Underland(13)

When the ringing stopped, she heard voices from down the tunnel. They would be on their way to investigate the explosion.

She couldn’t be in the open.

She dragged her body through the mud into a crevice between two beat up cars. As she glanced back over her shoulder, she spotted a blood trail in the dirt—that led directly to her hiding spot. It was too late to do anything now.

“Find the human and bring it to me! She will pay for killing my prized zeke.” Remus strung curses together like Christmas lights. “How could that little pipsqueak of a human do this much damage? She actually ruined my training course. Creeper would never”—more swearing—“Explosions weren’t Creeper’s style.”

Kira stayed low, as still as she could.

***

Remus checked the wreckage twice to make sure it really was Creeper pinned between the wall and bus and that he was totally, completely dead. There was no paying to bring him back now.

“You, you, and you, put out that fire before it reaches another gas tank.” Blast that girl. If it hadn’t killed Creeper, he could have paid Warrick to bring him back from half-dead. Not even Warrick could bring them back from all-dead.

Remus spun and kicked the hellhound that sat by his side, as if he hadn’t already gotten his instructions. “I told you, you blasted dog. Find that human.” The dog yelped and snarled back, nipping the air in anger. The demon dog took off running, sniffing the air for the human girl.

It was probably useless, though. The toxic fumes in the air would cover her scent. The hellhound paused, look back at Remus, then took off slowly down the tunnel towards home. He must’ve decided to sniff in a fresher environment, one that didn’t burn his nose.

Well, even if he had to take care of it himself, Remus would make sure that girl died. He’d just do it later. After his peons put out the fire and cleared the air.

***

Something large passed Kira, only five feet from where she was hiding. It turned around and came back.

Pain seared her side so deeply, she almost cried out for help, not even caring if it was another man-eating monster that found her. At least if it was, it would kill her and end her pain.

The large beast tracking her blood trail stopped in front of her hiding hole.

Kira could only see the feet, but she had to blink her eyes in confusion when she saw four hooves. Loud crunching noises came from above her as the car sheltering her was hefted and pushed to the side. It spun on its roof slowly like a top.

Kira shielded her face from the beast with her hands to avoid the oncoming death blow.

But warm hands grabbed her instead, pulling her up. Something lifted her off of the ground and held her against its bare chest.

Panicked, Kira pushed away. Its strangely human face startled her. The man-thing carried her away from the noise and panic of the fire. Some monsters continued to search for her, while others tried to put out the flames.

She didn’t see Remus.

Was this guy handing her over to him?

He ducked through an exit she hadn’t seen.

And the pattern of the creature’s movement was wrong—odd. Kira peered more closely at the man’s face, glanced at his human chest and then behind him for the answer. The thing that was carrying her had a man’s upper torso and a horse’s body.

“You have hooves! Are you a horse or man?” Kira didn’t mean to let the words slip out, but with the nauseating pain in her stomach and the ringing in her ears he could hardly fault her.

“I’m both,” the rich velvety voice answered back. “I am a centaur.”

She sputtered out one last thought. “Giddyup.”





Chapter 6

The centaur—Warrick, he said his name was—was killing her. Not literally, but if Kira had to drink another nasty concoction, she knew she was going to die. He pushed another cup of green tonic towards her, the fifth in the last hour.

“You need to drink this every ten minutes. I told you it will help with the smoke inhalation.” Warrick stared at Kira hard until she gave in and swallowed the contents of the cup in one gulp. She made an ugly face at him in return. A few seconds later, Kira was coughing again and spitting up black and gray phlegm. Her body ached, and she wouldn’t be surprised if her sutured wound was bleeding again.

“It’s nasty,” she said between wracks of coughing.

“Yes, but it is helping.” He smirked before taking the cup from her and putting it on the table.

Warrick had carried Kira to a small building a quarter-mile away. He lived in a simple house with no roof. But then who needed a roof when it never rained or snowed underground? The layout was very open and included an area covered in straw, table, and chairs. She had spent plenty of time on that examining table when Warrick brought her in a few hours ago. He took care of the wound in her side right away, then bandaged the cut above her eye, and now was treating her for smoke inhalation.

“You know you didn’t have to do this, right?” Kira looked away from the large centaur guiltily. She was finding it really hard not to stare at him, like she would stare at a unicorn. He was beautiful. His coat was a warm brown that matched his skin. His ears pointed and stuck out from his long braided black hair.

“It’s what I do. I am a healer. I abhor all death and violence unless it comes at the cost of protecting the herd.” He went to the cupboard and started to prepare food. Kira had to drag her eyes away from the loaf of bread he was slicing. “Not all of us in this land are monsters.”