Draven, Vera, and Mariel watched as the quiet boy Ray had brought with him, grabbed him by the collar and threw him up against the wall.
"You know damn well where!" He tightened his grip as Ray slowly shrank into his shoulders like a turtle. "Back where I didn't have to worry about rhinoceros sized stone wolves trying to flatten me! Or vampire bats trying to eat me!" He snapped, feeling the heat rising in his head, and the constant beating in the back of his skull grew again.
"Wow he is stronger than he looks." Draven cooed turning his gaze to Káel. "What? Didn't do so hot on the exam?"
He glared at Draven and allowed Ray to drop from his grasp.
"Ok, let's calm down." Ray said patting his shoulder with a cheery smile. "I thought you'd like the exam. What rank did you get?"
"First you'll promise to take me back to Earth, then I'll show you that stupid rank," Káel snapped, sticking his hand out for a deal sealing handshake.
Ray stared at Káel's hand for a couple seconds then shook it and smiled. "Deal."
He removed the slip from his pocket and smacked it into Ray's palm. Ray quickly flattened out the scrunched up slip and scanned its contents with hungry eyes. After finishing he looked at Draven and did a triumphant fist pump. "Yes! I win!"
"Yeah? Show me that." Draven sneered snatching the paper from Ray and beholding it for himself, his eyes narrowed as he read and reread it. "That's a load of Swatchnea poop, you told me yourself he couldn't even turn a stick invisible."
"Doesn't change the fact that I beat you." Ray gloated stuffing his finger in Draven's face with a victorious grin.
"Alright now, take me back." Káel cut in.
Ray perked up in surprise. "Wait what? You mean right now?"
Káel nodded, giving him an expectant look. "You promised."
His gaze fell to the ground as he tilted his head to the side to avoid eye contact. "Yeah, but I didn't say when." He threw his hands up before Káel bursted. "It's not easy to travel between worlds! It'll take some time for me to set up the Telly."
"How much time?"
"Hundred days or so... Maybe a little more..." Ray winced at Káel and chuckled nervously.
Mariel finally decided to cut into the conversation, and placed herself between the feuding boys. "Ray! Do you have any idea how much trouble you can get into for this?! What do you think his parents will do when they find out you abducted their kid?!"
Ray timidly watched Mariel as she scolded him like an angry mother. "He doesn't have any parents, unless they're on Lumi."
Káel couldn't help but chuckle, as his surprise comrade continued to lecture Ray.
"How do you know he doesn't have any parents?! Were you spying on him you creep?" She placed her hands on her hips, her shoulders rising in irritation as she resisted the urge to audibly growl. "And if they're on Lumi they can just find you faster!" She turned to Káel and softened her expression. "I'm so sorry about this, I'll make sure it's sorted out as soon as possible." Her eyes drifted to Káel's scorched palm, and she immediately grabbed his hand with a sharp gasp. "What happened?!"
YOU ARE READING
COBALT: The Red Phantom (Book One)
Fantasy[Featured: EDITOR'S CHOICE] Káel didn't think his life could get worse after being abducted by an alien posing as a Russian exchange student. Until that 'one day' turned into three months, and he was forced to get cozy on a post-war planet fresh out...
