Chapter 4

Chapter

Four

TARUK

A s soon as the pained expression crosses Zoe's face, I know I've said the wrong thing. The bitter scent of her unhappiness fills the air. When I drag it deep within my lungs, it feels like I am being stabbed all over again.

Does it truly upset her that she's not equipped to care for vicious beasts? She is tiny and physically weak compared to my species, the Volscians. Her skin is soft, easily damaged. She doesn't even have physical traits such as claws to protect herself. She shouldn't be offering her protection to another beast. No, she is the one that should be protected.

A scream echoes down the staff corridor. I flinch at the high pitch, fighting the urge to cover my ears from the sting. Instead, I find myself standing between the little human Zoe and whatever danger presents itself. My instincts scream at me to protect her at all costs, even my own life.

"That came from the kitchen," Zoe exclaims. Before I can react, her hand is threaded through mine, fingers clasping, as she drags me after her. "Come on! Laura's there. She might need our help."

Does she not know she shouldn't run towards danger? How have these humans managed to survive and apparently thrive on their isolated little planet? They are practically suicidal.

I should stop her, yet my entire being is focused on that small connection between us; her fingers grip mine with surprising strength. The way she tugs me behind her, and I follow her tamely, not at all like the solitary beast I have become. Everything about this human is meant to tease and confuse. She is driving me absolutely insane!

Sounds of absolute chaos emerge from inside the kitchen. The door swishes open and one of the red-skinned Volscian cooks Rist hired dashes through.

"Nope. Not doing this. I'm outta here," the male throws his hands up as he strides past. He's clearly uninterested in whatever is going on inside. I grit my teeth, watching the coward run. It was hard enough to find any males to work for the hotel, and losing even a single trained cook could prove disastrous for us. We are short-staffed enough as is.

"Laura," Zoe says under her breath as another shriek pierces the air. She doesn't even pause to assess her surroundings as she dashes forward. I watch in horror as a heavy can of Zoltar slugs flies through the doorway, narrowly missing her face as she attempts to enter.

I drag Zoe back, shielding her soft body the best I can given the circumstances. I burst through the doorway before her and stop dead in my tracks at the utter madness unfolding before us.

The usually pristine kitchen looks like a war zone. Pots and pans litter the floor, their contents splattered across every surface. Clouds of white powder billow through the air.

With barely a thought I stab my finger against the door's control panel to stop it from automatically sliding closed and squishing Zoe, who peers inside with wide eyes.

The cooks are shouting and swatting vainly at a horde of creatures overrunning their domain. Bright orange, with darker stripes across their thick fur.

"What's… oh *beep*. Turmeric, is that you?" Zoe gapes.

Turmeric is no longer singular. Dozens of the small beasts run rampant through the kitchen. They're devouring everything in sight, cramming food into their mouths before scurrying away. How did so many beasts find their way into our hotel?

Zoe slaps her forehead, and I jolt in shock and disbelief that she might hurt herself like this. "I didn't close the door. I was so distracted when I bumped into you that he must have just run past us."

"It's eating everything!" Nolan, the newly hired head chef, shouts. "Grab it before it destroys my kitchen!"

Zoe presses against my side, gripping my arm tightly.

The Turmerics are clearly a threat to the hotel, in unpredictable ways. I wrap my arm around Zoe's slender shoulders and pull her close. An overwhelming need to protect her, to shield her from all pain, surges through me.

"Get it out! Get it out!" The dark-haired Laura squeals as she jumps onto a counter laden with platters of food. She waves a spatula at one of the Turmerics as if it's a sword, trying to discourage the animal from coming anywhere near her. It doesn't seem to be effective.

I watch in horror as Nolan hefts a large fry pan, wielding it with as much ease as I once did my sword. If he hits a Turmeric with his makeshift weapon, he could seriously injure the beast. It might be a threat, but it's still an animal; it's not maliciously causing this damage, it's just instinctively feeding. I have to get to the Turmeric before he does!

"We need to round them up before they destroy this whole kitchen," I tell Zoe. My mind is already racing, calculating the best plan of attack. It only takes one moment for me to be dragged back into that mindset, that past that I've tried so hard to leave behind.

I dash towards the beast, only to find my feet sliding upon the smooth flooring. It's slick with spilled food. I crash hard, slamming my shoulder into one of the metal cabinets. Above me, the Turmeric creature pauses in its gluttonous feast to fix me with its vacant stare. The creature opens its maw wide, showing rows of little teeth smeared with icing and crumbs. It actually looks pleased with itself and at my predicament.

