Chapter Fourteen: Stalkling
The next morning, Jamie woke with an overwhelming desire for distraction. Her dreams had been rife with mauling and maiming by a variety of vicious creatures, encouraging her to find literally any excuse to stay in Blinky's guest room for just a little while longer. Her eyes landed upon the music score her mentor had gifted her last night. Working on her translation of 'Vera Elu' was as good a distraction as any…
Upon completing her task, however, all she could do was stare in shock at the words before her. No matter how many Trollish-English dictionaries she consulted, the results were always the same. It wasn't until she finally used her amulet's translation abilities to check her work that she truly believed that Blinky had composed these lyrics for her.
To me, you are love without fear.
You light the way in darkness.
Though gifted from the dreaded sun,
Loved One, you are like the moon.
What could she have possibly done to deserve such praise—such poetry?
Though Jamie knew the message was entirely platonic, she found herself wishing that a boy (preferably Douxie) had written the song for her—or at least, something close to it. That anyone could see her in such a light—especially a troll, for whom the moon was a guiding force through the darkness and a celestial body of worship—was beyond flattering.
Her mentor truly felt so deeply for her? The thought brought a blush raging up the teenager's neck, making her skin tingled with pleasure.
Wait, why was it making her tingle? Blinky was the composer—Blinky: the blue, giant, ancient, four-armed, nerd with horns and tusks and... yeah. No. No.
Face aflame, Jamie set her score and dictionaries aside. She definitely needed some air.
The Trollhunter rose and stretched to encourage her blood to drain from her cheeks and took off toward Trollmarket's plaza. Being cooped up in Blinky's library was probably just getting to her. Or maybe it was the fact that she still hadn't gotten to visit Douxie between training for track, Trollhunting, and maintaining her household responsibilities.
It didn't matter. The lyrics were admirable and flattering but, knowing who'd written them, couldn't possibly be infatuation-inspiring.
Nope, definitely not—
"Lady Jamie!" the subject of her speculation cried from across the alleyway.
Jamie could not suppress the shiver that ran up her spine at the sound of his smooth, deep baritone. Would it really be so bad if she wanted him to whisper the lyrics he'd composed for her in her native tongue?
Startled by the thought, Jamie whipped around to see Blinky and Vendel milling about the market, a basket full of mystery stones between the two. "Hey, guys," she said when her heartbeat began to normalize. Her hand fluttered momentarily at her breast as if to speed along the process. "What's up?"
"Are you alright, Trollhunter?" Blinky asked, gaze trained intently upon her face. "You seem…excited."
How had she never noticed his eyes looked like honey in the light? "Um…" Jamie shook the errant, totally-unwanted observation from her mind and attempted to refocus on his question. "What?"
"Excited," the Conundrum clarified, concern suddenly present in his tone. "Heart racing, face flushed, adrenaline pumping…"
"Oh!" Jamie gasped as she realized Blinky had been the one to put her in such a state. What the fuck… "Yeah, I was just… studying..." She flinched as the lie immediately laid itself bare. "Very exciting stuff."
Blinky seemed to accept this explanation—probably because he was the only being on the planet capable of experiencing study-induced excitement. "As it were," he said with a toothy smile, "I have been researching a rather exciting subject myself!"
Grateful for the change of topic, Jamie kept her eyes glued to Blinky as he delved a secondary hand into his basket of rectangular stones, deftly avoiding Vendel's scrutinizing gaze. Sometimes she was certain the old goat was capable of reading minds.
"Aha!" her mentor emerged from his rummaging, holding one of the rough rectangles aloft for her observation. "A Beastbreaker!"
Jamie peered at the unpretty stone, wondering why it was so fascinating. Other than the little loops embedded in both ends and the angular Trollish rune carved into one face, it was one of the least exciting discoveries she'd made in her new world.
"What is it?" Jamie finally asked when observation failed her.
