Amid the Clouds (Brave New World Book 1)

Chapter 11

"But they'll never know a single strawberry is missing,'' I pleaded, my eyes on the juicy mid-size fruit.

The strawberry looked so normal, wherever the gargoyles had gotten it from. But even if it were half-rotten, I would still eat it, the rotten part included. Months of canned food would do that to you.

"I will know," he underscored, his warm breath against my skin sending pleasant shivers down my spine. "You will show restraint, little human. I can, so can you."

The last words were followed by a nip at my earlobe that made me gasp in surprise.

The smile on his face when he walked past me, his tail slipping away, convinced me that the restraint he spoke of was not just food-related.

He pulled the chair at the head of the table – the biggest one in the room – to sit. "Do not be so sad, little human. Dinner will not be long now."

He must have seen the tears welling in my eyes, misinterpreting them.

Yeah, being denied this feast for the time being sucked. But that wasn't why I got teary-eyed all of a sudden.

The mention of his warriors eating before him had finally reminded me about my own people. During the madness of the last hour, I had not only forgotten about my community but also missed the moment when the bag of meds had slipped out of my belt. It must have fallen during the flight up here.

So, my little community was stuck in a bunker waiting for a delivery that would never come. They were eating what little remained of our canned reserves.

While I was stuck thinking about strawberries and earlobe-nipping. And waiting for permission to start stuffing myself like a panda with bamboo.

"My warriors are about to land any second," Xaniban went on, bringing my attention back to him. He patted his muscular thigh. "Come, rest."

Was he for real? Did he seriously expect me to sit on his lap?

Before I could tell Xaniban I'd be treated like a lap girl when pigs flew, feet appeared through the ceiling above me. I dashed to his side before the gargoyles coming down could land on me.

Clearly, the ceiling didn't simply look like a cloud: it was one. And a non-solid one at that, unlike the floor and walls around us.

"Sit, my brethren!" Xaniban told the newly arrived gargoyles, each of whom had landed next to a chair and was currently kneeling. "I should be bowing to your courage and skill in battle, not the other way around."

I took in the newcomers. All were dressed in brown loincloths and looked similarly built, except for one who was almost twice as big and wide as the rest.

The moment the soldiers got up and sat on their respective chairs, five sets of curiosity-filled eyes turned to me.

Being so focused on observing these creatures' behavior, I never saw the strong arm reaching for me. By the time I did, it was already around my waist and bringing me down on its owner's lap. And by the time I gave out a tiny yelp, Xaniban had me firmly in place with an inescapable hold around my midsection.

My only consolation was that being the king's lap accessory at the moment meant being in the war room with his soldiers. Instead of in his bedroom – and don't even get me started on his harem.

Besides, my 'seat' also provided me with direct access to the food on the table, so... Let pigs fly.

"This is Sue," Xaniban said as soon as he had me on his lap. Finally, I had a name. "She's here not to disrespect you but to offer her own report on the events of the day."