Stepping away from the angry
Werewolf, I snatched the Goblin's loot bag. “Nobody is
going
anywhere,” I spat at Karl. I turned and pointed at Toby. “And you need to get a hold of yourself.” I leaned against the hood of my car and folded my arms. “We have information, even if it isn't true, that paints us as conspirators. If this gets out before we have proof, we're all sunk.” I paused. “Nobody leaves."
The Goblin hung his head. At least he acknowledged I was right. Walking slowly back to the car, he kicked the rear tire with his wee boots. “Crud." I returned the Goblin's loot. “Matthew Sumner may be an Overseer,”and a very powerful one at that, “but we don't even know what Chithula meant when he told me the name. I don't know if he's involved in this alleged rebellion, or the person we need to take the evidence to. I don't know." Toby took a step back and started to pace as he stewed. “This doesn't make any sense,” he admitted in frustration. “Why would anyone want to subvert the Syndicate?" "Don't be naïve,” I growled. “Brimstone has enemies just like everyone else. The question we need to be asking now isn't why, butwho . As in who is trying to hurt the Syndicate?” I felt a drop of rain hit my shoulder. Glancing up, I searched the skies but couldn't find a single rain cloud. Ignoring it, I returned my attention to Toby and Karl. “Are you two with me?" Karl nodded half-heartedly as he rooted through his bag of stolen goodies. “Yeah, whatever, suckhead.” He wasn't even paying attention.
Toby was still fuming, but he knew he wouldn't change my mind. No matter how much he argued, I wasn't going to run away. He stopped in front of me and folded his arms. “Where do we go from here?" I felt another drop of water hit the back of my ear. Wiping it away, I shrugged. “I honestly don't know. I think we need to find Overseer Sumner and see what he's up to. Beyond that, I'm really not sure.” Several more drops hit me. I looked up into the sky. “Is it starting to rain?" Toby grabbed my hand. “Rose, you're bleeding!" "No I'm not.” I stared down at my hands. Red smears of blood were indeed visible where I had wiped the raindrops away. “That's kind of strange." "I don't know,” Toby said, inspecting me with a worried look on his face. “I don't see any cuts." I felt another raindrop hit my forehead. Reaching up to wipe it away, I felt something sharp embedded in my flesh. Wrapping my fingertips around it, I yanked it free and held it in my hand. I lifted it close to my face but couldn't make out any detail on the tiny object. It simply looked like a tiny sliver of wood. I started to feel a bit woozy. “What the hell is going on?" Toby stared at the sliver in my hand. “It kind of looks like a dart." Karl leapt out of the car and pointed into the night sky past us. His eyes were wide with fear. “Swarm!" "Crud,” I said, repeating Karl's earlier curse. I looked up to see a swarm of glowing, yellow dots swooping toward us. I then understood what I held in my hand. It was a Pixie Stick, a poisoned spear used by tiny, wingless Inhumans known as Sprites. One Pixie Stick wasn't enough to bring down a normal-sized being, but Sprites never traveled alone, and I'd already been hit at least six times.
anywhere,” I spat at Karl. I turned and pointed at Toby. “And you need to get a hold of yourself.” I leaned against the hood of my car and folded my arms. “We have information, even if it isn't true, that paints us as conspirators. If this gets out before we have proof, we're all sunk.” I paused. “Nobody leaves."
The Goblin hung his head. At least he acknowledged I was right. Walking slowly back to the car, he kicked the rear tire with his wee boots. “Crud." I returned the Goblin's loot. “Matthew Sumner may be an Overseer,”and a very powerful one at that, “but we don't even know what Chithula meant when he told me the name. I don't know if he's involved in this alleged rebellion, or the person we need to take the evidence to. I don't know." Toby took a step back and started to pace as he stewed. “This doesn't make any sense,” he admitted in frustration. “Why would anyone want to subvert the Syndicate?" "Don't be naïve,” I growled. “Brimstone has enemies just like everyone else. The question we need to be asking now isn't why, butwho . As in who is trying to hurt the Syndicate?” I felt a drop of rain hit my shoulder. Glancing up, I searched the skies but couldn't find a single rain cloud. Ignoring it, I returned my attention to Toby and Karl. “Are you two with me?" Karl nodded half-heartedly as he rooted through his bag of stolen goodies. “Yeah, whatever, suckhead.” He wasn't even paying attention.
Toby was still fuming, but he knew he wouldn't change my mind. No matter how much he argued, I wasn't going to run away. He stopped in front of me and folded his arms. “Where do we go from here?" I felt another drop of water hit the back of my ear. Wiping it away, I shrugged. “I honestly don't know. I think we need to find Overseer Sumner and see what he's up to. Beyond that, I'm really not sure.” Several more drops hit me. I looked up into the sky. “Is it starting to rain?" Toby grabbed my hand. “Rose, you're bleeding!" "No I'm not.” I stared down at my hands. Red smears of blood were indeed visible where I had wiped the raindrops away. “That's kind of strange." "I don't know,” Toby said, inspecting me with a worried look on his face. “I don't see any cuts." I felt another raindrop hit my forehead. Reaching up to wipe it away, I felt something sharp embedded in my flesh. Wrapping my fingertips around it, I yanked it free and held it in my hand. I lifted it close to my face but couldn't make out any detail on the tiny object. It simply looked like a tiny sliver of wood. I started to feel a bit woozy. “What the hell is going on?" Toby stared at the sliver in my hand. “It kind of looks like a dart." Karl leapt out of the car and pointed into the night sky past us. His eyes were wide with fear. “Swarm!" "Crud,” I said, repeating Karl's earlier curse. I looked up to see a swarm of glowing, yellow dots swooping toward us. I then understood what I held in my hand. It was a Pixie Stick, a poisoned spear used by tiny, wingless Inhumans known as Sprites. One Pixie Stick wasn't enough to bring down a normal-sized being, but Sprites never traveled alone, and I'd already been hit at least six times.