"A stone of granite, enchanted with runic magic," Blinky lectured, "the Beastbreaker can tame any wild creature, magical or otherwise, and cause it to imprint upon the bearer of its partner stone."
"No way! That's so cool-," The girl felt her eyes widen as she realized its intended application, "You're gonna tame the stalkling?!"
"Goodness gracious, no!" Blinky exclaimed, fixing his six eyes upon her mischievously, "I want you to tame the stalkling!"
Jamie crossed her arms defensively in front of her chest, suddenly doubting the truth of her mentor's previously riling composition. "And how am I supposed to do that before it eats me?"
"It's simple, of course," the Conundrum soothed, waving his arms expressively. "First, attach the stone around the creature's neck and then tap it with your match to establish the bond!"
The girl rolled her eyes in tandem with Vendel. "Nothing is ever easy with you, is it, Trollhunter?" the Elder drawled.
"Apparently not," Jamie agreed, glaring at her mentor's sheepish grin. "But it is the best idea we've had so far..."
"Correction!" Blinky demanded. "It's the only idea we've had thus far. And you're welcome."
Sighing, the Trollhunter threw her head back dramatically, suddenly stressed enough to put her mentor's thrilling composition entirely out of her mind while they planned the best method of breaking the stalkling.
"You want me to what?!"
Strickler rolled his eyes at Jamie's intense reaction to his plan. "Use the Grit-Shaka to get close enough to the stalkling that you can slay it. It's simple, Little Athena," he drawled.
"Ya know," Jamie retorted, crossing her arms, "Blinky said the exact same thing about his idea."
"And, pray tell, what exactly was the foolish Conundrum's grand plan?" the changeling glowered.
Jamie's gaze narrowed as her father figure insulted her friend. "Don't talk about my trainer like that," she snapped before getting straight to the point. "He gave me a totem, too—a Beastbreaker. He wants me to get close enough to the stalkling that I can tame it, since they're supposedly impossible to kill."
"I can assure you," Strickler stated, "they are quite killable. Unfortunately, you are not equipped with the ideal tools to permanently incapacitate the beast. I suppose, the only choice you have is to combine the powers of your totems and hope for the best."
Terror constricted the teen's heart as her options dwindled down to one. Her eyes drifted to her feet in an effort to hide the emotions swirling in their depths. "If I die," she whispered, unable to meet Strickler's gaze, "will you tell mom that I love her and that I never meant to leave her?"
A firm hand upon her shoulder drew her eyes to her surrogate father's. His gaze was soft as he regarded her fondly. "You will survive, Little Athena," he said reassuringly. "I will be watching from the sidelines. Even if it means I must reveal my true allegiances to save you, I would gladly do so in an instant."
The words drew a gasp from the teen's lips as Strickler laid bare the depth of his affection for her. It made her heart swell and constrict all at once as she mourned the time she'd wasted being angry with the changeling instead of enjoying their relationship while she could. "You can't be discovered," Jamie whispered. "You have to pretend so that, even if I die, Mom will survive."
Strickler stared intently at the teen, seeking any waver in her determined countenance. Apparently, he found none, for a moment later he sighed heavily and bowed his head in defeat. "I will do what I can," he compromised. "For now, you must return to class. The bell is about to ring and-."
He was interrupted by the very ring of which he spoke, signifying the end of Jamie's lunch period. Students flooded into the halls where Strickler and Jamie stood, scrambling to their lockers. "Meet me by my car before practice," he bid her farewell with a meaningful look. "I'll take you where you need to go."
Jamie nodded, staring fixatedly at the spot her father figure had just vacated. Why had she wasted so much time being angry? Why hadn't she ever told him how much he meant to her? On that note, why hadn't she ever told anyone she loved how much they meant to her? She couldn't die today without them knowing—she wouldn't.
