Free Neverwylde (The Rim of the World Book 4) by Linda Mooney Page A

defensive crouch. The Terrans stood behind them. All were staring to their right.
    Kyber straightened, and she noticed the ruff on his back rise as he lifted the edges of his mouth in a silent snarl. He reached down to push her behind him. “Do not move,” he softly ordered her.
    Something moved in the distance. There was a faint scuffling noise, followed by an odd chittering or clicking sound. Kelen felt the hairs rise on her head.
    “Clickers?”
    She glanced around, looking for a way out or someplace where they could take refuge, but the place was maze-like, without any sort of path to beckon them or a doorway to duck through.
    “I don’t think this place is as deserted as we thought it was,” Jules remarked.
    “Uhh, guys? I think we got company,” Fullgrath announced nervously, his voice rising as he leveled his blaster.
    She eyeballed the distance between them and the rest of the group. It had to be eight or nine meters at the most. Not a lot of space, but they couldn’t risk making a mad dash to rejoin them. Not until they knew what was approaching. “We need to regather,” she whispered.
    Kyber motioned for her to remain quiet.
    Now the sound of something moving seemed to be coming from all around them. Kyber sniffed the air and a low rumble came from his throat. “It is Hoov,” he finally murmured. “But not Hoov.”
    “What do you mean?” Mellori asked, his voice barely audible.
    “I smell many of those creatures like him. They are getting closer.”
    “Any idea how many?”
    The Seneecian gave a single shake of his head and stepped to the side, wedging Kelen between him and the pillar. She readied her blaster.
    “Is Hoov with them?”
    “I cannot tell.”
    They waited as the sound drew closer, but this time it appeared to be coming from all around them. Kelen whirled to her left as Kyber remained focused on their right. Mellori glanced upward.
    “People, I think we’ve inadvertently landed smack in the middle of their nest.”
    “There!” Kleesod called out and pointed at the darkness. “I see shadows!”
    Everyone pivoted in the direction he indicated when the ceiling brightened, becoming transparent and flooding the interior below with pale lilac-colored light. Kelen covered her eyes to help them adjust to the sudden brilliance. When she removed her hand, she found herself staring at more than a dozen mantis-type creatures standing less than a ten meters away.

Chapter 12
    Ganj
     
     
                “Nobody move and nobody shoot,” Sandow calmly stated. “Make no overt or threatening gestures. Let’s see what they’ll do first.”
                The creatures remained where they stood, watching the intruders. Waiting, like Kelen and the others, to see who would make the next move. That who was Kyber.
                The Seneecian slowly straightened to his full height and faced them. “Hoov. Hoov!” He took a step toward the group of creatures, keeping his hands open and away from his body to show he was unarmed. “Hoov!”
                The creatures turned to each other. They clicked and gestured to each other, and showed signs of what Kelen would have interpreted as agitation, but they remained at a distance from the newcomers.
                “Ganj!” Kyber tried again. “Hoov!”
                The creatures settled back into a waiting posture.
                “It’s a stalemate,” Mellori murmured.
                “Yeah, but for how long?” Kelen replied.
                Presently, the creatures continued conversing between them. The wait stretched to several minutes as Kelen and the rest remained as still as possible.
                The standing was starting to take its effect on her. Unable to sit, Kelen leaned against the pillar and clutched her abdomen. The cramping returned, and she felt a warmth spread between her legs. She tried to hide her discomfort, but Kyber must have