Wild Tiger Chase | Book #2 (Complete)

23: your master, Brash (Part I)

— Léon —

Wrong.

Something was definitely wrong there, and it wasn't the casual way Phillip had leaned on the same tree Rafaela was propped against. It wasn't their proximity, either, and it certainly wasn't the way Rob looked at them, in a mix of anger and pain—these were starting to feel common by now.

What was wrong was the increasing heat in Rob's words.

"Seriously, Beto," Rafaela tried to say.

They had spent the whole night talking, and now—sore throats and cold fingers—they leaned toward the embers of their campfire, trying to capture the remaining warmth coming from it.

"Enough, sis," Rob interrupted in a hard voice. "The more I think about it, the more I realize this is the best place for them. For us." Rob sighed and looked away, towards the ever-intensifying rays of daylight on the horizon. He had his hands joined under his chin, his posture stiff and uninviting.

Rob didn't sound like Rob anymore. This person had nothing to do with the adoring man Léon had made love to in the lake. How could a handful of hours have changed him so much?

What the hell was going on?

"And then do what?" Rafaela asked. "Will we live here forever?"

Rob shrugged. "If we can. This place has everything we need."

"You can't!" Caidara said in an angry voice. "It's my home; I want you out of here as soon as possible."

"See?" Rafaela pointed at the old woman. "And as much as you want to think otherwise, we're not safe here, Beto. We—two people in a sea of trees—found this place without help. Cae has his whole organization out there, looking for us. There are three cosmic trace wielders bundled together here, and two of them barely understand their own powers. The third"—Rafaela tapped her chest—"is like a dead battery who can barely fight a simple bandit."

"You're selling yourself short. And you can still teach Léon and Pipo!" Rob snapped back. "We can protect this place."

"Is this kid inviting himself to live in my damned property?" Caidara asked.

"He surely is, Caicai," Phillip said with a sneer. "He always wanted whatever I had; the guy must be obsessed or something.

Rob growled at Phillip.

"Beto!" Rafaela took in a deep breath and tried to control her voice. "We can't ask Fofo or Dr. Modraniht to fight, Pipo is just a kid, and as strong as you and Caidara are, you two can't face a whole gang of barbarians alone. We can't stay."

"Okay, I disagree with Robbie-boy, but I want to remind you all I'm here too," Phillip said. "And I can fight if you need me."

"You're sick; you can't," Caidara said. "And you'll have to stay here if you want the sickness to keep contained." She crossed her arms, a cigar stub locked between her teeth. Caidara's smart eyes set on Anhangá and narrowed. "And you, you old bark, letting kids fight for you—"

"Allow me," Anhangá interrupted, "to say how beautiful this pocket dimension is." His voice had a weird sweetness to it. "I doubt Phillip would find a better place to stay or better company, Madam."

Caidara rolled her eyes, and Phillip's eyebrows arched.

"You have your own pocket dimension, Caicai?" he said. "That's impressive. Almost as impressive as knowing what a pocket dimension is. Cause... you know, I don't. Also, I don't wanna get stranded in this place."