Amid the Clouds (Brave New World Book 1)

Chapter 6

That was why I never saw the floor coming when I was placed on it rather gently.

A second later I was head up and feet down again, but it weren't my legs holding me erect. It was that tail again, wrapped around my midsection with my arms pinned to my sides. And this time I had those black eyes at my eye level from so close that I could tell I had been wrong. The irises weren't black but so dark-blue that they appeared black from a distance.

The creature sniffed me: first my hair then the right side of my face, then the left. It lingered at my neck and I shut my eyes again, bracing myself for the fatal bite.

"What is your name, little human?"

My eyes shot open. The monster was capable of speech? And it spoke in flawless English?

The bat-man had a calm expression on its blue face. "Yes, do not be so shocked. I am not a wild animal." It - more like he - had a deep, masculine voice. "Your name?"

"S-sue?" I stuttered.

"Sue?" It sounded like the bat-man didn't like the name. "Little human, did you touch my wing?"

I stared, losing my ability to speak altogether.

It was when he grunted from deep within his chest - fully healed by this point - that I managed to mumble, "Yes... Sorry?"

"I am not insulted," he said with a reassuring tone. "However, I do prefer to be awake, and not partially in a healing sleep, when a female is bold enough to touch what only a mate is allowed to."

My eyes were the size of a tarsier's at this point. I was gaping as well.

The tip of a finger ending in a sharp black claw lifted my hanging jaw. "Close that seductive mouth of yours, little human, unless you want to have it claimed by my lips."

There I was, slack-jawed yet again.

He revealed one of his pearly white fangs in what I presumed was a lop-sided grin. "So you want to be claimed with a kiss?"

That got my lips pressed tightly together. I kept staring, however.

I was about to slip into insanity. Was I in the Twilight Zone? Was the Twilight Zone real, like so many creatures depicted in movies had turned out to be over the past months?

"All right, play hard to get. I will be given what I desire later, when the environment is safer... You do want to come with me, do you not?"

I blinked rapidly. Go with him? What-

"Let me paraphrase: do you want to be saved or should I leave you to the flesh eaters and blood suckers? Darkness is almost here..."

I swallowed hard. He was right. The sound of the bombings was already fading in the distance, but dusk was fast approaching. I would make it out of this building but not home, because the dark would catch me on the road. And the road passed too close to the elf-infested nature park.

I had been hunted by the human-hating night-dwelling elves once, and the only reason I had survived that brief encounter was the sunrise. Daylight made those creatures more or less blind.

"Well?" The bat-man gave my body a light shake, me still hanging in the air by his tail and all.

"Can you... um... by any chance... uh... drop me off at... a location of my choosing?" I couldn't lead him to the air base, but the nearby filling station would do as a landmark. He would just have to follow the main road during the flight - assuming he was talking about flying me off to safety, that was.

"Do I look like a taxi, little human?" He grunted. "You either come with me to where I'm going or you do not come at all. You are a skilled fighter, you might kill a flesh eater or two before the rest eat you up-"

"I saved your life," I reminded him, hoping this meant something to a creature like himself. "You won't eat me if I come with you, will you?"

He flashed me another fangy smile. "I do not eat humans. That I swear on."

"Will you suck me dry?" I had to rule out all possibilities.

That made him smile even more broadly and pass a tongue - thin and forked like a snake's - along one fang. Then he put me down on my feet and stated matter-of-factly, "You are coming with me."

He wasn't asking. Apparently, I had amused him enough to be taken away from here regardless of my opinion on the matter.

I honestly didn't know what my opinion was anymore. I wished there were instructions on what to do when faced with a giant speaking bat offering you a ride.

All I was currently capable of doing was stay where I was and observe.

He retrieved his sword, pushed a button on the handle that made the blade fold on itself like in a sci-fi movie, and tucked the handle in the belt of his loincloth. Then he approached the only window with a handle in the room, frowned when it wouldn't open more than a fraction, and yanked the handle. He used such force that he basically tore the thing off. The big window did open fully, though.

Then he extended a large blue hand my way.

"Uh..." Did he expect me to kindly put my hand in his, thus showing I trusted him?

Before I could decide what to do, I was already in his arms being carried off to the window like a bride on her wedding day.

"Just messing with you, little human," he said as he took off. "I told you you were coming with me. You hesitated for too long. A gargoyle king can only be this patient."

And then we were airborne.