Inspiration struck as Jamie opened her locker and her eyes landed on the five-sectioned spiral-bound notebook she used for all her classes. Maybe she didn't have to survive to tell them all how much she loved them. Grabbing the notebook and a mechanical pencil, Jamie turned from her locker to meander toward her next class only to bump into a burly blonde figure.
"Oh!" she exclaimed as she recomposed herself, realizing with whom she'd just collided. "Sorry, Steve. I didn't even know you were out of the hospital!"
"Oh," Steve said absently, obviously having noticed her for the first time. "Hey, Jamie," he greeted, eyes lingering elsewhere.
Jamie followed the jock's gaze and found Eli Pepperjack, gathering the books he'd just dropped from the floor, holding his glasses to his nose with one finger as he attempted to complete his task. The girl rolled her eyes and made to help only to stop in surprise as Steve beat her to his usual victim with his long-legged stride. "Steve," Jamie tried to deter the violence that was certain to come, "don't-!"
"Here," the blonde's voice was gentle as he kneeled to help the bespectacled boy with his impossible task. "Let me help you, Pepperjack."
The girl felt her jaw drop as she watched the scene unfold before her. It seemed an eighth concussion was all it took for Steve to get over his constant urge to bully. She'd been certain the jock would have sought revenge for winding up hospitalized in Eli's presence!
Eli simply smiled at the larger boy, none of the fear he'd displayed over the years present in his gaze. "Thanks, Steve," the boy said in his squeaky voice.
It was at that moment Steve looked up and caught Jamie's stunned expression. His shoulders tensed and his eyes narrowed before one of his massive fists collided abruptly with Eli's tiny shoulder, knocking the books back out of the boy's hands. "That's what you get, Pepperjack!" the blonde taunted before bolting away with a decidedly forced cackle.
Jamie raced toward the fallen nerd, extending a hand of help. "What the heck was that all about?" she asked the boy curiously.
"Ah, heh," Eli laughed nervously as the two retrieved the texts from the floor once more. "Beats me," he offered unhelpfully before shooting the girl a sincere smile, "Thanks for helping me, Jamie."
"No problem, Eli," Jamie said, smiling back. "Sorry he's such a jerk."
"He's actually been a lot better lately," the tiny teen said with a glance where Steve had just disappeared.
"Better at bullying you?" Jamie asked in confusion.
"Ah, yeah," Eli said, scratching the back of his neck nervously with his book-free hand. "That's what I meant."
Before Jamie could inquire further about the confusing statement, the bell rang, signifying the end of their passing period. They were late for Spanish. Great.
The girl sighed and, instead of heading to class alongside Eli, bid the boy farewell and turned toward the direction of the school's library. She wasn't willing to spend what may be her last few hours on this earth trapped with Senior Uhl the Unforgiving. She had letters to write and she needed all of her focus to do it.
The rest of the day passed in a blur. Jamie forced herself to stay present with Toby and Claire as much as possible, but found herself wishing she could see her mother one last time before she had to face the stalkling. Toby noticed her wandering mind every time it drifted without fail and worked in tandem with Claire to refocus the Trollhunter on what mattered most. Overall, it was a success, and Jamie was able to slip the letters into her friends' bags just before they went their separate ways for rehearsal and track.
Two down, five to go, Jamie thought with relief.
Instead of making her way to the track field, however, Jamie wandered to the parking lot, where Strickler leaned casually against his classic, awaiting her arrival. "Are you ready, Little Athena?"
Jamie sighed. No, she wasn't ready. She wished she could go to track one more time without risking exhausting herself before facing the stalkling. Instead, the girl nodded firmly and remained silent as Strickler started the car and drove through the streets of Arcadia. They didn't stop until they arrived on the outskirts of the woods that surrounded the town.
"This should be far enough," Strickler said, placing the car in park and reaching between the seats. Jamie stared as the changeling retrieved a rope—no, a lasso—and handed it to the girl. "Put this in your bag. Use it to wrangle the stalkling and establish the bond with the Beastbreaker." He placed a hand upon her shoulder and offered a small smile. "Now go. You have a quest to complete."
