Refuge(23)

“All right, guys, I really don’t want to hurt you and I know you’d probably rather be in home in the jungle, but none of us can change that right now. So what do you say we make a truce so we can all get out of here?”

The bazerat to my left gave a low hiss that did not sound friendly.

“Okay, so no truce. Suit yourself.” I walked slowly toward the hissing as I released my power into the air around me. When I was three feet from the seats, I stopped. My plan, if it worked, was to draw the creature to me. It was certainly preferable to going under those seats after it.

A loud thumping made me jump, and my heart leapt in my throat before I realized it was someone banging on the door.

“Are you taking a nap in there or what?” Celine called, and I could hear the laugher in her voice. “If you need some help, just let us know.”

“No thanks. I’m doing great,” I called back, wishing it was true. I peered under the seats and thought I saw a patch of darkness that might be the bazerat, but I couldn’t be sure. I bet the others will have no problem seeing in here. Callum kept telling me that my vision and hearing would be enhanced if I learned to use my Mori’s power.

“Hey there, little guy. Why don’t you stop all that noise and come out here so we can become friends?” I sent a wave of power toward the spot where I believed the creature was. “I know you’re scared of people after they put you in a cage and I don’t blame you for being upset, but I won’t hurt you.” If you don’t hurt me.

Something shuffled under the seats, and I was about to smile when I realized that instead of approaching me, the bazerat was moving away from me. I frowned. When had a creature ever run from my power? I didn’t know anything about bazerats except for what Celine had told us, but they looked like large rodents and I knew for sure that my power worked on rats.

I moved forward until my hand was touching the seats. Then I bent and strained to see through the darkness. It looked like I was going to have to go in after it. Wonderful. No so long ago, I had stood up to my chest in freezing sea water facing a pack of possessed wharf rats. I’d rather go back and do that all over again than go under these seats. If I could get close enough to touch the bazerat, I should be able to calm him – if he didn’t try to eat me first. I just hoped the other one kept his distance until I worked my magic on his brother.

The world sounded hollow under the seats, and every move I made seemed to resonate in my ears, though I was going as quietly as possible. It wasn’t as dark as I thought now that I was down here and my eyes were getting used to the gloom. Light from the windows made its way between the seats to create lighter patches, and I tried to stick to them as much as possible. Unfortunately, the bazerat kept away from them, which meant I was going to have to leave them as well.

All right, where the heck are you? I stopped and listened, but the room was silent. Taking two more steps, I stopped again and stared ahead of me at the dark shape huddled a few feet away. It wasn’t running away so at least that was something. Now if it would only stay still . . .

A thump followed by the sounds of scurrying on the other side of the room made me whirl around, fearful of an attack from that direction. My head knocked against the bottom of a seat, and I stumbled before I tripped over my own feet and fell forward. I landed on my stomach, knocking the air from my lungs and sending the knife skidding across the floor. Letting out a moan, I looked up into the furry face of the bazerat standing less than a foot away. Before I could move, its mouth opened impossibly wide, like it was on hinges, and I got a close-up look at the rows of sharp teeth inside.

“Oh shit!” I squealed as it leapt at my face.

My arms came up to protect my head, and one of the long incisors scraped my palm, leaving a shallow cut that burned like the devil. There was no time to worry what kind of venom the bazerat might have because I was too preoccupied with wrapping my hands around its neck to hold it away from my face.

As soon as I touched it, the bazerat began to twist and screech, trying to get away from me. The only time a creature had reacted to my power like this was when I had encountered a rat possessed by a Hale witch. But I could sense no foreign presence in this creature. The bazerat was truly afraid of me, and I didn’t know what to do.

I felt it then, the strange prickly static sliding over my skin. The bazerat went nuts, clawing at my arms, which were protected for the most part by my sleeves, and struggling so violently to break free of my grasp that I knew I wouldn’t be able to hold it much longer. I began to pull my power back inside me, hoping that would calm the bazerat. I thought it was working until a small surge of electricity shot from my hands and right into the creature. The bazerat went stiff for a few seconds then collapsed limply in my hands.