Page 45 of Riding A Cock-Horse
“For fuck’s sake, wolverines guard the island—obviously! Chihuahuas are just useless Primaries!”
My world goes red with rage.
Ihatethe bastard who sees everyone around me as worthless—it doesn't matter if they live or die.
I think it's time to teach this asschap a lesson in the value of life.
“Go ahead and eat him.”
Belle makes this command cheerfully to the older Niseag. He's in his human form, and it's probably the first time he’s shifted in four or more decades. The elderly Tersh doesn't even blink at her words, just shifts right back into his terrifying beast. He opens his massive mouth to do as Belle’s bid, making the Secondary screech in fright.
He gets up to run away, but Nestor just arm bars him across the throat, knocking the git right back on his arse where he belongs. I look at Belle in shock—this is sonotlike her. She's such a gentle, kind person but the look of steely determination on her face tells me that she’s serious. As the older Loch Ness Monster clamps huge jaws around the Secondary, prepared to swallow him whole, Belle shouts at him to stop. The Tersh spits him back onto the ground where the Secondary manages to shift, despite his wounds.
Nestor quickly comes and kicks him in the side. The jackal yelps and tries to take a vicious bite out of the younger niseag, but stops when the older one bares his teeth in warning. For some inexplicable reason, he's listening to Belle, and I'm not quite sure what her plan is. Belle walks over to the jackal with no fear, but I can feel the rest of us tensing up. All it would take is just one bite to fatally wound her, but Belle knows she’s in charge. She leans down and gets in close to the Secondary’s muzzle.
“Do you see how easy it would be for the Loch Ness Monster to kill you? To swallow you whole in one bite? But I'm not going to let him do that because you’re a person and your life has value—every life has value. Do you understand what I’m saying? Everyone behind me has just as much value as you, regardless of where they fall in your stupid shifter hierarchy.”
At this, the jackal cocks his head. I'm sure it's a novel idea for him. He's probably taken for granted the fact that he's higher up than most. He might not be a Tersh, but he’s definitely not a lowly Primary. In his head, this makes him better.
“All right, here's the plan,” Belle continues. “Grandpa Nessie, you keep jackal jerk here as collateral. The rest of us will go to the Isle of Man and check it out. If it isn't as the Secondary says—you can eat him. Well, maybe not all of him… just pieces. I don’t think we should kill him outright, but if you eat his tongue and hands, he can’t tell anyone anything.”
The jackal looks ready to pass out at her words and promptly shifts back into human form.
“I swear I'm not lying!” he pants. “The dean’s headquarters are at the Isle of Man!”
Belle waves a hand.
“Good, good. I'm glad you're not lying, but this is just our insurance.”
“How will we get there?” Theo wonders.
Nestor raises an eyebrow at him. The disdain on his face is obvious. Clearly, he’s still pissed that Belle slept with Theo and not him.
“We swim, obviously.”
“I don't think I can swim to the Isle of Man,” Belle interjects. “I'm pretty damn sure it’s too far away.”
“I was talking to the slippery dick here—hecan swim.”
Theo swallows thickly.
“I've never swam in the ocean,” he admits.
“You'll be fine because you'll be with me,” the niseag claims.
“Oh, delightful—and what about me?” Belle prods.
“You’ll be riding me, lass,” Nestor says with a waggle of his eyebrows.
“Listen,pal, I know you want to screw me, but—”
Nestor holds a hand up in vexation.
“I didn't meanthatway—I meant ‘ride me’ like on my back while I swim.”
Belle blanches.
“You want me to ride the Loch Ness Monster all the way to the Isle of Man?! That sounds dangerous.”