Zoe sprints past me, chasing on the heels of a Turmeric, but it zips around the corner faster than she can. I barely shout a warning in time as Rist approaches from the other side, focusing on a Turmeric rather than where he's running. They collide in a tangle of limbs.

Laura screams as a Turmeric rushes past her. She tucks her feet beneath her onto the metal countertop. Grabbing a platter of fruit close to her, she throws it at the beast.

The Turmeric simply launches itself at the scattering berries.

Breathing deep, I take stock of the situation. I begin to stalk my prey calmly. My claws lengthen as the familiar thrill of adrenaline pumps through my blood. I take a slow and measured step towards the Turmeric, indicating that Nolan—the Volscian chef—should retreat.

I will catch these monsters. Then I will take them back to my stables, and I will tell Rist not to bother me again. I will do my work in peace, and not deal with anyone. If no one bothers me, I can avoid chaos like this in my life.

I hesitate when the animal's body begins to ripple and expand after each bite it takes.

"Umm, Turmeric? You feeling okay, buddy?" Zoe asks me, stepping close behind and leaning past me to watch as her pet convulses.

Suddenly, fur is flying everywhere. I throw my body over Zoe's, forcing her toward the ground so I can best protect her from any attack. I have no idea what to expect, but I brace myself for the feeling of claws or acid searing the skin on my back.

Only, it never comes. The fur drifts down around us, floating slowly to the ground. I gape at where not one, but two, Turmerics gently sway.

Well, that explains why there are so many of the beasts now—the damn thing can basically clone itself.

Before I can even drag myself to my feet, the two beasts split direction.

One of the cooks grabs an entire pie from a counter and flings it with surprising force. I duck just in time, the pie sailing over my head to splatter wetly on the wall behind us. Zoe yelps as flecks of filling spray across our bodies.

This is bad.

My eyes meet Rist's from across the room. His eyes scan our surroundings with an intensity that not many witness, tracking each beast. It's easy to forget that this young male has seen more battle than most. He acts carefree, but there is a hardened ruler beneath his facade. He recognizes a dangerous situation just as well as I do.

We don't need to speak to know what to do—we've fought on the battlefield together for years now. We move as one. We dodge servers carrying trays of exotic delicacies as we chase after the creatures.

"Turmeric! Bad boy!" Zoe shouts as she chases one of the beasts, it ducking between her legs with ease. "Ummm…Turmerics, plural? Cinnamon? Chocolate, Chili… I'm running out of names here, guys. Laura, stop cowering and help out here!" Zoe says between heaved breaths, resting her arm on the counter beside her friend.

The dark-haired female frantically shakes her head. "Nope, not happening."

"Then maybe help with the naming, at least! Keep track of how many there are?" Zoe replies with a grim smile, quickly returning to the chase.

Time and time again, the clones double rapidly, feeding and replicating in a blur, continuing to greedily consume anything nearby to fuel their unchecked growth.

"I don't have my containment foam!" I shout to Rist over the chaos.

"What? Why not?" My prince calls back to me. As if it should be common to carry the heavy tool everywhere I go, like I expect to encounter pests constantly.

One of the animals throws itself into a pot of simmering stew, its whole body disappearing into the heated liquid with a splash.

I slam the lid on the stew pot, hoping to contain the first creature. Beneath my palm, the metal is already vibrating.

Oh, I have a very bad feeling…

Meanwhile, both Zoe and Rist wrangle a beast each. As I watch, with some degree of horror, the beast that Zoe holds begins to inflate. It grows so large that she can't even wrap her arms around it, though she desperately attempts to keep hold.

"Human, drop it!" I cry out, abandoning my trapped beast to rush to her side.

The world explodes in a flurry of fur. Again.

I hear the lid of the pot flying off, banging against the ceiling with a loud clang.

I watch in horror as the tiny aliens scamper towards the open kitchen door. They chirp joyously as they discover their freedom.

Behind me, Zoe gasps in dismay as she surveys the ruined kitchen. Every surface is coated with remnants of food. Cooks shout in anger and shock as they try to salvage their workstations.

"*beep*," Rist curses. "We have to catch them."

It's too late—the Turmerics have escaped into the hotel. With the rate they are multiplying… If we don't get this situation under control, it could take years to get rid of them. If we are even able to.

He doesn't need to voice out loud the cost of failing; the entire hotel, our very home and source of our livelihoods, will be doomed.