The Darkest Gateway by Jeri Westerson

Author:Jeri Westerson [Westerson, Jeri]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-625674-23-4
Publisher: Jabberwocky Literary Agency, Inc.
Published: 2019-12-16T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seventeen

I took off over the rocky plain and zig-zagged between the fangy outcroppings.

When I looked back, there was suddenly a swarm of those little black creatures. They completely skirted around Shabiri. Definitely after me. I thought about different strategies since I knew I would tire soon. I looked back again and saw them defying gravity, crawling upside down up a rocky fang and over the other side like ants.

That eliminated a few ideas.

I scrambled up into a canyon, the loose rocks under my feet making it all the harder. It was too late when I realized I was boxed in. “Shit,” I muttered. I got to the wall and looked up. Even if I could scale that, those little devils were far more agile than I was. I turned to face them. They were coming toward me fast from the floor of the canyon and up the sides.

When they got close enough, I could see rows of little razor-sharp teeth. Great. Their spindly little arms reached for me with little talons for fingers.

And then my Chosen Host skills kicked in. It all happened in an instant. I steadied the spear on the ground and swung around it like a stripper pole, kicking out with my boots at their greedy little faces. Imps flung outward, tumbling in the air. It was entirely satisfying when boot met imp, like kicking a football. I ran along the cliff face and swung around again, kicking some more.

But then the footballs were coming quicker and in greater numbers. There was way more than ten of them. It was a swarm. I couldn’t swing on the spear forever. And sure enough, something grabbed my hair. I was yanked backward, hitting my head against the stone wall.

They were on me. I tried to scream, but too many little mouths were biting, too many talons scratching and tearing at my clothes. I kicked out wildly with my hands and feet, shaking my head to loosen them but it didn’t help. I was sinking into complete panic, all traces of civilization slipping away. I screamed. I flailed. There was nothing left to do but die.

Then, a fireball!

The creatures all stopped and looked. Tiny, dreadful hands were still on me, still yanking my hair taut, but they had all frozen to stare at the fireball coming at them. Some were engulfed in flames and screaming in high-pitched whines, while others burst into puffs of black smoke.

They dropped me and started running. Up the cliff face, under rocks. But it didn’t save them. Wherever they were, they burst into flames and disappeared in puffs of smoke.

Soon I was alone, sprawled on the ground, my clothes in shreds, my hair all over my face and in tufts on the ground around me from where they had yanked it out. A figure walked forward through the hazy smoke. When it dissipated, she was standing there.

I cried from relief. “Thank you, Shabiri!”

She didn’t offer to help me up. Just stood there in a

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.