“What the-“
Peter, the Guardian who had been stalking Kala and Zaden, ducked as Zaden’s fist nearly reached his face. He ducked out of the way and Zaden grabbed him by the front of his robe.
“Where did you come from?” Zaden barked at him. His grip was tight, and Peter began to quiver in fear. The rest of the Guardians were busy rounding up the people in the city who had seen the lights of Kaldernon.
“Stuff it!” Peter said, jutting his chin out defiantly. Zaden growled and punched him hard in the face. The loud crack of his nose breaking echoed in the forest and Peter fell to the ground in a heap, tears burning his eyes. Everybody was so violent these days.
“Take me to your lair,” Zaden demanded.
“What do you want to go there for? You’ll be killed,” he said, holding his nose and glaring up at Zaden.
“Maybe you can help me then,” Zaden said, reconsidering. The last thing he wanted was to go into the devil’s playground.
“Why would I help you? You broke my nose!”
“I could do much worse than that,” Zaden threatened.
“What is it?”
“Tell me what you know about the girl,” Zaden said.
“I don’t know anything about her.”
Zaden kicked him hard in the ribs.
“How about now?”
“You’re messed up!” Peter wheezed into the dirt. “I don’t know anything.”
Zaden sighed. It looked like the only way he would get information would be the worst way imaginable. But he would do what he had to do to help Kala get her life back.
“Then take me to someone who does. Before I kill you.”
Peter groaned as he got to his feet and glared at Zaden.
“All right, if you insist. Follow me.”
***
Zaden looked around nervously as they approached the small cement building where the Guardians had made their fortress. He felt sick to his stomach thinking about all of the people who had been there, Kala most likely among them, simply to be tortured for who they were. None of them had chosen to come to this pathetic planet, and yet they were suffering for it, punished by this evil group of bastards and forced into hiding.
“Here we are, you foolish little man,” Peter said, grinning evilly. He seemed convinced that Zaden would live to regret his choice to come into the wolf’s den, and although he was nervous, the presumption pissed him off. He would do whatever it took.
“Peter, take me to a back entrance, would you?” he asked, gripping the serpent-like man by the back of the neck.
“Still pretty bold are you?” Peter chuckled. Zaden began to squeeze, until Peter was coughing. “All right, all right. Calm down. Let’s go this way.”
“No funny shit or I’ll kill you,” Zaden reminded him.
“I’ve got it,” Peter sighed, leading Zaden to the laboratory’s entrance. Inside, Zaden was shocked to see a group of men and women in a small cage.
“I’ve got to get to work!” one man shouted, pointing angrily at his wrist watch. “When are we out of quarantine?”
Zaden was startled to realize they were speaking to him. No, to Peter, who was walking ahead of him with his eyes to the ground.
“I’m sorry, but you will have to be patient,” Peter said, oozing false sweetness. It made Zaden sick to his stomach.
Peter pushed past their cage, much to their dismay. Their disgruntled shouts followed them throughout the laboratory. Zaden was horrified by the state of the subjects that the Guardians had collected. Many cells full of women and men were barely guarded. And why would they have to guard them? The people were as good as vegetables. Drugged out and oblivious of the world around them.
“What did you do to them?” Zaden hissed down at Peter, jarring him a bit with a shove.
“I didn’t do any of this,” Peter said indignantly. “This is all Richard’s business. We just help rid the world of otherworldly scum. It’s no good for our planet you know.”
“Yeah right. Who were those people back there? Why aren’t they zombies like the rest of them?”
“We just brought them in,” Peter said. He seemed eager to brag and spoke casually to Zaden. And why not? He figured Zaden would be killed soon enough and turned into one of the vegetables in the laboratory. And then he would surely have his fun with him.
“Why? They don’t smell like shifters.”
“You can smell other shifters?” Peter asked, raising his eyebrow incredulously. “I’m making a note of that. Richard will surely be able to use that information.”
“Don’t tell that scum anything!” Zaden exclaimed. “Why are they here?”
“They were able to see the lights of Kaldernon,” Peter said, his thin lips pursed so that they almost disappeared.
“That’s impossible,” Zaden said dismissively.
“Is it?” Peter asked. They stopped walking now, finally reaching the door where Peter was convinced Zaden would meet his doom. “Here we are. Right into the lion’s den.”