Total pages in book: 127
Estimated words: 121146 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 606(@200wpm)___ 485(@250wpm)___ 404(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 121146 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 606(@200wpm)___ 485(@250wpm)___ 404(@300wpm)
But the Dark Twin apparently wasn’t ready to be eaten just yet—or to let Celia get eaten either.
“Stay still,” he told her in a hoarse whisper. “Don’t move—I’ll try to draw it outside.” Then he began waving his arms again and shouting. “Hey, you big bastard! I’m the one you want—come here!”
The V’ranna seemed to take the bait because it took two lumbering steps forward, towards the big warrior. It was still so close that the long, turquoise fur on its legs brushed Celia’s face…which, she now realized, was wet with tears. Was she crying from sheer terror? It seemed that she must be, because now everything was blurry.
“Come on, you big bastard,” she heard Fierce saying. “Just a little more—just get away from my female so I can blow a hole in your hairy hide…”
And then everything happened at once.
The V’ranna rushed at him suddenly, just as Fierce was drawing his blaster. There was a hissing, zipping sound of the blaster being fired and brilliant blue light lit up the narrow passage.
“Fuck you!” she heard Fierce shouting as he shot. “I’ll send you to the Seven Hells, you fucker—threatening my female!”
The V’ranna started roaring again, though there was a pained note in the deafening sound now. It staggered forward and wrapped its long arms around the Dark Twin, as though it would squeeze him to death.
“No!” Celia gasped, but she felt frozen to the spot. She wanted to make the enormous animal let Fierce go, but she had no weapon and her legs still felt as weak as water. She forced herself to get up anyway. If nothing else, she guessed she could kick its furry hide and try to distract it.
Fierce was writhing in the massive beast’s grip, his feet kicking in the air and his bearded face going dark red as he struggled to breathe. But when he saw Celia approaching on shaking legs, he shook his head violently.
“No—get back…Get away!” he wheezed.
“I can’t!” Celia was crying harder now. She took aim with one of her furry red boots and kicked the V’ranna in its shaggy back leg as hard as she could. It might be stupid and ineffectual, but she couldn’t just let it kill Fierce, could she?
The V’ranna didn’t even look in her direction. She might have been a gnat buzzing around its ear—that was how much attention it gave her.
“You asshole!” Celia sobbed. “Hijo de puta—let him go!”
She was about to kick the huge beast again but suddenly Hold was in the narrow passage beside her.
“Name of the Goddess!” he breathed, when he saw what was happening. “Celia, get away from here! Get out and let me handle this!”
Celia did as he said. But she couldn’t make herself stop watching—her eyes were glued to Fierce in the grip of the beast and Hold drawing his blaster as she stumbled backwards, into the main corridor again.
“Hurry, Brother!” Fierce gasped. “Can’t…breathe!”
“Hang on—going to get you free,” Hold promised. Then he took careful aim and shot directly at the V’ranna’s face.
Celia saw one of the glowing yellow eyes go out and the beast howled so loudly it felt like the entire grotto shook.
“Let go of him, you bastard!” she heard Hold shouting. Then more shots of brilliant blue light and finally the enormous creature went limp and collapsed, bearing Fierce to the ground with it as it went.
“Get…it…off!” Fierce was panting, his face barely visible under the furry blue hide. “Fucking…crushing…me!”
“I’ll get it off you, Brother! Hang on!” Hold holstered his blaster and gripped the shaggy turquoise pelt. With an enormous heave, he rolled the dead V’ranna off the Dark Twin.
Celia watched all of this happen, feeling like she was in a dream and everything was getting further and further away. After a moment, she realized that was because she was still backing up, backing away from the passageway where she and Fierce had nearly died.
Just as she realized this, she took another step back and her foot met only empty air.
With a gasp, she felt herself falling backwards. Pinwheeling her arms madly did no good—her center of gravity was lost and she was going over.
But what did I trip on? she thought wildly.
And then there was a splash and icy water was closing over her head.
18
HOLD
Hold heard the splash but didn’t register, at first, what it was. Then Fierce, who was lying on the floor panting but still looking in the direction of the main corridor, gave a hoarse cry and raised a hand to point.
“Celia!”
Hold turned his head so fast it felt like he might give himself whiplash. He couldn’t see down into the river’s channel but he could hear splashing and a weak cry for help.
Fear gave his feet wings and he fairly flew to the river. What he saw when he looked down made his blood run cold.