Chapter Nine
He bent and scooped her into his arms in one quick motion. Ellie yelped in surprise as Bowie took off as fast as he could, heading toward the door. The man yelled angrily from behind them, and Bowie began pushing his way harder past the fleeing crowd, determined to make it to the entrance before the man caught them. Ellie glanced over Bowie’s shoulder to see the mistress clapping her hands three times.
“Bowie, she’s calling her monster cats,” Ellie said loudly, her panic rising. She watched as the monstrosities pawed their way out from under the stage, their tails flicking wildly around them.
“Shit, shit, shit,” Bowie muttered. He shoved his shoulder into one woman that stood in their path, knocking her violently to the ground. Ellie peeked behind them again to see the man closing in on them. It seemed that the mistress had decided to save herself rather than fight, as she was climbing onto one of the large cats and settling herself between its shoulder blades.
“Flee, children! Do not speak if you get caught!” she yelled over the chaos. She clicked her tongue and her cats pounced, disappearing through one of the doors behind them. Ellie sighed, thankful that they didn’t have to worry about the monster cats. She scanned the crowd behind them but could see no sign of the creepy man.
“Bowie, I think we’ve lost him,” she said, relaxing in Bowie’s arms. He exhaled deeply, relief washing over his face.
“Thank goodness for that. The master is not someone I want to…” he trailed off and froze, staring intently at something ahead of him. Ellie twisted in his arms and groaned.
“Of fucking course. Can’t catch a break, can I?” she muttered, exasperated. Bowie frowned. He knew what the master was capable of, and he knew that if he tried to fight, Ellie would be seriously injured.
“I want my human,” the master said calmly. Despite his demeanor, Ellie could tell that he was seething. He took a step forward and Bowie took a careful step back, cradling Ellie protectively in his arms.
“Humans are not meant to be our slaves! You cannot have her!” Bowie straightened his spine and planted his feet firmly in the ground. Ellie could tell that Bowie would be no match for the man in front of them. She chewed on her bottom lip, worried for her new friend’s safety. She couldn’t ask him to put himself in harm’s way, not after everything he had already done.
“It’s okay. Put me down,” Ellie said quietly. Bowie shook his head, his eyes never leaving the master.
“No. This man is insane. You will die if I give you to him.” The master chuckled, a mirthless sound.
“Oh, no. She will not be harmed. Not much, anyway. You see, I quite like her. She will spend the rest of her life serving me in every possible way.” He smiled widely, his perfect teeth glistening in the low light. Ellie’s stomach churned at the implication in his voice. Still, it was her turn to try to protect Bowie.
“Set me down and run. Please,” Ellie pleaded. She didn’t want Bowie to get hurt over her. She had seen enough murder for one day. Bowie stood rigidly, unwilling to comply. “Please. Trust me.” He finally broke eye contact with the master and looked into Ellie’s eyes. She winked subtly and Bowie, though confused, complied. He knew she must have a plan. He slowly relinquished his grip on her hand, still hesitant about letting her go. “Run,” Ellie said simply. She faced the master and began hobbling slowly toward him, making her way carefully past the people running around them.
“There’s a good girl. Come here, pet,” the master said triumphantly. He held out a gloved hand for Ellie to take. Ellie’s heart was pounding. She only had one shot at this, and she was determined to do her best. Ellie was just out of the master’s reach when several men in black and silver uniforms burst into the tent.
“Everyone, stay where you are! You are all under arrest!” a loud voice boomed. There were more screams as people scrambled to get away. “If you run, we may use deadly force to subdue you!” the voice warned. Some of the men and women threw themselves onto the ground, terrified. Others continued their frenzied attempts to escape.
“Damn it,” the master hissed. He rushed toward Ellie, preparing to scoop her up in his own arms, but Ellie was ready for him. She stepped to the side as soon as he reached her, and the sudden motion caused him to stumble a bit. “Damn you! Get over here!” the master said impatiently. Ellie stayed where she was. Irritated, the master lunged toward her again. This time, Ellie was ready to fight back.
She quickly slipped the dagger out of her sleeve and brought it up just as he reached her. With a cry, she lunged at him, aiming the dagger for his throat. It was his turn to side-step her, trying to escape the small, sharp blade. He wasn’t fast enough. He moved just enough for Ellie to miss stabbing his throat, piercing him just below his shoulder instead. She threw all her weight into the motion, burying the dagger to the hilt in his flesh. He howled in pain and jumped back, more shocked than anything. His cries attracted the attention of some of the guards and they began making their way to the master. He cursed under his breath and slipped into the crowd, disappearing through the back of the tent.
“You, there! Stay where you are!” one of the men barked at Ellie.
“One of my legs is broken and I have no crutches to help me walk. Trust me, I’m not going anywhere,” she replied sarcastically. The guard looked flustered for a split second before he regained his composure and made his way to Ellie. Bowie had joined her and had placed his arm around her waist again, giving her broken leg the support it needed.
“Ah, Elvin! I’m glad I ran into you, my friend!” the guard said as he reached the pair. Elvin smiled at his friend and nodded.
“I’m glad you guys finally showed up, Avery! What happened to arriving before the auction was over, hm?” Avery threw his head back and laughed, his whole body shaking.
“Would you believe me if I told you that we got lost? These damn auctions are always in the middle of nowhere!” he complained loudly with a smile. Elvin just shook his head, grinning at his friend.
“Sorry to interrupt, but I’m ready to go home now. Or see an actual doctor. Not that I’m complaining about your handiwork,” she said apologetically to Bowie. “I’d just like to get a set of crutches or something to help me walk.” Bowie’s eyes snapped back to Ellie, concerned. Avery, who had only just realized Ellie was there, smiled widely at her as he studied her full figure from head to toe.
“My, my. You are stunning. For a human, of course. I would love to take you out to dinner some time,” Avery said suavely. He gave her what Ellie thought must be his most charming smile and Ellie wrinkled her nose at the suggestion.
“I’ll pass, thank you. I’d really just like to get home. I’m not interested in you or staying here longer than necessary,” she said bluntly. Her words seemed to have shocked him. He looked as though he had been slapped across his perfect face. His violet eyes widened in disbelief. “Bowie – sorry, Elvin – would you point me in the direction of the nearest doctor, please?” Ellie asked, ignoring the other man in front of her.
“I would love to help you. Come, I’ll take you to a horse and we can ride into town together,” he said cheerily. Avery’s jaw dropped as Elvin again scooped Ellie up into his arms and made his way to the entrance of the tent. Avery stood back, watching Elvin carefully carry Ellie to a pair of white horses, still surprised that she had so blatantly rejected him. Irritated as he was, he pushed his feelings aside and hurried to catch up to his friend.