Before Beasts, There was Time-- Book 10

Driving a Fantasy

Not surprisingly, Yegor refused them the plane on hearing there was a small army closing in for them. Even with the assurance that the lot of them were most likely wanted alive rather than dead, being the 'priceless human science experiments' they were, he couldn't risk getting shot down. Not only would his family's livelihood fall with him, but also a very important lifeline for the rest of the village, especially since winter was in full swing. (Oh, and yes, he didn't much like the idea of possibly dying.)Not to mention a snowstorm was forecasted that night, as despite the darkness outside, it was mid afternoon.

Before they could face the possibility of heading out into the cold on foot, though, Yegor insisted he could find them a van. At their baffled looks, he explained that his neighbor was selling a monster of a van with snow treds, four wheel drive, and room for twelve passengers. The money they had offered for plane fuel could pay for that, as well as for the extra gas containers necessary to get them to the next fill up station.

"The snow should cover your tracks," said Yegor with a mixture of excitement and guilt. "And there should be room for supplies too."

"And we got this," said Ray, lifting up the yellow GPS.

Forcing himself not to think that Tala had had that GPS when he died, Kai got to work with Yegor gathering up the supplies. Though his teammates insisted on braving the cold to pick up the van and cargo, even forcing him back into the fire with a few choice glares and shoves.

"Be a good captain and charge up before we have to go," Tyson said.

And just to add shame atop insult, Ayah lost patience and knocked him out, proving she didn't trust him to do as he was told.

When he woke up, he was once more on his ash bed and the last of the goods were being loaded up. Before he could start grumbling about needing to take a bath again, Izolda Leskov rushed over with a bucket of hot water, a rag, and a smile that broke through the stern lines of her face and gave him hints of the girl who had won the bear-like Yegor's heart.

The first time Kai saw the 'van,' it was through his teammates heads as they shuttled him to the car closed in about him in an attempt to block out the cold—or stop his escape, as he couldn't help thinking. From what he could see it was white, probably older than him, and twice as tall as any van had a right to be. Then he was all but shoved inside by Tyson and Ray and lost any sight of it all in a face full of maroon, carpet-like seat coverings that smelled strongly of cigarette smoke.

He jerked up with a snarl. "Do you guys mind—"

"Shove over, Kai!" Tyson flopped onto his legs.

"Close the doors, guys! It's freezing!" Said a chattering Max from the front.

Kai jerked upright. "Why is Max driving?"

"Because I'm the only one with a license, let alone been behind a wheel before," said a tense Max.

"But you're arm—"

"Then you drive," grumped Tyson, who had already squirmed past Kai's feathers to the back.

It didn't take too much urging to get Max into the back. His face had flushed up again and Kai could almost smell the exhaustion from him.

"You got medicine for your arm?" he asked as he helped Max stand.

"Yep. Pentacillin and painkillers and...and that orange stuff."

"Penicillin, Max," Ray said before slamming the side door close.

"Make sure he lays down," said Kai. "And get Eiden up here, Ayah. We'll need his eyes."

There was some ineligible chittering, and much awkward shuffling of tall, bony, winged mass and a disgruntled Eiden was beside him up front in the passenger seat.