Crescent (Tribes, Book 1) [completed]

Chapter 29

Unending minutes ticked by, until it might have been hours later. Liana had started from where they left her aching and bruised, then slowly worked her way toward the firepit and the meal thereupon.

As strong as her kidnappers were, they seemed to be lacking in the area of brains. That's what happened when you focused too much on your superhuman strength and not enough on your learning abilities. However, as it benefited her, Liana wasn't about to say anything on the subject.

She picked a different, innocuous subject instead. "What are you cooking?"

One of the men glanced to her, but seemingly found her harmless enough. "Probably a distant relative of yours."

Rude. Liana pushed aside the brunt of that vague and disarming insult in favor of putting her plan into motion. "A distant relative?"

"Rabbit," the second man answered.

Wow. Talkative, these two. Liana had encountered statues with more life.

She resituated her stance so that she faced the side profile of one of them. "I'm hungry. Can I have some?"

"Why do you need it? Not like you need to survive for long."

Well, that said a lot about their upcoming plans. Liana didn't like how he phrased that. She had been right to make her own decision on how this would play out.

Liana scooted closer to the first one who had spoken to her, only a few inches across the ground, but it was enough. Her fingers reached downward as her head tilted up to study his face. In case she needed to identify him later.

"You're planning on killing me?"

The man glanced down to her, then rolled his eyes. "I don't need to answer you."

Truth be told, it didn't matter if he answered her or not. Liana hadn't sidled closer for answers. Her fingers closed around the object of her misdirection, a small box near the rock the man sat upon.

"Answers would still be nice," Liana pointed out.

The second man stood from his seat, stalked around the fire, and hauled Liana to her feet.

Liana struggled, but most of it was faked. After all, she had accomplished her goal. "Let go!" she added in for extra effect.

The man merely hauled her over his shoulder and returned her to the spot at the other side of the clearing. Apparently, her chatter had annoyed him. Or he was under instructions not to listen to a word she said.

Whatever. No matter his instructions, Liana didn't care. But she had a part to play. Liana lashed out with her feet, intending to hit the man carrying her in the stomach. She only managed to hit the porch, which sent a camping lantern crashing to the ground.

The man carrying her set her down in her original spot, a growl vibrating in his throat.

"What's going on out here?" The man in charge appeared on the porch, his eyes narrowing in Liana's direction.

"Untie me!" Liana figured she might as well get the first word in, just in case he became suspicious. "I'm hungry and they won't feed me!"

The man in charge rolled his eyes. "You are a picky little princess, aren't you?"

"Hungry, not picky," Liana threw back, sticking her tongue out at him to make her point.

The man in charge merely sighed. "No food for you. Just wait for your mate to arrive."

"I'll scream. Don't test me."

"She's a troublemaker," muttered the man who had carried her.

The man in charge heaved a sigh so loud that Liana had a sneaking suspicion he had faked it. "Bring her inside."