THE PERFECT TEN (Boxed Set)

chased, except for the eegak. They are almost as stupid as a dugurat who has no survival instinct.” Then she added,  “Nothing innocent should die, but–” Her gaze slid to me with lethal intent. “Teks aren’t innocent.” 
    Callan must have had enough of her. “Etoi, go ahead to alert Mathias of our arrival.”
    That must have been something she wanted to do. Lowering her head, Etoi took off, quickly passing Callan and disappearing into the jungle ahead of him at a fast trot.
    Would Mathias be the he I’d heard those boys talking about earlier? The one we were marching toward? The possibility that he might be more dangerous than Callan had me making another attempt at communication. “Is Mathias in charge of this place?”
    Callan still ignored me.
    At the mention of Mathias, the mottled, colored skin on most of the kids started moving, changing shape and position, even to different colors on some.
    But nothing moved on Callan’s skin.
    I couldn’t really fault him for his silence. A wise warrior reveals little to the enemy . 
    Who’d taught me these lessons that fluttered into my mind as if sent on the wind?
    Callan lifted his hand and extended one finger up.
    The children who had been flanking us moved over to our main line, some filling in gaps between me, Gabby and Tony.  I glanced back to catch Gabby’s eye and she nodded, letting me know she was fine for now even if we were too far apart to hear each other without yelling.
    Tony gave me a similar nod and mouthed, We’re with ya, Xena .
    We might be in trouble up to our armpits, but we were finally in this together. First time I really believed that since we’d landed here.
    In the next few steps, Callan and our party emerged from the jungle into a wide-open area...completely shrouded in another green fog.
    But this band of green mist was huge, rising three times as tall as me and spreading a half-mile wide.
    Had Callan marched us here just to force me, Gabby and Tony into a mist dense enough to kill all three of us? If so, Callan had better be prepared to die, because I wouldn’t go meekly to my death, or allow any of my group to step a foot into that stuff without a fight. 
    “We’re not going in there,” I warned him.
    The stoic warrior finally turned to acknowledge me. “You’ll not be harmed if you follow directly behind me and your other two follow you.”
    Could I trust anyone in this place? No. I didn’t know how I’d called up the strange energy that had helped me stop the killer flower and defeat the croggle, but I believed I could call it forth again if someone pushed me to defend myself and the other two.
    I slowed my pace and asked, “What if we don’t follow you?”
    Callan took a moment answering, a tight smile playing around his mouth as if he looked forward to a worthy opponent. “Please resist. Not that I need more proof that you are tek-nah-tee who have killed nineteen of our smallest children–so far. But it would simplify my life to gain a decision now instead of later. The question is what do you think I will do if you refuse to follow?”
    In other words, walk forward and risk entering this fog that we might not be immune to even if Callan and his followers were, or stand firm and end up gutted.
    Tough call since he thought the three of us were tek-nah-tees who’d killed children...and someone’s brother. I could understand wanting to punish anyone who harmed those unable to defend themselves, but even without knowing my true identity I was sure I could never hurt an innocent. Especially a little one.
    I would not willingly die–or let Gabby and Tony pay the price–for someone else’s crimes.
     

CHAPTER 12
     
    Faced with choosing between entering fog that could flay us alive and facing a pack of weapon-wielding opponents, even if they were kids, I picked what I hoped was the better of the two options.
    I told Callan, “I’ve never harmed a child and I saved that young girl from the croggle. We’re not this tek-nah-tee thing you keep accusing us of being. A warrior’s word is worth his life. If you give yours that you’re telling the truth, we’ll follow you, but if either Gabby or Tony are harmed you’d better hope I don’t live. Because I will make you pay.” 
    Callan took my measure with a steady, clear-eyed gaze and said, “I give my word that I speak the truth. If you and your friends remain in line along with the others, the three of you will pass through the fog with no