Jamie smiled back wryly. "In case I don't make it back," she said, reaching into her bag and withdrawing the letters. "Can you make sure these get where they need to go?"
Strickler eyed the letters curiously, eyes widening at each name he observed: Mom, Aaarrrgh, Draal, Blinky, and Dad. His eyes collided with hers as he read the final letter. "That one's for you," she whispered with a smile.
His Adam's apple bobbed and his hands trembled around the letter until he managed to regain his composure. "I'll have no need to read this," he stated firmly, meeting her gaze with resolve, "because you'll return to us, alive and riding your new steed."
Jamie chuckled. "Okay," she said and withdrew the totems from her bag. "I just…?"
"Wear the Grit-Shaka around your neck," he instructed, "and the Beastbreaker around your wrist. Attach the match to the stalkling's neck like a collar and press the two stones together."
"Right, got it," the girl said with a nervous swallow. "Easy-peasy."
"Go," Strickler said. "Before Bular becomes suspicious."
Jamie nodded and exited the car, carefully avoiding her teacher's gaze so as not to betray their alliance to any onlookers. She trembled as the vehicle drove away, leaving her alone on the side of the road. With nothing left to do, the girl donned her armor and the totems.
Suddenly, the dark magic that had pulsed from the Grit-Shaka disappeared, dragging Jamie's fears along with it. What the heck had she been so worried about? She was the muther-effing Trollhunter! Whatever this supposedly too-scary-to-survive stalkling looked like, it had nothing on Jamie Lake!
With a smirk, the girl strode confidently through the forest, skipping between the trees and whistling a merry tune. It was probably the lasso making her feel so confident—she and Toby had spent countless hours playing Cowboys and Indians as kids (and, if she were perfectly honest, she was damn good at it). Jamie wondered idly why they'd ever stopped. It had been so much fun!
"Hoooooooome, home with the straaaaaaange!" The girl belted at the top of her lungs, certain she had the voice of an angel. If anything, that stalkling would come to her because it liked her singing, not because it wanted to kill her. "Where the troooooolls and the chan-ge-lings slaaaaaay!"
The earth trembled as what could only be described as a stone dragon crashed to the ground mere feet in front of Jamie. Its wings spread wide and its jaw opened to release a terrible shriek that would have chilled the blood of any in its path—save for the Trollhunter, of course.
"Ain't you a beaut?" Jamie drawled with a smirk, twirling her lasso confidently as she circled the stalkling. The creature's eyes glowed a brilliant scarlet as it snarled at its prey. "Too bad you picked the wrong cowgirl to tussle with!"
As if capable of understanding her, the stalkling lunged, its jagged maw snapping through the air as Jamie rolled out of the way just in time, leaping with a totally-expected amount of confidence upon the back of the winged beast.
"Yeeeeeeeeeeeehaaaaaaaaw!" Jamie hollered, twirling her lasso and flinging it at the stalkling's horned head. Just as the loop encircled the creature's neck successfully, the beast spread its magnificent wings and took to the air, dragging Jamie along behind, clutching to the rope for dear life.
She was in for one helluva ride.
Brow furrowed, lips downturned, Blinky paced.
Back and forth he walked, fighting desperately to ignore the nervous churning in his gut, clenching his fists to keep from wringing his hands, worrying incessantly about Jamie. What had he been thinking, sending her tiny, fragile, fleshy body to the surface not only to face the stalkling that sought her, but to tame it?! He should have locked her away beneath the surface for the rest of her natural existence, or at the very least kept her safely hidden away in Trollmarket to train as opposed to concocting another risky scheme that was certain to cut her life short prematurely.
The Beastbreaker had seemed like such a marvelous idea; and Jamie was the only being he knew who could possibly succeed at taming such a creature. Despite her age and race, the Trollhunter had one of the strongest hearts of any he'd ever known—certainly stronger than his—and, as a result, she tended to see the potential strength in others, deserving or otherwise. Consequently, she was willing to place far too much faith in his counsel.
