Legacy Rangers (Book Two of the Chosen Universe)

Chapter Seventeen

TAMIRA

She was singing a song from The Little Mermaid. She'd recently discovered that Squatt especially loved Disney songs. Finster and Baboo didn't seem to mind, and even Virges was staring at her adoringly. Singing for the monsters gave her comfort as much as it seemed to soothe them, and it helped pass the time. Tamira smiled as the room grew even brighter, wondering why it always seemed to do that when she sang.

"Up where they walk, up where they run, up where they stay all day in the sun!" She sang.

"What is this?!" Merkhet demanded harshly. Tamira immediately stopped singing and began trembling. "Again, you fools? I told you to stop gathering around her! You worship her as though she were a Goddess, while I remain the only Goddess present!"

"Demigoddess, Mistress," Virges corrected her gently.

"Close enough! I come from deities! That child does not!"

"Merkhet, she has the powers of the Sun. She must be of the Gods," Finster said.

Merkhet frowned. "Yes, I suppose she may descend from a line of Horus... But it is diluted and tainted with the blood of countless generations, each more human and less demigod... She is human. I am the real thing. So stop gathering around her and do your jobs!"

The monsters fled. Merkhet glared at her. "Enough of you," she decided.

"Are you going to kill me?" Tamira found the strength to ask.

"Oh, no, Child. I'm going to do much worse than that." She laughed before opening up a portal. She proceeded to drag Tamira through it. Tamira stared in horror at the monster before her.

"Lord Zedd! I bring a gift!" Merkhet declared, shoving Tamira toward him.

"What would I possibly want with that?" Zedd asked.

"I thought you might enjoy a replacement for Aisha... You certainly seemed to like her."

Zedd did something shocking then. He struck Merkhet hard across the face. Tamira had yet to see anyone with the guts to attack Merkhet.

"Do not speak of matters you know nothing about!" Zedd said harshly.

Merkhet looked stunned. "You dare to strike me?" She demanded.

"You crossed into my domain, Woman! You are not in charge here. Now leave."

Merkhet looked furious, but she left. Zedd looked at Tamira and shook his head. "Tanner! Do what you will with the child. She is of no interest to me," he said.

A teenager looked at Tamira darkly. She began to shake, sensing the pure evil within him. Terrified, she did the only thing she could and began to sing.

"You would not believe your eyes if ten million fireflies lit up the world as I fell asleep, cause they'd fill the open air and leave teardrops everywhere. You'd think me rude but I would just stand and stare... I'd like to make myself believe that planet earth turns slowly. It's hard to say that I'd rather stay awake when I'm asleep cause everything is never as it seems..."

Tanner got closer. He tried to touch her. Tamira began to sing louder. "Cause I'd get a thousand hugs from ten thousand lightning bugs as they tried to teach me how to dance, a foxtrot above my head, a sock hop beneath my bed, the disco ball is just hanging by a thread!" The room was filling with light now.

Just as she was certain something terrible would happen, someone stopped it. Tamira looked up in surprise as Zedd pulled Tanner away from her. "Wait!" He said. "I have changed my mind."