Chapter 5
Blair
“Let go of it, you crusty Cretaceous piece of shit!” I dug my heels in and pulled for all I was worth. The pistol and the sin tin in my jacket pocket were all I had in this world, and I’d be damned if I had to accept the existence of aliens and dinosaurs while sober.
The triceratops jerked at it, nearly taking me off my feet. “Do they not feed you? I said let go!”
With an annoyed huff, the beast tugged again, then stomped angrily when I didn’t let go.
“Yeah, yeah, grunt and snort to you too, jackass!” I yelled, planting my foot on its nose and pulling.
“Listen, you have NO IDEA the day I’ve been having.
I’m cold, I’m tired, I’ve almost died like thrice since I woke up, and I swear on your mother’s horn, if you don’t let go of my fucking jacket I will cut you open and nap in your goddamn entrails for warmth! ”
I kicked its snout, and its grip loosened up just enough for my jacket to pull free, and I yanked so hard I fell back on my ass.
The triceratops went ballistic. I didn’t have a chance to blink before it charged.
Osid tackled me out of the way. The beast skidded to a halt, bellowed out a war cry, and changed course.
The alien snatched me up and pushed me against a tree.
He raised a palm to the enraged triceratops and fire shot out from his hand.
Fire.
Shot.
Out.
From.
His.
Hand.
I stared at the smoking palm in disbelief. The triceratops grunted and stomped its feet, ready to charge again. Fireballs peppered its face until the creature abandoned its rage in favor of hiding behind its rider. Hakri took its reins and patted its frill.
“I…did you start the damn forest fire?” I asked Osid.
He kept me caged against him as he watched the triceratops for a few beats longer. This close, I caught a whiff of tobacco and amber beneath the smoke that clung to his clothes. I found myself leaning closer, drawn in by the masculine scent.
“Ullu jav rukaten?”
His words caught me by surprise, and I jerked away from him so fast I bumped against the hard bark of the tree. I hissed in pain, clutching the back of my head.
His lips curved in a half smile as he spoke, and I didn’t have to understand his words to know he was teasing me.
“Yeah, yeah, I’m a real hoot. Now get off me,” I said, pushing against his chest.
He wrapped an arm possessively around my waist and guided me toward another mount. He flicked his wrist, and the rider immediately abandoned his seat and guided the triceratops to kneel.
Osid gave a gentle push to the small of my back, indicating I should climb up.
I hesitated. I’d never even ridden a horse before, let alone a dinosaur twice that size.
Unfortunately for me, my alien didn’t appear to be the patient type.
He grabbed me by the waist and hauled me into the saddle, then took a seat behind me.
“I don’t suppose there’s any point in asking where we’re going?”
Osid eyed me with curiosity before giving a reassuring pat to my leg.
“Well, I guess that’s as good as I’m gonna get.”
The rider we pilfered this dino from joined Hakri on the triceratops that tried to eat my coat. Osid whistled, and the dinos began to march.
I wasn’t entirely sure I should be riding off into the sunset with a bunch of strange aliens, but what choice did I have?
When you thought about it, it wasn’t even in the top five of terrible things that happened to me today.
From the looks of things, Osid clearly called the shots with this group.
So at the very least, I had their leader indebted to me.
If aliens cared about things like debts.
Then again, he did just save me from a triceratops.
Shit, are we already even? I have no leverage now!
First I was nearly killed onstage, then I was abducted by aliens only to escape and crash-land in the middle of a freaking forest fire, and had to drag Osid’s big ass through the river just to escape, then a freaking dinosaur tries to eat my coat and attacks me, and now I had no goddamn leverage!
It was too much. Today was too much. I wanted to go home and cry and sleep and eat french fries.
Tears welled up in my eyes. In a fight to keep them from spilling, I reached into my coat and took out one of the wraps from the sin tin of my coat pocket.
I debated popping one of the acid squares on my tongue, but thought better of it.
Probably best to save that trip for when I was in less dire straits.
Or had just decided to give up completely.
I searched my pants for the lighter and sighed with relief when it was still snugly in the front pocket.
I pulled it out and went to light the wrap, only for the lighter to click uselessly again and again. “Oh come on.”
A few more pointless attempts had me growling in frustration. I pocketed the lighter and turned to the alien behind me. Holding up the wrap, I tapped his hands and made whooshing noises to indicate his fire.
Thankfully, he caught on fast. Osid shifted the reins to one hand and held up the palm of his other. He took a deep breath, and a small flame appeared from the teal dots in the center of his hand.
I lifted his wrist closer to my mouth and lit the wrap, savoring that first intake of beautifully calming weed. By the second inhale, the stress of the day left on the exhale, and I allowed myself to sag against his chest a little farther.
Osid took the joint for me, brought it to his lips and breathed deep.
His face scrunched, and he blew out the smoke immediately.
He eyed the joint, then mumbled something incoherent and tossed it on the ground.
The triceratops parading behind us immediately trampled over it, crushing my weed and my faith in humanity.
“Who raised you? That was mine!”
Tucked snugly against his chest, I had a full view of the gold fangs that complemented his haughty grin as he reached into his pocket and pulled out what looked like a long cigar wrapped in seaweed. He lit it and took a long drag before passing it to me.
“You know what? Hell yeah.” Whatever this alien ganja was, it was a lot smoother than the weed I was fussing over. I decided right then and there that despite all, I liked Osid. He knew what was up.