Blinky sighed. Had he just sent his pupil—his friend—off to her untimely demise?
Should she fail and not return, the troll would never forgive himself.
Suddenly, an ear-piercing shriek sliced through the air of Trollmarket. Blinky's fawn-like ears twitched and his six eyes rose in search of its source, only to see the city's inhabitants scrambling in a mass panic. Every citizen was running, shouting, or hiding—from what, however, he knew not.
The Conundrum raced toward the Plaza, anxious to discover what all the commotion was about. An enormous shadow drifted over the stone ground and a high-pitched, gnarled shriek resounded across the city. Blinky looked up and gasped.
The stalkling he'd sent Jamie to tame flew over the city.
"Oh, no," Blinky moaned, heart plummeting…until he saw her.
There, riding on the back of her newly-tamed steed, was the Trollhunter. Her braid whipped through the air behind her as the stalkling circled lower and lower. When she drew closer, Blinky could make out the flush of exhilaration that darkened her cheeks, the sparkle in her wide blue eyes, her armor's glimmering reflection of the bioluminescent stones that lit Trollmarket.
"Yeeeeeee-haw!" the girl let out a fearsome war cry. "Ride 'em cowgirl!"
Upon her landing, Blinky released the breath he didn't know he'd been holding and raced forward to greet her. His smile felt wider than his face and his heart beat excitedly for his pupil. "Lady Jamie!" He exclaimed, pumping all four of his fists in the air, "You've done it! Not only have you survived the stalkling's pursuit, but you've managed to tame the vicious creature!"
It wasn't until Blinky saw Jamie cock a smug brow that he realized something was amiss. The girl dismounted and gave her new steed an affectionate pat, as though the events of the last five minutes were merely par for the course. "All in a day's work," she drawled in a southern accent, "This sheriff ain't gonna leave this town in the hands o' bandits like Bular."
"Uh…" Blinky stared at the girl, his six eyes blinking out of sync as he processed exactly what she'd said. "What?"
"That's right," Jamie continued to drawl as she slowly approached the incredibly confused troll. "Cowboy up, Blink—we're gettin' us a Gumm-Gumm. Arcadia ain't big enough for the both of us…"
"Lady Jamie," Blinky finally managed to interrupt the Trollhunter's insane ramblings through his shock. "I have no idea what is going on, but I'm afraid sending you to tame the stalkling has manifested an undue amount of confidence. You are not yet ready to face Bular the Butcher and survive!"
To his further shock and appall, Jamie spat on the streets of Trollmarket. "I ain't yeller, Blink," the girl said seriously, turning back toward the stalkling and moving to remount. "And if you won't go with me, then it looks like it's just me and Comanche here…"
"You are not naming the stalkling Comanche," Blinky stated firmly, grabbing her with all four hands before she could successfully climb aboard her new pet. "And you are not going to face Bular alone."
"Hold yer horses, partner," her tone turned sly as she eyed the troll over her shoulder, shifting her hips sensually in his stone grasp. "I ain't exactly ready to ride in yer rodeo just yet..."
The Conundrum froze, eyes widening as Jamie's words sank in. Still, he did not release her from his grasp for fear that she would continue her pursuit of Bular. "Lady Jamie," he gasped in shock, "did you just insinuate that… that I would…try to seduce you?!"
"Well, you know what they say," Jamie turned in Blinky's embrace and pressed her armored form flush against his stone front before the troll could recover from his shock. "'The older the violin, the sweeter the music…'"
It was at that moment Blinky's wide-eyed gaze found the glowing green totem that hung from his charge's neck. "A Grit-Shaka!" he gasped as realization dawned. "Lady Jamie, you must give me the totem. It's making you insane-!"
