Page 57 of Kingdom of Spirits
Chapter 24
Tahlia
“Gods save us from the smell,” Fara said, adding on some elaborate noises. “I might perish from the stink before he has a chance to bespell me with any sort of disease.”
“You hover here,” Marius ordered, his whip already out and ready. “I’ll circle him to get his attention.”
“Explain to me why isn’t Marius considered the monster’s champion,” Fara said.
Trevain nodded “Because though he dug up the bones, he didn’t perform the ritual of blood sacrifice. Sounds like your Ophelia did that.”
“She is notourOphelia,” Tahlia said. “We loathe that dog’s arse.”
Fara snorted. “You’re demeaning dogs with that statement.”
“True,” Tahlia agreed. “She is worse than that. A damn nightmare with a pretty face.”
Ragewing was a scarlet blur ringing Katk’s massive skull. The snap of Marius’s whip echoed off the rocky outcroppings along the hills. A roar blasted through the air and Fara covered her ears.
Careful now,Lija ordered as she tilted to one side, keeping Fara in the saddle.
Tahlia grasped Fara, bracing her friend between her arms as she held the low-profile pommel. The reins pressed into the skin between her fingers. Fara talked a big game, but she was trembling.
Katk reached toward Marius, but Ragewing shot into the higher clouds, disappearing from view.
Tahlia tapped Lija’s neck and the Seabreak flew closer to Katk and flapped her four wings to hover. She blew one short blast of bright flame, the heat brushing over Tahlia’s forehead as the wind rose.
The monster turned to face them, his eyes black holes of nothingness and his hands encircled in shadow and golden magic.
Fara shuddered. “Can we please fly away now very quickly?” she said, stuttering.
“Lija, fly!”
The dragon took off just as Ragewing exploded from the high clouds to fly beside them. They dashed toward the ruins, where the scent of Fara and the rest of them might keep Katk busy searching for victims. The trick would be to get him hooked on the blood under the ruins’ broken great hall while they flew off.
They soared over the ruins and Katk stopped, sniffing the air.
He is taking the bait.
“I hope so.”
The monster lifted its head and grabbed for Lija. Fara screamed and Tahlia held tightly to her as the Seabreak dodged Katk’s dark green fingers. Tahlia grew dizzy with the horrible smell and the fear of his touch.
“If he even grazes your flesh…” Trevain flitted away to float beyond the old castle’s outer wall.
Ragewing dove toward Katk and blew fire.
“Here, monster!” Marius snapped his whip over the creature’s bulbous ear.
Katk swung around, smashing through what remained of the great hall’s floor. His bare—and fully disgusting—foot was covered in blood from one of the varjuline’s ritual bowls. He grabbed the bowl, and the blood spilling from the container disappeared. The blood on his foot and ground did too.
Fara whimpered. “What kind of bizarre and horrifying thing is happening here? We are definitely going to die.”
Tahlia shut her eyes and thanked the Old Ones that Fara was back to her old self. “I’m guessing that’s one way in which he eats.”
“Ew.”
Lija shot into the sky, catching up with Ragewing, and they flew away from Katk.