Lost Change

Chapter 83

"Thanks." I turned my attention back to the Kymari. They were still reorganizing and moving about. Wasting time. Ugh.

I tried to work on following Tom's advice. Calm down. You can do that. It's not like there's a life or death situation unfolding, where every minute wasted increases the chance of somebody dying. Just relax. No problem.

I tried taking in a deep breath, then letting it slowly out. That was always a suggestion for staying calm - focus on your breathing. Take deep, full breaths. Try not to think about what was bothering you. Think happy thoughts.

Each breath brought more of the sicora's scent to my attention.

Minna started staring at me on the fourth deep breath. I think she thought I was about to explode. She took a slow step back away from the other Kymari and started to lift her hand up towards me... only to pause as something beeped nearby. She frowned and fiddled with the armor over leg, unstrapping it and then pulling her tablet out from a pocket underneath. "Who is calling me this late..."

She tapped on her tablet a few times, then tapped something on the side of her helmet. "Hello? Minna speaking."

I heard a muffled voice coming from Minna's headset. Minna shifted to put the tablet back in her pocket and strap the armor back into place, and I shifted to keep my balance as she did. I tuned the conversation out and tried to focus on my breathing - it must have been Alec calling, and I couldn't hear what he was saying anyways.

Deep breath.

Hiss at the sicora scent.

Exhale.

Deep breath.

I think I had calmed my heartrate back down to just slightly under a hummingbird's when Minna nodded and started to move. She approached Ketzel and began unwinding the leash from around her arm. "Ketzel, a moment?"

Ketzel paused from arguing with one of the Kymari near the shuttles - one of the medics, maybe? - and stepped towards us.

I hissed at him before I realized what I was doing.

Ketzel stopped approaching and slowly spread his arms to his sides. I blinked at that, surprised. He was not risking annoying me, even though I was a fraction of his size.

Minna ignored me and continued speaking as if nothing had happened. "I've gotten in contact with a senior bond handler and have updated him on the situation with the sicora. He agrees that there must be a second sicora, but he is concerned about the immediate danger. We're requesting that you send five senior guards with me and let me continue hunting the sicora while you deal with the situation here." Minna paused for a second, during which I heard the faint sound of the other voice from Minna's helmet, then she continued. "The senior handler will be able to help me with any issues in dealing with Nate or in tracking the sicora."

I saw Ketzel actually relax a little. Had that been the whole reason for the delays? Was he just worried Minna wouldn't be up to the task of following me?

The part of me that had calmed down and was thinking rationally pointed out that I was hissing aggressively at anyone who got close and constantly fidgeting as if about to leap into the air. Ketzel was probably worried about me getting loose, or accidentally attacking one of the guards escorting us, or any of several other problems a more experienced handler might have been able to deal with.

The part of me that could still smell the sicora promptly told that other part of me it was being stupid, and that it could go sit down in the corner and shut up.

Ketzel nodded at Minna. "Of course." He turned to the guards still gathered by the ship and signaled to five of them. "The rest of us will keep watch for any more sicora that try and get out, just in case there are others."