Despite the troll's attempts at repelling his possessed pupil, Jamie managed to move her mouth closer to his as he spoke. "I'll give you something," she said huskily, so close he could feel her breath on his lips, "when you give me something…"
Inspiration struck as her small, soft hand slinked around his neck and her fingers tangled through his azure locks. Swallowing his trepidation, Blinky mimicked his charge's actions, allowing one of his upper hands to brush teasingly along her arm until he reached her neck where the totem's chain rested unassumingly. "I suppose," he murmured as coyly as he could, given the situation, "if that's what you truly desire…"
Before his charge could do anything dumber than she already had, Blinky yanked the chain up over her head, severing the totem's control over her mind, and pulled out of her erotic embrace. He watched the girl's eyes fluttered as the dark magic's influence faded and she regained control of her consciousness. "Blink…" she murmured, closing her eyes and bringing a hand up to her forehead. "What ha-?"
Her eyes popped open. Her jaw snapped shut. Her cheeks flushed. "Oh… my…"
"Are you quite alright, Lady Jamie?" Blinky asked, concern overpowering his consternation.
"I am so sorry, Blink!" she apologized as the blush spread from her cheeks down her neck and disappeared beneath her armor. "I have no idea why…that was…" she buried her face in her hands. "I don't even…"
Blinky smirked and crossed his arms, clutching the Grit-Shaka tightly. "Look on the bright side," he said smugly. "At least you retained enough of your senses to return to Trollmarket before pursuing Bular…"
Jamie glowered at her smug mentor. "Considering what just happened," she hissed, "that's not a bright side!"
"Jamie!" Toby's voice echoed across the crowded streets of Trollmarket. "Jamie! There you are!"
The Conundrum couldn't contain his laughter as his eyes landed upon Claire and Tobias, who carried in his hand an object that was certainly most unwanted without the Grit-Shaka. "We brought you the cowboy hat you asked for!"
"No!" Jamie howled in embarrassed despair. "No, no, no! Take it back!"
"I am afraid, Master Toby," Blinky said, somehow managing to regain his composure despite the hilarity of the situation, "that the totem granting Lady Jamie her affinity for cowgirl culture has been summarily removed."
At her friends' questioning looks, Jamie sighed and decided if anyone had a right to know, it was these two. "Strickler gave me this totem for my birthday to make me brave," she glowered at the offending artifact still gripped tightly in Blinky's hand. "Apparently, it has side effects."
"Well, of course!" the Conundrum cried as though it were perfectly obvious. "It's Gumm-Gumm magic—some of the darkest magic known to trollkind!"
"And it made you like the Wild West…?" Claire trailed off uncertainly.
Blinky smirked sideways at Jamie, clearly enjoying the way she blushed under his mischievous gaze. "Among other things…"
"Shut up," Jamie said flatly, turning redder with every second.
"I don't get it!" Toby exclaimed, placing the cowboy hat upon his head. "You literally fall asleep every single time we try to watch a Western! You don't even like country music!"
"Our Trollhunter may not like 'country music'," Blinky said as he cast the girl another cocky grin. "But she has expressed a preference for the violin..."
As Jamie buried her tomato-red face in her armored hands, Claire finally cracked. "Okay, seriously," she exclaimed. "What am I missing here? Why are you blushing?"
"Oh, Lady Jamie doesn't kiss and tell…"
"Who wants to go for a ride on my new stalkling?!" Jamie interrupted the troll before her friends could catch on.
The teens' eyes lit with excitement at Jamie's suggestion. "Mememememememe-!" Toby cried, anticipation and delight making him bounce in place.
"Yes, please!" Claire only grinned, more adept at containing her emotions than her male counterpart. "Do you have a name picked out yet?"
"I say we let the master do the naming," Jamie turned to Toby with a smile. "After 'Gnome Chompsky,' you have the permanent honor."
Toby stroked his chin comically as his expression turned contemplative. Suddenly, his eyes lit and his face split into a metallic smile. "I've got it!" he cried. "Comanche!"
