Light Speed by Arkadie, L. (accelerated reader books .TXT) 📕

that now constrains the evil inside ofhim. To remain standing, he rests on the wood railing forsupport.

“What you’re feeling will pass if you stopstruggling against the light,” I say to him.

He grimaces. “You don’t know what you’redoing.”

And then, it takes me by surprise butsomething suddenly rushes toward me and I’m lifted off the floor.There’s a sharp change in the temperature. The warmth that Exgesis’touch stirs up within me is gone. I am no longer engulfed by thei’lek’u. There are no broken tables or chairs and fearful humansare far away from here. I look up and there’s the murky nightsky.

“Better,” Chex says, stretching his lengthyneck from one side to the other. “Now, that sure does change thenature of our future association,” he says sarcastically. “So areyou coming or not?” he asks forcefully.

“Wait,” I nearly shout, hampered byfrustration.

I’m confused and am missing the warmth of mySelell. Where is this place that the Selell Chex has taken me?We’re on a grimy concrete bridge stretched over stale gray liquid.I’m appalled by what I see. I have never seen water that dirty. Thehumans have clearly neglected the source from where it flows. Andthen a horn wails. The sound makes both me and the bridgetremble.

Once it’s quiet again and my trembling hasturned to shivering, I ask, “But you can take me to Ze Feldis?”

“And I can take you to Na’ta,” Exgesiswhispers so gently in my ear.

He’s here. The bitter cold has yet againpassed away. He’s against my backside and I want to fall into him,swim in the warmth.

Chex curls his top lip. For a moment I thinkhe’s going to attack Exgesis, the bringer of the warmth, but hestays where he stands.

“What was her name?” Chex asks, pinching hischin as if he’s calling up his memory. “Fawn. That’s it, isn’t it?”He sets his gaze on me. “That’s your sister?”

“Yes,” I squeak in a high-pitched voice.Just hearing her name makes me feel closer to her. “You know Falu?”I ask.

He points toward us with his chin. “He doestoo. Before you decide to go off and bed this fellow, you shouldknow all about how familiar he is with Fawn, or Falu, orwhatever the hell her name is.”

Suddenly my Selell turns me around to facehim. The movement was so fast I could hardly feel it happening.These creatures are quicker than we are on the Earth.

“I knew your sister, Falu. We were -acquainted,” he says very calmly. The look in his eyes says he’spleading for me to hear his words over Chex’s.

I’m looking into his eyes. My thoughts arethrown off track because I see that they’re green again; not onlythat, but it’s become apparent who this Selell is.

“You’re Lario Exgesis…?” I can hardly hearmyself ask and now I find myself gasping for every breath Itake.

All of a sudden I feel trapped between twodangerous creatures. But with what I’m remembering about the oneI’m facing, he is the most treacherous. He fed Falu the mirk, humanblood; deceived her into loving him and now he is the one darkfleck in Cl’auta’s heart because, more than life itself, she wantshim dead.

“Bingo,” Chex coolly says. He’s moved closerto me; I can feel his presence hovering from behind.

“We’ve come this far and I haven’t doneanything to hurt you, have I?” Exgesis whispers in desperation.

“Just because he hasn’t doesn’t mean hewon’t,” Chex quickly adds.

My poor face, which has come to displayexpressions I have no control over, frowns hard. “I’m not sure. Youhave been hurting me by keeping me away from my sisters,” is myhonest reply.

“I’m helping you find your sister!” heshouts excitedly. His eyes are ablaze. Then he releases a hardbreath to calmly ask, “You want to get to Na’ta, don’t you?”

I swallow hard as I’m only barely able tonod.

“I’m the only one that can take youthere.”

“And why is that, Exgesis?” Chex cynicallyasks. He touches me on the shoulder and his hand is cold. “ListenLove. I’m giving you an easy out. Take it. Usually he’ll let you goover your dead body. Never his. And by God - little‘G’ then ‘od’ - if Exgesis is ever willing to let you walk, thenfucking pigs are flying.” Even though I can’t see him, I know he’sflashing that wicked grin of his. That look is natural for him.

But the question that Chex initially askedis very valid. “Yes, why are you the only one who can take me toNa’ta? Surely Cl’auta can?”

“Because the portal opens in….” he takes onehand off of me to twist his arm and study the face on the timepiecethat’s strapped around his wrist, “…seven minutes, exactly.”

“Where there’s a will there’s a way!” shoutsChex, and I’m swept off of my feet, carried so quickly that my headgrows weak. When I come to a stop, Chex is squeezing me close tohim with his forearm lodged against my belly.

But he only has me for a matter of seconds.I’m pulled out of his grasp by a stealthy force which sends meflying across the concrete bridge, but I’m able to gain control ofmyself before I slam into the metal guards. I gaze up the path,Chex straddles Lario Exgesis and they’re struggling over an object.I gasp as soon as my eyes make out what it is: the dagger. Chex hasthe tip of it aimed at Exgesis’ heart and Exgesis has Chex by thewrist, struggling to keep from being gutted.

Even from where I stand, this contest lookseasy for Chex.

“No!” I shout and aim my palm at theSelells, striking them both with a more powerful dosage of thelight.

At first they freeze where they are andthen, to my relief, Chex drops the dagger and the metal clinks onthe icy asphalt. The light has made them groggy so they struggle torise to their feet. I race over and lay my hands on Exgesis’ chest.He may be untrustworthy and he may be the reason why Na’ta is beingheld captive, but he is my warmth and my bond and, according to myvision, my sister needs me.

“I’ll go with you,” I tell Exgesis. And withmy declaration, Chex streaks away to escape the light.

My lifeblood is rushing through me. I’venever been so uncertain about