"Leslie What & Nina Kiriki Hoffman - Chain of Command" - читать интересную книгу автора (What Leslie)

Kayla's head popped up beside the troll's. "Oh, Mother," she groaned, and covered her head again.



I stopped shrieking.



"Wolf?" the guard called from the cave entrance. I recognized Gladys Badger Woman's voice. "Wolf
Woman? You okay in there? What's going on?"



I got a good grip on my entrenching tool and counted off breaths, breathing in for four counts, holding for
four counts, and breathing out for four counts. My torch hissed softly and spread a layer of carbon on the
ceiling of the cave.



"Never mind," I called. "I'm fine."
The troll stared at me with the jail-yard stare of a hundred boys trying to psych out their girlfriends'
mothers, that look that says, "You don't know what she does when you're not around, and you can't stop
her." Reflected flames flickered in its black eyes.



My inner warrior was all set to deal with the situation. Let Kayla wake up with hot troll blood splattering
all over her. Let her see that she was never too far away either physically or emotionally to escape my
protection. How dare this hairy little slug think he was good enough for my daughter?



"What's that noise?" Kayla asked sleepily.



I tasted blood and realized that I'd bitten my lower lip with one of my surgically enhanced canines, an
occupational hazard. I also realized I was growling.



I dug a small hole in the damp clay floor with the entrenching tool and stuck the torch in it, then crept
toward the sleeping bag and the waking troll on my hands and knees. We had not broken our staring
contest since its head rose from the sleeping bag. I wanted my hands around its neck in the worst way.



I knew if I hurt the damned thing Kayla would never forgive me. She was still mad that I'd stomped a
spider in the house three weeks ago.