Page 45 of Arresting the Warlord

“Does the Overlord know of this?”

“Haven’t a clue, but Jake’s here.”

“I will let Datlow and Tae know.”

“Thank you.” I disconnected the link.

A glittering blue light formed in front of me.

I scowled. I didn’t even have a knife for protection.

The light dissipated and there stood an armored Askole warrior. He literally radiated power.“Where is Trayon?”

I pointed at the hogan.

Whoosh!The warrior raced over to it and vanished inside.

General Jones popped in with an enormous gray Tabor perched on his shoulder.

Gee. Monument Valley was suddenly a popular place.

“Grampa Bey!”Oola hopped up and down on my head.“Me lost mama.”

The Tabor jumped off the General’s shoulder and scurried over to me.“You were told not to leave the nursery, Oola.”

“Me was hungry.”

“Bey will stay with you until we have the situation under control,” General Jones stated and teleported away.

Like I needed a guard? I stared down at Gramps. What did one say to a Tabor?Did I talk about the weather? Ask about his family? Did he consider Earth spiders kinfolk?

“I was raised in a jungle and find Arizona extremely barren. My family is doing well. Comparing us to Earth spiders is like comparing humans to apes.”Bey’s tongue shot out and snagged a fly.

“Oh. Okay. So, not to be rude or anything, but do you spin webs like our spiders?”

“We do.”Bey crawled up my chest.“Would you like a demonstration?”

“No! That won’t be necessary.”I gingerly touched his leg.“Uh. If I have to fight, you’re kinda in the way.”

Bey moved to my shoulder.“Better?”

Before I could think of a good answer, the crawlies hit me. I groaned when ten red dune buggies appeared out of a cloud of dust. Each had a machine gun mounted on top of the roll cage. The roar of their engines was deafening.

“Those humans wish to capture you and seem unaware that your mate is nearby,”Bey commented.

“The Red Kings are a few fries short of a happy meal.”

“You need to summon your mate,”Bey added.

I snorted.“Not a chance. They’re mine.”

“We warriors,”Oola chirped.

“And I don’t need a penis to kick ass.”I raised my arms and chanted,“Sepulcrum ibidem solus novum. Vem Hum. Domum rotundam!”

A bank of black clouds gathered overhead. Bolts of multi-colored lightning erupted in the cloud-shrouded sky. Cracks of thunder reverberated off the buttes.

Bey wrapped his legs around my neck. “What are you doing female?”

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