Read Online Tyger Tyger by Kersten Hamilton - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Kersten Hamilton
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something to do with your having a bad day?"
"Maybe." Teagan told him about Tiny Tiddly, and the scary kitty in the primate house.
"Sounds like a
cat-sÃdhe,
sure enough. Travelers are blamed for many a thing a
cat-sÃdhe
has done. They delight in ruining our lives. But it's never happened to you before? That's surprising."
"Can Travelers see these ... cats?"
"Most don't have the second sight," Finn said. "But they know the creatures are about. Like I said,
cat-sÃdhe
cause trouble. Set traps."
"But you see them?"
"I'm the Mac Cumhaill." Finn shrugged. "It's part of the curse."
"What curse?"
"Your da just read you the story," Finn said. "Fear Doirich cursed my family for all time. It's surprising that you've never seen one before if you have the second sight, though. And if you don't, then how did you see the creature at the bus stop?"
Aiden had stopped, and Teagan was so focused on Finn that she almost ran into him.
"Lennie?" Aiden whispered.
Twenty-five feet ahead, three guys had Lennie backed against a brick wall. Teagan had seen one of them at school in the senior lobby and the others around the neighborhood. The senior wore his football jersey; one of the others had a goatee, and the third wore a baseball cap turned backwards. They looked like Football Jersey's older brothers.
Lennie hadn't washed the face paint off before he'd started home, and his feather-boa tail was draped over his arm. He looked more like the Cowardly Lion than a Wild Thing.
"I was talking to you." Jersey slapped him. "You think that paint makes you scary?"
Teagan saw a dark stain spread across the front of Lennie's pants.
"Pee yourself, retard?" Baseball Cap shoved Lennie. "Your mama never teach you what a potty's for?"
Teagan took out her cell phone. These were college kids, and they were going to hurt Lennie.
"What are you doing?" Finn asked.
"Calling the police."
Finn snatched the phone out of her hand, dropped it in his pocket, and pushed her and Aiden behind the nearest Dumpster.
"What are you doing?" Teagan demanded.
"Keeping you and the boyo out of it," Finn said. "Cops won't get here in time to help. Go on home the long way. I'll meet you there."
"Finn!" Teagan whispered. "Your arm's broken. What do you think you
can
do?"
"I told you," Finn said. "I'm the Mac Cumhaill. I'll do what needs doing. Go on, now. I don't have time to argue. Get your baby brother out of here."
He strolled around the corner of the Dumpster.
Teagan took Aiden's hand to pull him back down the alley, but he jerked it away.
"I'm not a baby! I want to go with Finn!"
She caught his collar and dragged him back behind the Dumpster, just as Baseball Cap shoved Lennie again.
"You'll be stopping that now," Finn said.
All three bullies turned to look at him, and Lennie whimpered.
"Do I know you?" Goatee asked.
"We're about to get acquainted," Finn assured him. "You can go on home, Lennie."
"He can what?" Jersey asked.
"I said he could go home. You're done with him."
"You did?" Goatee laughed. "Well, we're not done. It's just starting to get entertaining."
Finn hit him in the mouth with his left hand.
Lennie looked confused. So did Goatee.
"Go on, Lennie," Finn said.
"What the fâ" Goatee started. Finn hit him again.
Lennie started shuffling away.
Goatee looked at his brothers. "What the hell are you waiting for?"
Finn was fast. He kept them all in front of him, and Teagan could hear the impact every time his fist connected. She wrapped her arms around Aiden, who had gone very still. Run. They should run for help. But her muscles weren't moving. She'd never been this close to a fight before. The sound of fists on flesh made bile rise in her throat.
Aiden put his hands over his eyes. "No bad guys, no bad guys," he chanted.
Teagan pulled him close. "Lennie is getting away," she whispered.
Finn was buying Lennie time. But with his cast strapped to his side in a sling, he couldn't even use his right arm to deflect their fists. He
"Maybe." Teagan told him about Tiny Tiddly, and the scary kitty in the primate house.
"Sounds like a
cat-sÃdhe,
sure enough. Travelers are blamed for many a thing a
cat-sÃdhe
has done. They delight in ruining our lives. But it's never happened to you before? That's surprising."
"Can Travelers see these ... cats?"
"Most don't have the second sight," Finn said. "But they know the creatures are about. Like I said,
cat-sÃdhe
cause trouble. Set traps."
"But you see them?"
"I'm the Mac Cumhaill." Finn shrugged. "It's part of the curse."
"What curse?"
"Your da just read you the story," Finn said. "Fear Doirich cursed my family for all time. It's surprising that you've never seen one before if you have the second sight, though. And if you don't, then how did you see the creature at the bus stop?"
Aiden had stopped, and Teagan was so focused on Finn that she almost ran into him.
"Lennie?" Aiden whispered.
Twenty-five feet ahead, three guys had Lennie backed against a brick wall. Teagan had seen one of them at school in the senior lobby and the others around the neighborhood. The senior wore his football jersey; one of the others had a goatee, and the third wore a baseball cap turned backwards. They looked like Football Jersey's older brothers.
Lennie hadn't washed the face paint off before he'd started home, and his feather-boa tail was draped over his arm. He looked more like the Cowardly Lion than a Wild Thing.
"I was talking to you." Jersey slapped him. "You think that paint makes you scary?"
Teagan saw a dark stain spread across the front of Lennie's pants.
"Pee yourself, retard?" Baseball Cap shoved Lennie. "Your mama never teach you what a potty's for?"
Teagan took out her cell phone. These were college kids, and they were going to hurt Lennie.
"What are you doing?" Finn asked.
"Calling the police."
Finn snatched the phone out of her hand, dropped it in his pocket, and pushed her and Aiden behind the nearest Dumpster.
"What are you doing?" Teagan demanded.
"Keeping you and the boyo out of it," Finn said. "Cops won't get here in time to help. Go on home the long way. I'll meet you there."
"Finn!" Teagan whispered. "Your arm's broken. What do you think you
can
do?"
"I told you," Finn said. "I'm the Mac Cumhaill. I'll do what needs doing. Go on, now. I don't have time to argue. Get your baby brother out of here."
He strolled around the corner of the Dumpster.
Teagan took Aiden's hand to pull him back down the alley, but he jerked it away.
"I'm not a baby! I want to go with Finn!"
She caught his collar and dragged him back behind the Dumpster, just as Baseball Cap shoved Lennie again.
"You'll be stopping that now," Finn said.
All three bullies turned to look at him, and Lennie whimpered.
"Do I know you?" Goatee asked.
"We're about to get acquainted," Finn assured him. "You can go on home, Lennie."
"He can what?" Jersey asked.
"I said he could go home. You're done with him."
"You did?" Goatee laughed. "Well, we're not done. It's just starting to get entertaining."
Finn hit him in the mouth with his left hand.
Lennie looked confused. So did Goatee.
"Go on, Lennie," Finn said.
"What the fâ" Goatee started. Finn hit him again.
Lennie started shuffling away.
Goatee looked at his brothers. "What the hell are you waiting for?"
Finn was fast. He kept them all in front of him, and Teagan could hear the impact every time his fist connected. She wrapped her arms around Aiden, who had gone very still. Run. They should run for help. But her muscles weren't moving. She'd never been this close to a fight before. The sound of fists on flesh made bile rise in her throat.
Aiden put his hands over his eyes. "No bad guys, no bad guys," he chanted.
Teagan pulled him close. "Lennie is getting away," she whispered.
Finn was buying Lennie time. But with his cast strapped to his side in a sling, he couldn't even use his right arm to deflect their fists. He
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