The Promise of the Trees - Sword, Ring, and Crown Book 3 (Complete - Editing)

Chapter Fourteen - Luis

A small hand reached into the net, uncaring about my snapping jaws, and slapped a constraining band onto my left foreleg.

"Yep, that'll do it," a gravelly voice announced.

Mike?

Dominic crouched down by the net to look at me, and Mike crouched down next to him. 

What twisted world was I in where Dom and Mike were working together?

"I'm feeling some mixed emotions that you're the one helping me out, Mike." Dominic scraped a hand over his cropped hair, messing it up.

Ah, so it was a surprise that Mike was there.

"But with my leg injury, I'm glad you showed up."

No, Dom. You shouldn't be. I snapped at the net and let go of a series of warning barks. With all the thyme that Dom dumped on me, I couldn't tell if Mike was using magic to lure Dom in, but that had to be the case. We were in no better company with Mike than we were with Joseph.

"Hush, Luis! Yeah, well. I know I have some things to explain, but let's get this idiot back to my store and get you treated first. Howzat sound?"

It didn't sound that wonderful to me. Dom should have said no, but I couldn't tell him that.

"And I need you to help me put Luis in the truck. I don't like touching silver if I can avoid it," Mike grumbled.

Dom took the ends of the net and drew them together until it formed a bag. Then he tried to hoist me. I was dropped to the ground again as Dom groaned. "I can't lift him with this bad leg.  Go bring the truck closer and I'll try to figure out how to get him in there."

Mike trotted down the road and brought the truck closer to us. The face that was at that window and emerged onto the street. I discovered he was a tall, burly man. "You guys part of animal control?" he asked.

"Yes, we are off duty, but we saw this guy running around and he looked dangerous. I hurt my leg though while I was chasing him. Could you give me a hand?" Dom asked the stranger.

"Boy, could I! That thing tried to climb the ladder to get me. He almost succeeded! Looks like you banged up more than your leg, poor guy." The man lifted the bag up and dumped me onto the bed of the truck. "Good riddance, mutt!"

Dominic touched his eye. "Yes, he had a friend but that one got away."

He slapped Dominic on the back. "Hope you get that other one too, guy! This one is vicious!"

"Oh, I will." Dom looked at me with such ferocity that it shut up my barking. Then he was back to his jovial self as he shook the stranger's hand. "Thanks, man!"

Dominic and Mike got into the truck, and we were moving. I struggled in the net, ashamed that I was so easily overtaken, not once but twice, by someone like Dominic. I was embarrassed to be called a Phouka. The pixie dust must have still been addling me. That had to be it. Even with his powers, I should have been able to overtake an out-of-shape human. It was the poison from the dust. I probably didn't take enough of the antidote. 

We rode for about twenty minutes, then I was being dumped into Mike's shop. All the props, costumes, and magic tricks had been cleared out of the place. There wasn't any dust to be seen, in fact, even the brass grilles on the windows had been shined until they gleamed. 

"Okay, take the net off of him. The cuff will keep him from causing trouble." Mike said.

Dom released me from the net, and I immediately felt better. I sat up on my haunches and looked around. Obviously, I had questions.