Page 6 of The Firebrand
Rein’s mouth watered for the Kalli’s blood, but he knew he wouldn’t take it because blood taken in combat was tainted. Though he waged a constant battle against the frenzy, today he’d win, control being his chief asset.
Malok approached a portal where he could select a destination on Scath, but Rein wasn’t worried. His D-chip could track the Kalli’s route.
The hairy tunnel-dweller swiveled his neck to judge his distance from Rein. “You’ll never catch me.” He clutched something in his hand, waving it at the Firebrand.
A cellphone?
“Watch this, asshole.” Malok punched a button on the device and disappeared.
Not a phone. And he’s not going local.
Rein did not break stride. “Chay, mine’s got a portal jumper, and he’s headed to Earth or Darque. I’m on his six. When you get your bloodsucking Kalli, meet me here.”
“Mine’s deader than a Spriggan’s balls. I’ll be standing by.”
The Digital Implant Communication Chronometer embedded in each warrior’s wrist, aka D-chip or Dick Chip, linked to their brains. They could chitchat, shadowflash like vamps, track criminals, and contain their quarry. With a tap and a thought, its possibilities were nearly endless.Hell.They could even tell time, get a weather update, or snap a selfie. From a portal, it was their ticket not only to local sites but also to Earth or Darque. Not as flashy as a Patek Philippe, but it would do.
Designed for off-Scath travel, handheld jumpers such as the one Malok flaunted were cumbersome and restricted. Only trusted Aeternals possessed the devices, and users had to set a specific destination. Old-school stuff.
At the gateway, Rein latched onto the Kalli’s trail. The sonofabitch was going Earthside.
Mutteringholy schism,fuck, andwhy me, Rein hit his wrist again, plunging head over ass into the Whorl.
****
TheFirebrand, disoriented from his trip through the Whorl between realms, took a minute to get his bearings. He landed in what looked like an office, and Malok had left the entry door wide open.
When Rein charged through, he found himself in an alley. He glanced around. High brick walls jutted up each side. Some windows were barred. He tuned into the sounds. Cars, motorcycles, busses, horns, distant footsteps, voices, an airplane overhead. He sniffed. Spices. Fish. Rotting garbage. Exhaust. But fortunately, the LZ was deserted. Except for Malok.
Eating up the cobblestones, Rein’s rock-solid legs churned, bunching with tight muscles as he exploded toward his quarry. “Give yourself up now, tunnel rat, and I won’t hurt you.”
Lie.
“Not happening, asshole.”
His prey sprinted forward.
As much as Rein hated to waste warlock powers on this wilding, he could not chance Malok’s exposure on this side of the portal. His right hand shot up, palm out. The Kalli rose a few inches off the ground, flattening against a brick building.
Rein curled his upper lip, fangs elongating as he snarled. He strode up to the naked, hairy miscreant, staying upwind and back a few steps not only because the Kalli was rank but also because he still sported a huge, erect penis.
“God, Malok, put that hockey stick down. It’s repulsive.”
“I bet you wish yours was this big.”
“While I’d love to stand here comparing dicks, time’s up.”
“You’d lose anyway, pisshead.”
“Do you kiss your mother with that mouth? No, wait. I forgot. You don’t know your mother. She ditched your ugly ass. If she had stuck around, she would have chopped you into bite-size chunks for a midnight snack.”
Fathers raised the Kallikoi after birth. The mothers were not nurturing.Hell, whose mother is?
Decision time. Should he kill Malok on the spot and drag his lifeless body through the portal, or should he take him back alive to stand judgment before the Temple of Justice? Unauthorized use of a jumper meant prolonged torture. Maybe a slow, painful death. And then there was the blood attack on the nymph.Yeah. A ball-busting third-degree followed by the likelihood of a dull-bladed guillotine sounds like a good option.
More visions of Melia at the rutting party invaded Rein’s thoughts as he held her attacker against the wall.
The female’s illusory figure danced with graceful, gyrating hips, her transparent garment slipping rhythmically off her shoulders to expose eager breasts, a glistening sex, and sinewy limbs. Her finger beckoned him. In a flash, Rein ripped off his shirt and pants, whisking the nymph against his body. Melia’s seductive lips curled, her hand stroking his throbbing erection. She jumped up to wrap her legs around his thighs as he thrust into her, savoring a taste from her neck.
