Branded Read Free

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    “The forest can’t protect us forever,” the green woman said. “But it’ll be a while before the Centaur and his minions find their way in.” She’d introduced herself and her scaly companion, but Asher had already forgotten their names.
    “We’ll be out before then,” Blind Guy said.
    Asher supported that idea. He kept watching the branches of the trees sway in the wind. They seemed like ordinary plants now, but he knew what he’d seen earlier. The memory sent a shiver down his spine. Trees were not supposed to be alive. He’d burned a good number of trees, and he shuddered to think they’d been sentient.
    “What the hell is this place?” he asked.
    No one paid attention.
    “Why were they chasing you?” Snakes directed her question at the weird couple. “Who are those people?”
    The man and the woman exchanged glances. “I thought it would be obvious,” the woman said. They reached out to each other and held hands between themselves. As if that was supposed to tell them anything.
    “I don’t get it,” Asher said.
    “We’re a couple,” the man said. His voice was unusually high for a guy. He would have rocked any karaoke night in town. If they were in a town instead of this creepy forest.
    “What’s that to do with anything?” Stoner was leaning against a tree. His body weighed so much the tree bent backwards a little.
    “We’re not judging you,” Blind Guy said, before the couple could react to Stoner’s question. “And we really should be on our way. We wouldn’t want to hold you up.”
    Asher glanced at the fire elf suspiciously. What wasn’t he judging them for? Having disgustingly heterosexual sex?
    Come to think of it, which way did Blind Guy swing, anyway?
    Asher couldn’t ask his question before the man spoke again in his karaoke voice. “So should we. We have long ways to travel. I hope helping us has not put you into peril. Be watchful.”
    “We will,” Blind Guy said, and then he walked off. And right into a tree. It was the second time Asher heard him curse. The lavalight fluttered around him, but he waved her off. Asher had to give him credit for dusting himself off and going on as if nothing had happened.
    “You have a leaf stuck to your hair,” Asher said, walking behind him.
    “It’s decoration,” the fire elf said, not bothering to pick it out.
    “Huh,” Asher said. “That’s kinda gay.”
    Stoner and Snakes caught up to them then. “Leave him alone,” Snakes said.
    “It’s fine,” Blind Guy dismissed her. “I can deal with him.”
    “What was that couple all about?” Stoner asked. “What’s so bad about them being a couple?”
    Blind Guy rubbed his head. “They’re not of the same…” he seemed to search for the right word. “They’re not of the same species. That’s an issue here. Being gay or whatever is a-okay, so long as you stick to your own people. Guess every world has its own weird set of rules regarding sex.”
    “So they were going to be punished for loving each other?” Snakes asked.
    “Yes, actually…” Blind Guy slowed a little. “It’s a capital offense. Especially if they had children.”
    “Wow, that’s stupid,” Stoner said.
    “I agree,” Blind Guy said. “But we can’t do anything about it. This isn’t even our world. Still, I just… I had to help them. I’m sorry, I probably got us into a stupid situation.”
    “How do you mean?” Asher asked. This was exactly why he kept his nose in his own business.
    “They might take us for criminals, too. Did you notice those lizard thingies? They’re a kind of police force.”
    “But I didn’t even have sex with anyone.” If Asher was going to be punished for fucking someone, he should at least have done that. Otherwise it would be like being killed over a meal he never got to eat. And he’d sure enjoy feasting on a particular member of their group.
    “I’m so sorry,” Blind Guy said, although he didn’t sound it. “I can’t change it now. If