Chapter 17 More Trouble?

An excerpt from The White Lion Unicorn Series Book 1: A Colony of Tiny Nekos

Felicia made some more notes on Black Wolf. “Sam, I think we better keep an eye on Black Wolf or rather Na’athan LeBleu.”

“In case he decides to show up again in Silver Moon’s life?”

“Yes, it could be bad if he does.”

“Okay, noted.”

“Did you see his record?”

“Oh, I see it now.”

“I feel bad for Silver Moon. I don’t think she had any idea.”

“What is wrong with him?”

“I don’t know, but it sounds like he messed up with quite a few people.”

“Yeah, I think you’re right.”

“Apparently there are some rumors about him and his wife and their son.”

“Oh, yeah? What are the rumors?”

“That none of them are very happy. He complains his wife isn’t Silver Moon.”

“That’s not good if it’s true. I doubt Silver Moon wants him back now that he’s married to someone else. He even asked Silver Moon to marry him, but they never got around to it.”

“Right. Well, that relationship is over, unless he tries to come back.”

“Okay, we’ll have to monitor him as well as the mad scientist.”

“Ever wonder if people know we are watching them?”

“No, but I suppose it shouldn’t be too surprising. Some people are naturally paranoid.”

Felicia grimaced.

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Silver Moon was out walking. She had just walked White Lion and Claira Jaen to school. Leon wasn’t working as a gondolier today and they had arranged to meet at the dock where he had left his gondola. She was walking there now.

“Milady,” Leon greeted her.

“Hello.”

He offered her his hand and helped her into his gondola. She sat down.

“How about a tour of the city before we go do some research?”

“Okay.”

“You won’t be able to see these views when you walk.”

“Yeah, and I won’t get lost either.”

Leon smiled. “I won’t let you get lost on the canals.”

“Aren’t some of them designated for swimming only?”

“Yes. No boats allowed. We’ll go past some of them. If we’re lucky, we’ll see the merfolks swimming in them.”

“Do elves ever swim in them?”

“Very rarely.”

Leon took her all over the city. They were lucky. They saw a few merfolks swimming.

Eventually he rowed the gondola to another pier and moored it. He offered his hand to her to help her out of the gondola.

“Now, we go see what we need to decipher.” He led her into a temple.

They looked all around. On one wall was a painting. It featured a winged lion and a unicorn under a full moon. They were both drawn to the painting. Leon stood in front of the winged lion and Silver Moon stood in front of the unicorn. Neither spoke for a while.

They glanced at each other. They pulled out their tablet computers to make notes. She wrote hers up and he drew a replica of the painting.

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Wilhelm was locked in a jail cell. His guards were a few tiny nekos he had created. The nekos volunteered to make sure the mad scientist would stay put this time. He resented the Guardians and now his own creations.

“I’m your creator! You should show me more respect!”

The nekos hissed and growled.

“You’re all ungrateful! After everything I have done for you!”

The nekos stared him down.

“I’ll find a way out of here. I know technology fails. It’s just a matter of time before the bars fade out.” Wilhelm grounded his teeth and snarled.

The laser bars didn’t fade. The cell was in good condition. The nekos continued to stare at him. Only their tails moved from time to time. Wilhelm threw his fists in the air.

Some time later, the power on the ship went out. Wilhelm walked out of his cell right into the nekos. Being human, he couldn’t see in the dark as the nekos could. Claire Rose and Myadin ran down to the holding cells as soon as they could. The closer they got, the louder the screaming they could hear.

The emergency lights came on and it was clear to the Guardians, they were too late. Wilhelm was dead. He had perfect slash marks all over his exposed skin. The nekos stood by quietly. Their tails jerking.

“I see. I do understand why, but now you all will have to undergo psychological and psychiatric evaluations.” Claire Rose stood facing the tiny nekos.

“Very well,” one of them answered. “But after what he did to all of us and his own biological children, we couldn’t let him escape again.”

Claire Rose nodded. “You have good reasons, but we Guardians don’t kill in cold blood.”

“If we pass those tests, may we also become Guardians?”

“Perhaps. It will all depend upon the results.”