voice; it was almost an order. Maia was about to turn away when a hand snatched the piece of paper from Bikele.

“I’ll take it for her,” Nafi said before she dragged Maia away toward the Aqumob.

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