Eden's Creatures by Valerie Zambito

Author:Valerie Zambito [Zambito, Valerie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Fantasy
Published: 2015-07-02T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 14

Zakiel

A hush descended over the night, broken only by Cal’s harsh breathing. The rumor had been true after all. The Faedin legend was indeed a giant. A tall, skinny giant, but a giant nonetheless. Which made Cal wonder. Did he also thirst for blood? The hungry white gaze and predatory walk appeared to suggest so.

There were no tears with Zakiel in the way of the other Fallen. In fact, his lips were upturned into a grim caricature of a smile. “What do we have here,” he asked in a deep, cavernous voice that made Cal want to cover his ears in horror.

“Cal,” Stassi whispered. “I left my bow behind.”

“Go get it.”

“I’m not leaving you alone,” she insisted, squeezing his hand tightly in hers.

He glanced at her sideways. “But the Wonder—”

“Can have you when I’m done.”

He couldn’t help himself. He laughed.

Zakiel stopped, the smile resolving into a frown. “What nonsense do you speak?”

Cal didn’t answer, but he did pull an arrow free.

The Fallen watched him without the slightest concern. He lifted his nose into the air and sniffed. “What is that scent? What are you, boy?”

Cal glanced at Stassi. “Er… have you noticed that he appears to have a brain?”

“Leave or be prepared to enter the underworld!” Stassi shouted at the Fallen, ignoring his question.

Cal nocked the arrow and brought his bow up.

Zakiel tapped a long finger to his lips as he circled them. “And who would be capable of that? The pair of you? An unarmed girl with fledgling wings and a boy with…” Zakiel glanced behind Cal. “No wings at all. Interesting.” A black tongue poked its way out through his lips as though testing the air the way a snake would. “A human. How is that possible?”

Stassi stood in front of Cal. “He is not human. He is Faedin.”

“To think,” Zakiel cackled. “All of the difficulty we have been through and a human stands right here in our very midst!”

Without a word, Cal shot.

The arrow slammed into the Fallen’s chest, directly over his heart. Zakiel stumbled back and looked down with a scowl. To Cal’s utter surprise, the Fallen grasped a hold of the shaft, jerked the arrow out of his body, and tossed it contemptuously to the ground. “Wonderful shot, my boy, but that old thing hasn’t beat in a very long time.”

Cal looked down at the arrow. There wasn’t a speck of blood on it. “What do we do?” he whispered to Stassi.

“Run!”

“Right.”

He turned on his heel and ran, as fast as he could. Stassi stayed behind him, even though she could have easily passed him by now. He dared not look back. He knew that Zakiel would be there, reaching for him. He could hear the pounding footsteps, could smell the foul breath. It always ended the same. No matter how fast he ran, no matter how well he hid, the shadow always caught him. It was only a matter of time.

“Hurry!”

Stassi’s scream physically jerked him out of his fatalistic thoughts and back into reality.

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