Godling (The Dragonrider Heritage Book 4) by Nicole Conway

Author:Nicole Conway [Conway, Nicole]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Broadfeather Books by Nicole Conway
Published: 2022-01-18T16:00:00+00:00

20

CHAPTER TWENTY

No—not just one. There were more switchbeasts running after the group, taking them down one at a time like lions on the hunt.

They sprang and latched onto the fleeing fighters, gripping them in razor-sharp talons, and sinking their quill-like teeth into them. Some of the monsters crawled along the cavern walls, able to move as easily as they did on the ground.

Sprawled on his belly next to me, Reigh’s face drew into a fierce scowl. His hands slid slowly down his sides, moving to the hilts of his two elven-styled blades. I shot him a desperate look, barely managing to shake my head once. No. We couldn’t attack them. We had to stay still and silent. They might continue on without even noticing us.

My heart kicked at my ribs, like a horse bucking in a stall, as the switchbeast not even six feet away from us tore into the man it had pinned down, then looked up. In the wavering light of our discarded torch, I got a clear look as the monster panned its gaze around, long tail slowly swishing as its many shoulders flexed under short, silky black fur. Its jaggedly pointed ears swiveled and flicked, nose wrinkling as it sniffed the air.

I held perfectly still.

Next to me, Reigh seemed to have stopped breathing completely.

No sound. No movement.

The switchbeast let out a sudden, piercing yowl and darted forward to continue the chase. It disappeared into the dark, scrambling up the walls and forging after the rest of the fleeing fighters—mercenaries, or whoever they were.

I dared to let out a slow, shaking breath.

Reigh made a gesture over his mouth, signaling for me to stay silent, as he slowly began to move out of our hiding spot amidst all the bones and bits of armor. I watched down the tunnel, straining to see any sign of the switchbeasts in case one of them had fallen behind or was doubling back our way. Nothing. Just darkness and the fading echoes of screams.

“Come on, we have to get out of here—now,” Reigh urged, his voice barely audible thanks to the thrashing of my pulse in my ears as he helped me wriggle free of the bone pile.

Across the tunnel, Garnett and Isandri were already emerging from their hiding spot, staying completely soundless as they waved us over frantically. I could barely make out the blanched look of terror on Phoebe’s face as she and Murdoc peeked over their boulder and immediately began running to rejoin, too.

I stopped and bent down to grab the torch as we ran by. We still needed at least one to make sure we didn’t trip over any of the rubble or uneven places on the tunnel floor.

Just as I seized the wooden handle, something dark dripped onto the floor right next to the flame’s flickering light. Three dark splotches dotted the stony ground. Huh? Was that water?

I dipped my fingertips into them near the light

No. Not water.

It was clear, but sticky almost like sap or snot. And it reeked with a sharp, musky odor.

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