The Becoming Trilogy Box Set (Books 1-3) by Raven Jess & Black Paula

Author:Raven, Jess & Black, Paula [Raven, Jess]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Raven and Black
Published: 2014-01-13T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY

‘Come on, come on ... Come. On!’ Dangling the blood-soaked string of silk into the small hole he’d dug into the cave floor, Connal gritted out demands. Over the past hours, they’d perfected this technique of luring the filthy, razor-mouthed fleshworms to the surface. Though it cost them their own blood, the cuts to their forearms, coupled with a few nasty bites, seemed a small price for freedom. A couple of trial runs slinging the bait from the cave proved the raveners went wild for the juicy, blood-swollen grubs. Now, if only they could amass enough to give them the head-start they needed to make it down the mountain. The wriggling pile tied up in the remnant of the Doctor’s robe didn’t seem half-enough, but they were running out of time. ‘I hope you’re a good sprinter, Doc.’

The doctor smirked. ‘Those things come after us, I’m tripping you. Just remember that, Savage.’

‘Think you could catch me, Thegn?’ Connal laughed.

‘Hey, come here. Look at this.’ Madden turned back from the mouth of the cave, eyes animated. ‘It’s starting.’

Connal abandoned his fishing hole in the dirt and came to stand beside the doctor. He peered out into the darkness. Around the rim of the crater Madden pointed out earlier, there was a new glow, forming a halo of light on the horizon.

‘They’ve lit the arena for the Contests,’ Madden explained.

‘It’s too soon.’ Connal’s brows knitted. ‘We’re not ready.’

‘We don’t have a choice,’ Madden replied. ‘Listen to that. The fights have already begun.’

The muted echoes of a wildly cheering crowd filtered across the valley, and Connal’s blood ran to ice-water at the memories they carried with them. ‘How long have we got?’ he asked.

‘An hour. Two, tops.’ Madden’s troubled eyes fell on the sorry looking stash of bait. They both knew it was all that stood between them and being eaten alive.

‘Then what are we waiting for?’ Connal offered the doctor a grin, clapped him on the back, hard enough to rattle teeth, and bent to gather the makeshift sling and the bundle of fleshworms.

‘Savage,’ Madden said.

‘Yeah?’ Rocking back on his heels, Connal looked up at the doctor.

‘In case I don’t make it out ...’

‘Don’t jinx it, Doc. Much as I'm digging this half-naked, desert-island bromance we've got going on,’ he motioned a hand between them before stabbing a finger towards the doctor’s chest, ‘if you start in with the sappy goodbyes, I'm personally going to feed you to those things out there, limb by limb.’

‘This is important.’ Madden’s mouth set in a hard line. ‘There’s a girl.’

That got Connal’s attention. ‘Been dipping your wick in more than the ceremonial candles, Thegn? Bad. Boy.’ Connal tutted, his face splitting into a manic grin. 'Didn't think you had it in you, man.'

‘This is fucking important, Savage. There’s a child.'

'O-kay ...' The smile melted off Connal’s face. Hands braced on his thighs, he stood.

'She doesn't know I'm the father,' Madden said, looking cagey.

'Do you know you're the father?’ Connal asked. ‘Those girls in Form

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