Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 83933 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 420(@200wpm)___ 336(@250wpm)___ 280(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83933 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 420(@200wpm)___ 336(@250wpm)___ 280(@300wpm)
With no prompting from me, my sword returned to dagger form. The flames snuffed out, and my golden armor faded, vanishing. Strength abounded me, too. My legs buckled, and I dropped. Upon impact, air exploded from my lungs. When I could breathe again, air sawed between my lips. I sprawled on the ground, quaking from top to bottom.
“Moriah!” Jasher rushed over, skidding to my side to pat me down, on the hunt for wounds. A frown of confusion accompanied his efforts. “You are unharmed. You caught fire, but you aren’t even singed.”
“I’m fine.” A fact I couldn’t explain. I eased into an upright position. “Are you?”
“I sustained a few minor abrasions and burns.” His gaze cut to the headless carcass of my opponent, and his frown deepened. “Without training, you killed a fully grown monstra.” The astonishment in his tone could not be measured; there was simply too much of it. “The crimen is gone.”
Had it burned away in the flames? “I don’t know what happened. The flames hit, liquid armor appeared on my body, strength filled me, and… ” I waved to the corpse. “This occurred.”
Jasher rubbed a hand over his mouth, leaving streaks of crimson. “The prophecy claims a crime can occur, but an execution won’t be necessary to stop the storm. I couldn’t imagine such an event taking place, yet here we are.”
“The Guardian must have answers.” I pressed a palm against my churning belly. How would he react to my newfound abilities?
Nugget’s fury cooled, and his body went lax, revealing his injuries. Deep wounds littered his chest and arms.
Unacceptable! “I’m coming, baby.” I climbed to my feet.
With a whimper, he limped toward me.
“No.” Stiff as a board, Jasher angled in front of me. “No closer.”
My pet stopped and bared his teeth, growling.
“Enough!” I rushed around the executioner and to the rabdog’s side. “We’re on the same team.” Nugget had returned. Had protected us. I wouldn’t punish him for it. “Someone bring me Jasher’s first aid kit. Please.”
Leona hesitated before zooming to the pack, swiping it up and sprinting over. Nugget stayed where he was, but that was okay; I went around Jasher.
“Lay down for me, baby.” With the gentlest pressure, I urged him to stretch out on the ground. He offered no resistance and allowed me to clean and bandage each wound. Though, yes, he did bare his teeth a time or two.
Jasher hovered nearby, at the ready just in case. When I finished with the task, I kissed Nugget’s adorable face. He nuzzled my cheek, uncaring as the villagers returned, slipping into town to gawk at the slain monstra.
“I know I said I’d never call you Toto,” I whispered to him, “but that’s who you are. My Toto. I love you.”
The rabdog lumbered to his feet, but he didn’t dash off. He met my gaze, and in that moment I knew. This was goodbye. He wasn’t going to kill me, but he wasn’t going to stay with me. Wasn’t going to follow me anymore, either. We’d reached the end of the road.
Hot tears brimmed. “I love you,” I repeated. “I’ll miss you all the days of my life.”
He bowed his head as if he understood and entertained the same sentiment, then bounded for the woods. His loss was an arrow to my heart, but I, too, understood. Our lives were on different paths.
Jasher gently wiped the droplets of sorrow from my cheeks. “Just because something is hard doesn’t mean it’s wrong.”
“Yes, but this still hurts.”
“I expect a commendation after this,” Leona mumbled, peering from one fallen monstra to another. “A star of honor. Ballads sung about my bravery. Legends repeated for eons to come. Something!”
“I’m shocked we’re all still alive. But you.” Pale and trembling, Patch pointed a finger of accusation at me. “You caught fire. Materialized armor. Golden armor at that. Not even water maidens can do that.”
“I can’t explain it.”
Villagers peeked through the trees before returning to the town square in groups. “You’ve heaped punishment upon our heads!” someone shouted. “The royal army will come.”
“How did they kill the monstra?” Wonder and distress coated the question.
Sounds of agreement arose, quickly morphing into a song of rage and fear. Other bellows breeched the uproar. “Go!” “Leave us!” “We don’t want you here!”
“Did you forget we stopped the storm and prevented the death of one of your own?” I demanded. “Does a young mother with everything to live for ring any bells?”
The citizens of Gum Drop Lane meant business. They swiped up pebbles and rocks and hurled them at us, as if we’d ruined their lives rather than saved the day. A rock whizzed narrowly missed my cheek, rousing anger and hurt.
Jasher clasped my hand in his and, with the pack slung over his shoulder, propelled me along the same trail Nugget had taken. Patch and Leona stayed close to our heels. I wasn’t even surprised when we came upon the hat, allowing me to reclaim my property. Rather than wear it, I folded it into a square and pocketed it.