Chapter 82: Marinah

"Che, come now," he commands and takes off jogging at a slow pace so Che can keep up. Running the child into the ground will be a good start to his coming punishment. Che takes a last look at me before deciding his only chance to continue living is with King.

When the noise of their departure fades to small animals and crickets, I drop Ruth on her head a few inches from the ground. She tumbles into a scrambled mix of arms, legs, and curses that shouldn't come from the mouth of a ten-year-old. I casually step forward, my boot landing on her hair. She beats at my leg which I barely feel. "This is how easy you are to kill. For some reason you don't get that. I could easily kick your head in, and there's nothing you can do." I place my hand on the sword strapped at my hip. It was a gift from King, designed after a sixteenth century German Mortuary Sword-double-edged, thirty-six inches, with two fullers to reduce the weight when I carry it in human form. It's long enough to remove the head