The Cursed Crown by Matthew S Cox

Author:Matthew S Cox
Language: eng
Format: azw3
ISBN: 9781949174847
Publisher: Division Zero Press
Published: 2019-01-10T22:00:00+00:00

19

Lifeblood

Oona

The oddest sense that the Nimse had intelligence beyond what their appearance suggested prickled at Oona’s thoughts. Being surrounded by them had reminded her of the highwaymen who’d attempted to rob her, so she had shrouded herself in a wall of searing light. The instant its glow fell on them, they went from menacing, devouring fiends to frightened little creatures.

Perhaps Kitlyn is right and I am too nice. The Nimse would not have hesitated in tearing me to pieces.

More so than those five, the injured one she had helped dwelled on her mind. Somehow, despite having no real way to make facial expressions, it had given off a sense of gratitude when she eased it into the tunnel. Kitlyn’s enchanted stone had hurt it to the point she questioned if it would survive. Certainly, those creatures didn’t visit temples of Orien, nor would bandages offer much help to a crushing injury.

I am thinking in terms of people. Those Nimse may be quite a bit tougher than us. Oh, I wish I could understand why they are attacking us. For how long have they existed beneath the earth without anyone even knowing about them? Could someone have done something? Perhaps they think we attacked them?

These thoughts plagued Oona as she walked beside Kitlyn across the forest, sometimes glancing down at her wife’s bare feet, alternatively cringing at the idea of being outside without shoes and grinning at the innocence of it. Of course, Oona adored walking barefoot in the grass, but a curated garden in the castle was quite a bit different from being outside. Much the same way as she had gotten over her fear of being naked around Kitlyn in private but wouldn’t dare show even bare shoulders in public.

Raesa stopped short, raising her bow. “Someone’s—”

Kitlyn spun toward Oona and shoved her hard with both hands, tossing her off her feet. She careened over sideways, brushing a man who grabbed at empty air, and landed on her back, staring at another man seizing Kitlyn from behind.

“No!” shouted Oona, not bothering to sit up. She thrust her arm out, a bolt of blue light flying from her fingertips.

The beam clipped the man in the side of the head simultaneously burning and hitting with the force of a punch. He stumbled to the left away from Kitlyn, who whirled after him, screaming in pain and anger.

With a growl, the man who’d been creeping up behind Oona rushed at her, a dagger in his right hand. She summoned a blast of magic light in his face, which blinded him for a few seconds, enough time for her to scramble upright and pull her longsword out of its scabbard.

Raesa loosed an arrow into the trees up ahead. A man fell from the branches, but before she could fire again, another man charged out of the weeds mere feet away from her. She dropped the bow and spun under his sword stroke, gracefully drawing her blade into a slash across his chest that scored his leather armor.

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