The Last Dusk (Tempest Rising Book 2) by Elliott VanDruff

Author:Elliott VanDruff [VanDruff, Elliott]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Belle Rose Press
Published: 2020-08-10T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter 23

"He’s awake,” a voice whispered.

I sat up. “Did you say something?”

Destrian stopped sharpening. “No,” he said, his eyes searching for shadows.

“He smells you,” the voice hissed. I turned sharply as a shadow melted into the darkness behind a nearby stalagmite.

“Did you hear that?” I asked Destrian.

“No, what do you hear?”

“The shadows are back. They’re whispering to me.”

The shadow peeked from behind the stalagmite. The dark figure crept over the cavern wall and reached toward me.

“Rowyn,” Destrian cautioned, the color draining from his face. I held up my hand and listened, straining my ears as the shadow whispered once more.

“What does it say?” Destrian asked softly, his eyes wide.

“It says he comes.”

“Who? Who is coming?”

“I don’t know,” I said, standing swiftly and gathering my pack while Destrian did the same, calling up the light to drift between us. I grabbed my weapons and thrust them into my belt before drawing the bow. The shadow was back, hissing so loudly even Destrian could hear.

“Run!”

“Go!” Destrian said, shoving me ahead of him. We bolted as fast as we could toward the entrance of the cavern. The hovering ball of fire grew brighter and glinted off something hanging above the cavern entrance.

“Wait!” I screamed. Grabbing Destrian’s pack, I wrenched him back as a colossal head slammed into the spot where he’d stood only a moment before.

My eyes traveled with the diamond-shaped head as it rose back up. The long body was wrapped around an enormous stalactite. The beast flicked a forked tongue into the air and hissed, baring fangs the size of a grown man, dripping amber drops of venom.

“It’s a snake!” I yelled, loosing an arrow that soared wide from my shaky hands. My heart pounded in my ears as the sheer size of the creature overwhelmed me. I’d never seen an animal that big in my life. I’d wondered if the bats were the masters in the Nightlands, but it seemed I was wrong. The snake could’ve eaten twelve bats with Destrian and me for breakfast.

“By all the gods,” Destrian gasped. He made a throwing motion, and the fireball that lit our way went crashing into the snake’s nose in a shower of sparks.

The snake recoiled with a hiss but wasn’t dazed for long. Its muscles coiled, and its eyes followed us as we retreated to the ledge. There was no way we’d be able to make it to the tunnel.

I loosed another arrow that glanced off the snake’s scales. The third one bounced away as well. Then, the snake struck with lightning speed.

I stumbled, not sure whether I should jump off the ledge or move back.

Destrian hurled another fireball. The blast blinded the snake, and it crashed headlong into the cavern wall. The floor shook with the impact, and my trembling legs struggled to keep me upright. I staggered forward, trying to get out of reach of the snake’s fangs.

“Rowyn, go! Run!” Destrian cried.

I glared at him. “I’m not leaving you!” I shouted back, drawing Iranoct.

The snake uncoiled itself from the stalactite and began slithering down the cavern wall toward Destrian.

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