A Temporal Trust (The Temporal Book 2) by CJ Martin Read Free Book Online

judgment could be directed elsewhere—or if it must come to it, that the judgment would come swiftly. Instead of returning with the accursed woman Temporal, it appeared they all had failed.
    “Weee’s escaped,” said the single trembling Nephloc. “Others were captured. Others surrendered.”
    She hated the imprecise language of the Nephloc. But it was part of the process of removing the self out of the former human. They were now little more than dumb animals, whatever their potential for growth.
    The woman’s hands folded tightly into fists. Its appearance changed momentarily. The skin over her hands was laced with a series of flakey scales; it became larger than what seemed natural on her thin, pale wrists. A second later, the hands returned to their former shape and color.
    “The others were captured. Only you escaped?”
    “Yeesss.”
    The cowering Nephloc had its face deep into the floor. It was concrete, not earth. There would be no escape. But even if it were the richest of soil with healthy traces of water, to where would it flee? Where could it go that she would not find it? It thought about rushing out the door, but nasty Perazim guards blocked the way. It had noticed a patch of earth only a few meters above a large underground river. The living stream would facilitate a quick escape. It knew it was fast, but it also knew that she was faster...
    “What did they tell the Temporal?”
    The creature’s attention returned to the woman. It kept its head respectfully low and to the ground. Its eyes darted to the left and right, seeing only scattered bits of dirt on the floor. It was dirt; tiny specks of dirt that mocked it. The specks of dirt invited it to attempt an escape that would not be possible.
    “My lady, wee’s do not know. Wee’s escaped.”
    In a fit of anger, her foot launched into the Nephloc’s side, sending it flying into a wall. It was a pure waste; she had dispatched the group of four Nephloc with her strength, making each of them twice as large and many times as powerful as their natural forms. She felt disgust at the thought how easily these Nephloc had been distracted. That merely at the sight of a Temporal, the Nephloc she had given so much had thoughtlessly thrown it all away.
    “Disgusting.” She shook her head, walked toward it, and then shouted, “Why did you not stay? Why didn’t you fight? I gave you strength. I gave you my strength. You had more than enough power to overcome that woman.”
    “Theey were waiting. The woman was not alone.”
    “They knew?”
    Her intelligence had indicated that the woman, Suteko, would be alone. The realization that the Temporal knew she was coming for Suteko caused Kaileen to burn her anger brightly against the creature before her.
    But it hadn’t been simply an intelligence failure. It had been a trap.
    “Yesss, High Lady. Theey kneew.”
    She turned away, reaching for an object on a table. The Nephloc dared to look up. It saw that she was pulling a kerosene lantern with one hand, and with the other, she struck a match. It had only seen the light for a moment, but even in a room well-lit by artificial incandescent bulbs, the natural flame from that match pierced the creature with bright darts of pain.
    “And how did they know?” Her voice was loud and tempered only by the belief that additional information could be gained.
    The woman’s actions were too much for the Nephloc. It immediately scurried to the nearest wall. Unfortunately for the Nephloc, it was the wall farthest from the door. It wouldn’t have mattered; had he lurched toward the door, several Perazim—mature Nephloc who had been given a name in addition to artificial flesh—were guarding the room’s only exit. Their heavy clothes, dark eyewear, and gloves covered their new flesh. They were sensitive to light, but not nearly as sensitive as the Nephloc. They could go out even during the day if careful. The Perazim could interact with the world. Something unthinkable for