Page 96 of Solivagant

How did I answer that honestly in a way that wouldn’t have her trying to chainsaw Khorli for holding me captive? “It’s a long story.”

“Then you better start talking.”

I explained everything that had happened, all the while watching the position of her hands on that chainsaw, hoping she wouldn’t deem anything I had to say as the wrong answer.

She had questions. Some I could answer, some I couldn’t. But by the time I’d told her everything I knew, she seemed less likely to kill us both.

Khorli had left the water to join me. His tail reached for me, and mine entwined around it in a way I wouldn’t have deliberately done in front of her, but the damned thing was out of my control.

Despite filling her in on most of the details, Tash and Khorli continued to death-stare each other. That was manageable as long as he kept his claws to himself, or me, and she didn’t try to use that chainsaw on him.

“This other world. How do you get there?” she asked.

“We have to make a sacrifice on the altar. It’ll open the portal⁠—”

“Bridge,” Khorli corrected.

I sighed. “It’ll open the Bridge, then we can go.”

“Fine.” She finally let the weapon drop to her side as she adjusted the strap of her backpack. “Let’s go, then.”

“What?” I raised my eyebrows in surprise, though I really should have known her better than that.

“I said let’s go, Joey. People are going missing. They’re sending out a search party at dawn—you have your dad to thank for that by the way. They might not find this place right away, but they will eventually, and I’m betting you don’t want them finding you or deer-man over here. Not to mention the bodies I found on my way in.”

“No, you’re right. But… you’re coming too?”

“Of course I’m coming too, are you fucking joking? As if I’m letting you go off-world without me. It’s been fucked facing those people without you. You don’t get to leave me behind.”

“But… I’m different now, Tash. Stronger. It’ll be dangerous for you.”

She raised the chainsaw again and Khorli growled behind me.

“Go fuck yourself, Joey. I said I’m coming.”

Whatever it was that human souls looked like to Khorli and others like him, it were something I apparently hadn’t inherited in my transformation. When I looked at Tash, I couldn’t see the aura of her soul like I could when I looked at him. But I knew part of the reason Khorli had never taken Jem to his world was because the human soul was like a beacon to the predators there. He’d told me that now my soul had changed, I wouldn’t be so much of a target. But Tash didn’t have that protection.

“You can’t, Tash. It’s not safe.”

“Wasn’t asking.” She glared at me.

I looked to Khorli, hoping for some assistance, that maybe he’d be able to tell her what it was like and the dangers she would face. He was looking at her with a disgust in his features I’d never seen on him before.

“Khorli.” I whipped him with my tail.

He turned to look at me, and his features softened immediately.

“Tell her,” I instructed. “Tell her it’s not safe because of her soul.”

His eyes flicked to her again, then back to me. “She’ll be fine.”

“There, see? Deer-man gets it. Let’s go find a sacrifice,” Tash decided, as she stomped off through the long grass.

“Why are you lying?” I folded my arms over my chest. “You told me human souls weren’t safe in your world.”

“They aren’t,” he confirmed.

“Then why tell her she’ll be fine?”