Thursday, September 15, 2022

RELEASE DAY!!! ETRUSCA'S VOW, AFV Defender Book 3

 

Snarling, Ke’Jor swept his hands across the control panel. The air-car jolted straight up. Only proximity sensors kept it from hitting the roof of the dock. The hatch slammed closed. The car jolted forward, out into the open air and churning sandy winds. M’kar rolled and slid backward, her abdomen slamming into the support for the bench seat, knocking all the air from her lungs.

The air-car tipped hard to the right, then righted itself. It rattled. M'kar was sure it shouldn't make a sound like that. Maybe her uncles were right, and it was boobytrapped, rigged to fall apart when it went far enough into the Barrens to make rescue difficult.

A low rumbling came from outside. It sounded like thunder, or very strong, brutal winds. Or both. And got stronger, louder, shaking the vehicle more with every second.

M'kar needed to laugh, but she couldn't seem to get any air. A growing storm swirled around the air-car. She was sure they couldn't go very far. If Ke’Jor wanted to take her to his clan territory, he had to cross the Ring Mountains, which divided Rissor from Ba’e’do’stra. Storms were always worse in the mountains.

"You have to go back," she finally managed to croak, when she got her breath back.

"I'm not turning back until you apologize," Ke’Jor snarled.

"Apologize for what?" Ke’Niq shouted. "She didn't do anything wrong."

"She's supposed to be nice to me. Grandfather said."

"Your grandfather is a narding indiferp with delusions of being Human!" M'kar reached for the bench seat to pull herself upright.

"You take that back!"

"You take me back home, you thief!"

"You have to obey me. You have to be nice to me." 

"I'll never be nice to you. You're an even worse idiot than your grandfather. And my grandfather says that!" She thumped her fist on the cushion for emphasis. It didn't do much good, but the gesture made her feel better.

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