Seated side by side around its circumference was a multitude of Jarnocks, at least fifty of them. In the middle were three separated from the rest, and they sat facing Alex and Bear, with a small, smoking fire in front of them.
Clenching her jaw as she was jabbed forward yet again, Alex moved towards the three figureheads—which soon became four when their bald escort took a seat beside them.
Still sweltering from the jungle’s humidity, Alex’s discomfort grew as she approached the flames, but she followed obediently when the two remaining guards gestured for her and Bear to sit before they took up watchful positions behind them.
Just like seeing Tork with the Flips, Alex was surprised to see Mareek amongst the four seated in front of her. Given his capricious behaviour during her Species Distinction class, she wasn’t thrilled by his presence—or his apparent ranking amongst the Jarnocks—and she desperately hoped he would keep his dart pipe holstered.
“Mareek, I am,” he said, appearing to have no recollection of either Alex or Bear. “This Taka,”—he jerked his head towards the female at his right—“this Mietta,”—he gestured to the female on his left—“this Tibbs”—he pointed to the bald male who sat on the other side of Mietta. “We tribe chiefs.”
When he said no more, Bear nudged Alex.
She sent him a sideways glare before clearing her expression and turning back to the chiefs. “Uh, hey there. I’m Alex, and this is my friend, Bear.”
“You trespass on Maroo,” said Mietta, with shadows from the flames dancing on her charcoal-streaked cheeks. “You here no welcome.”
“We’re really sorry about that,” Alex said. “But we had to come so we could warn you.”
“Warn us what?” Taka asked, her owlish eyes unblinking.
Alex didn’t wait for another invitation. She jumped straight in, telling them about Aven and the threat he posed to all mortals.
By the time she was finished, her skin was clammy with sweat, with beads of liquid on her forehead from her proximity to the flames coupled with the suffocating mugginess of their environment.
“And that’s, well, that’s why we’re here,” she ended lamely. “So that you know he’s coming. And, hopefully, so you’ll stand with us to stop him.”
Silence met her final statement, the sounds of the jungle and the crackling of the fire the only noises to her ears.
Until Mareek started laughing. And then Taka. Mietta and Tibbs followed. Then all the Jarnocks seated around them joined in, until over fifty loinclothed little people were belly-laughing uproariously.
Alex scowled at them. “None of this is amusing,” she said. “Not one thing.”
“One Meyarin no scare us,” Mareek said, still laughing.
Tibbs threw his arm out, gesturing to their tree city. “This Aven reach us not here. Jarnocks safe.”
Alex shook her head firmly. “Now, maybe. But he’ll be coming for you. He’s coming for all of us.”
“If true, when you he get, we know then,” Mietta said, tossing her wiry braid over her shoulder.
That, Alex thought, was not a very nice thing to say. She looked around at the assemblage, from the still amused tribal chiefs to the other chuckling Jarnocks, and she wondered why she was even bothering with them. Yes, their tree city was impressive. But what did they have to offer outside of Maroo? Some tranquilliser darts and stone daggers? How would any of that hold up against Aven and his forces?
But then she remembered something Hunter had said during her briefing with the teachers: ‘Jarnocks are a primitive race, but what they lack in sophistication, they make up for in sheer numbers. It may seem difficult to believe, but they are a force to be reckoned with—if only for their volatile ferocity and unwavering loyalty. If their tribe is threatened, they will move mountains to make their people safe again. You just need to convince them of the threat.’
Alex had clearly failed in that mission. The Jarnocks were feeling no more threatened than she was feeling safe.
Deciding that she’d done all she could, Alex figured it was best to cut their losses and get out of there. She didn’t know how far they’d travelled from the Library doorway, but she hoped Bear’s inner Scout would be able to sixth-sense a way back for them. It was time to go, to regroup and hope for a better outcome with the Shadow Walkers and Dayriders tomorrow.
“I can see you don’t believe us,” Alex said. “But if the time ever comes when you need aid, our doors will always be open to you. We are on the same side, even if you don’t yet see Aven as a danger.”
More amused snorts met her words and she repressed the urge to scream at them. For a brief second, she envisioned asking Bear to try charming them into acquiescence, but then she realised that such an extreme action wouldn’t bode well for them down the track—especially if the Jarnocks learned of the attempt to sway them through false means.
Instead of doing something she might later regret, Alex simply said, “We only came here to warn you, so now that’s done, once you release us, we’ll just be on our way.”
Even more laughter met her statement, something that caused prickles of unease to trickle down her spine.
“The humans believe we’ll allow them to leave,” said Taka in her native language, causing Alex to turn rigid as the proper translation washed over her rather than their broken attempts at the common tongue.
“They must not know the ways of the Maroo,” Mietta returned, sharing a sharp-toothed smile with the other chiefs. “A pity for them, however fortunate for us.”
“But what shall we do with them?” Tibbs asked, scratching his bald head.
“They are young and healthy,” Mareek observed. “Jako hasn’t made his stew for a while—their tender flesh would make it rich and hearty.”
Alex’s stomach dipped violently and she struggled to keep her features blank.
“No, we should give them to Kaku,” Taka said, a thoughtful look on her weathered face. “They are a worthy sacrifice, and we will be blessed for such an offering.”
“Alex, do you know what’s going on?” Bear whispered, oblivious thanks to the language barrier.
All she could do was shake her head, not because she didn’t, but from the absolute horror of what she was hearing. Even if she didn’t fully understand the implications, the words ‘offering’ and ‘sacrifice’ were never good when spoken in the same sentence—especially from the mouths of primitive tree people who, if she understood correctly, had just considered eating them.
“Good thinking,” Mietta said, with Mareek and Tibbs nodding right along with her.
A single chin-jerk towards the guards behind Alex and Bear was all it took for Alex to realise she had to take action, regardless of how foolhardy it might be. It would take too much time for Bear to enchant them with his words, so it was up to her to stop what was about to happen—by any means necessary.