Jamie glowered as Blinky burst into another round of riotous laughter behind her. "Fuck it," she deadpanned. "Claire, you and I are going for a ride on my yet unnamed stalkling. These two are relegated to the ground."
"What?!" Toby and Blinky exclaimed in unison, laughter silenced in the wake of Jamie's disappointing proclamation.
"What did I say wrong?!" the teen burst. "You can't leave me behind! I'm the one with the cowboy hat!"
"Lady Jamie!" Blinky whined, pressing all four hands together in a nonverbal plea. "It was harmless bantering! I swear, I'll never tease you again!"
"I dunno, Blink," Jamie said smugly as she helped Claire mount her new steed. "I don't think you're quite ready to ride in this rodeo…"
With that, the girls took to the sky, leaving the two boys to suffer for their tormenting ways.
Something was amiss.
Strickler could see it in the oppressive darkness of the museum, feel it the way he shivered despite the warm evening, hear it in the still silent air. It wasn't until he entered the Bridge room and flicked on the lights to find Nomura and NotEnrique waiting for him in their troll forms that he realized exactly what was wrong.
He'd been betrayed.
"Sorry, Stricklander," Nomura's terse voice contrasted strangely with the smug expression she wore. "We can't have your sentiments stealing the only chance changelings have at freedom."
Had his love for humanity really blinded him so completely to the true motivations of his own kin?
"Nothin' personal," NotEnrique piped up with a smirk, seeming much less conflicted than his female coconspirator. "It's just business."
Strickler knew that, should he dare to turn and flee, he would run right into the Black Prince. The knowledge did not stop him from trying. As he collided with the dark mass of stone and hair, rebounding to the floor, he shifted into his troll form and prepared to fight for his life.
"You're making a mistake!" Strickler cried to his fellow changelings as he dodged a swipe from Bular's less-mangled paw. "You know there's another way! You heard what the Trollhunter is trying to accomplish in Trollmarket!"
"What I heard," Nomura drawled bitterly as she watched the battle unfold before her, "was a naïve little girl trying to impose her foolish ideals on a world unwilling to listen."
Strickler leaped aside just in time to escape being crushed by Bular's massive fist. "They love you!" he shouted. "And I know you love them, too!"
"Ev'n if that was true, which it ain't," NotEnrique crowed from the sidelines. "It ain't enough to make me wanna risk me own stone fer a couple o' 'umans."
Finally, Bular's claws managed to collide with the changeling's body, sending him tumbling to the ground with a cry of pain. He should have known the Gumm-Gumm prince was too powerful to be defeated single-handedly.
"Fear not, impure," Bular's gravelly voice rumbled beside Strickler's ear. "You'll have the honor of serving my father one last time before I end your miserable existence."
The changeling barely registered the words through the pain emanating from the claw marks in his chest. As the enormous troll summoned the others to tie up his victim, Strickler realized he'd failed. In his arrogance, he'd underestimated the degree of his kin's self-preservation and overestimated the power of one human's care.
Before Strickler could come up with a plan to undo what was undeniably his greatest mistake, Bular delivered one final blow, knocking the changeling out cold.
Dearest Readers,
Uh-oh. UH-OH! Jamie is starting to develop feelings for the LAST person she ever expected (seriously, Blink, you can't just dump words like THAT on a teenage girl with abandonment issues after months of being one of the only people supporting her unconditionally—doesn't matter what you look like). Strickler and Jamie finally acknowledge their father-daughter bond to one another. Blinky gets his ego stroked enough to act like a cocky douche and Strickler's cockiness bites him in the ass.
What's Bular planning to do with our favorite changeling traitor? How is Jamie gonna react to realizing her dad has been kidnapped?
To 17: Don't worry, Sweetie. The ship is solidifying as time goes on. AND YES! It's TOTALLY early Creepslayerz! 3 I love those dorks. xD
Yours,
Elora Story