Total pages in book: 118
Estimated words: 111898 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 559(@200wpm)___ 448(@250wpm)___ 373(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 111898 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 559(@200wpm)___ 448(@250wpm)___ 373(@300wpm)
The blade sank into the creature’s eye, and it opened wide its mouth. Releasing a high-pitched shriek? Must be. Rathbone cringed while Neeka’s eardrums throbbed.
As dizziness assailed her, two spiked legs swiped through the air at a blurring speed. She went high as Rathbone went low.
Ding, ding, ding. The battle was on. The zombider lunged, attempting another swipe while chomping those fangs at Neeka. The perceived weak link? Irritation guided the launch of her second dagger, cutting through another eye, creating enough of a distraction to allow Rathbone to slice off a spindly leg. The loss didn’t slow the beast.
Tiny white bugs scrambled from the wound and jumped on Neeka.
“Ahhh!” she shouted as they skittered over her skin. Pain fogged her vision, but she flung them off and stomped on each. “Drive it back, and I’ll go for the bone.” Wait. What? There was a bone here?
Her gaze shot to Rathbone. “There’s a bone here?” he echoed, grabbing a fiery log from the pit, and advancing on the creature with strikes of his own.
“Oh, yeah. Did I forget to mention that, too?” She followed him, amazed by his skill. The effortless way he alternated between offense and defense. His speed surpassed even the zombider’s. When he struck, he struck hard and sure, never missing.
Releasing a series of awful clicks and calls, the creature scurried up and down the rocky walls. Rathbone didn’t back off.
Bone, bone, where was the bone? She scanned the darkness. There. As Rathbone fought on, she ducked and dodged and rushed forward until she reached the ledge of an enormous pit.
Down, down, down, she peered, finding thousands of bones in a mammoth pile. All that remained of the creature’s former meals. Her stomach twisted. So many pieces. How was she supposed to find Lore’s?
Wait. Did she see an outline of the goddess, frantically waving her over?
Neeka almost turned away. What if she pretended she couldn’t find anything in this mess? Better yet, what if she destroyed it altogether, ending both the king’s and the Astra’s quests here and now?
Could she destroy it? Something she’d heard in the Hall probed her recollection...
Realization hit, and she moaned. Dang it! The Song of Life rendered the bones indestructible.
Very well. She’d brought Rathbone here to keep herself in the game, buy time, and re-earn the boon. Maybe fortify his trust in the process. She would stick with her current plan and fetch the clavicle.
Clavicle? That’s what she’d found? Neeka dove into the pile and made her way to Lore, who radiated desperation.
The female’s mouth moved at top speed, as if she was spewing her sentences. Neeka caught the words dig deep. Rather than watch the goddess’s lips for clarity, she got busy tossing and burrowing to find the object of her desire. Her wings flapped. Her biceps protested. Running out of options—oh! A clavicle with markings. She snatched it up and began her climb to the top of the pile, dagger at the ready.
Lore remained in place, not following the piece of herself. When Neeka saluted her with a middle finger, the other woman’s mask of desperation slipped the slightest bit, revealing a hint of cold hatred.
Well, well, well. The evil monstress lurked in there, after all.
Neeka blew her a kiss and bounded from the pit, more determined to save her world than ever. She catalogued the current situation.
The flames on Rathbone’s log had died, so there was nothing to keep the creature at bay. No, the beautiful king was forced to fend off slash after slash, fighting to avoid injury.
“I’ve got it, so you owe me a boon,” Neeka called, waving the clavicle to draw the creature’s attention her way. But the zombider spun and swiped at her faster than she expected, catching her off guard. She jumped back, whooshing into the pit once more, losing her grip on her remaining weapon and the bone.
Rathbone raced to shield her as the zombider rushed over. At the last second, the king angled his body, catching that piece of Lore before it clattered into the pile, leaving Neeka to crash. She lost her breath upon impact, stunned her into immobility.
That...that...jerk! She’d lowered her standards and allowed him to kiss her, and this was the thanks she got?
The zombider took advantage of her position, ramming a spike through her shoulder and pinning her down. Oh, the pain! Her back bowed, and she shrieked.
Just as a black film sprouted over her vision, Rathbone cut his way out of the creature’s chest. Out of. As if he’d flashed inside it. Guts and other things spilled over Neeka and the pile.
The zombider collapsed on top of her, sinking its fangs into her throat just before releasing its final breath. Another shriek barreled past her lips. No, no, no! Its venom. Her future. No!
Rathbone worked as fast as inhumanly possible, freeing her from the teeth as well as the dead weight. With a gentleness she resented, he collected her in his arms and carted her from the pit. By the time they reached the cave’s entrance, where they’d begun, she could see again.