Page 63 of Stealing Jia

Pepe growled menacingly.

“Want me to web him?” Bey asked.

Trayon pulled his weapon.“Not yet.”

I stared at the imposter. “Is it just me or is Sariel a little on the short side?”

“Give me the Shani.” Sariel’s tentacles rose threateningly.

Dad’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t think he understands Askole either.”

“His disguise is flawed. My father only wears gold armor,” Trayon said.

I smiled at the imposter. “Surrender or die.”Zzzzzt!A glowing green energy ball formed on my left palm.

The evil twins scurried up to my head. “We bite. He dies.”

“No, we need to interrogate him first,”I said.

The imposter began to rhythmically pound his feet against the floor. In High Coletti, he shouted, “Waewae tama-nur-ra. Waewae tama-nur-ra. Waewae tama-nur-ra.”

Trayon glanced at his gauntlet and in English said, “He is using a holographic projection of my father and proclaiming he is master of the universe.”

“He’s delusional. I could kick his butt.”

“Without a doubt,”Dad agreed.

“Waewae tama-nur-ra,” the Sariel wannabe shouted and broke into an acrobatic sword dance.

“What’s up with the sword dancing?” I asked.

“All Legionnaires must perform the ritual dance before they can attack,” Dad answered.

“Who came up with that incredibly bad idea?”

“Lilkee. She cannot understand why their enemies attack before the ritual dance has been completed,” Trayon commented.

Dad chuckled.“It’s like shooting ducks in a barrel.”

“I can’t believe the Legionnaires still follow her.”

“Only a few Legionnaires still live,”Trayon advised.

“One more is about to come to a tragic end.”I watched wannabe Sariel boogie for a moment. “His dance instructor should be shot, and I think they stole those moves from the Maori.”

The fake Sariel stomped his feet to some silent beat. “Ka nate whakatu. Tutu ngarahu. Waewae.”He pointed his sword at us. “I am the death bringer. I proclaim my promise to vanquish the vile destroyers.”

I leaned toward my dad. “Are we the vile destroyers?”

“We are.”

The wannabe hopped over and around his twirling sword. One minute he was upright, the next he tripped over his own feet and did a face plant. His sword slid across the floor.

I picked it up. “Lose something?”

Sariel’s image flickered wildly as the Legionnaire shot to his feet. “Waewae tama-nur-ra. I am the death bringer.”

“So, you keep saying.”I zapped him with the energy ball.

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