Total pages in book: 153
Estimated words: 141492 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 707(@200wpm)___ 566(@250wpm)___ 472(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 141492 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 707(@200wpm)___ 566(@250wpm)___ 472(@300wpm)
She not only smelled the sea but the foul stench of the demons. She had a bad feeling she knew exactly what had made those small precise holes in the decks of the ships. If she was correct, they were lucky the demons hadn’t taken the ships down, crushing them, because they were certainly capable of it. They could grow to the size of a whale if they were in the water long enough.
She didn’t tell Izem what she feared. There was no sense in having him worry until she knew for certain what they were dealing with. She hurried through the narrow dripping tunnel. It was damp and unpleasant, mud on the walls and overhead. The rock floor was slippery. She was sure-footed, every step placed with care, the defender in her taking over.
The tunnel opened into a grotto overlooking the harbor. The grotto turned abruptly at a right angle, narrowing in that direction. The pull on her body was just as strong as the foul stench. She set her dive pack down carefully and removed her crystal sword from her long coat. Before she turned toward the dark shadows harboring evil, she stepped to the edge of the grotto to look down at the sea.
The water in the harbor glistened like glass on the surface, the colors turquoise and deep blue mixed with purples and sapphire. In places where the sun shone directly on the water, Safia could see all the way to the brightly colored rocks on the bottom. Despite the time of day, people were swimming in close near the little lagoon a circle of rocks created. Most of the fishing boats were anchored or in the slips out of respect for Kadin Merabet’s deceased crew members.
The tourists had no idea of what had occurred, and no one shared the bad news. They wanted the tourists to come and spend their money at the various shops and restaurants. It kept their city thriving. Little by little they had established tours. Found beautiful locations that would interest outsiders. By working with each other, they had thrived. The last thing they wanted to do was drive everyone away with fear.
Safia glanced up at the sun. She needed to seal the ground and get into the water before the demons had aid from vampires. She had no idea how many vampires were in the vicinity, but she wasn’t yet adept at dealing with them. She spun on her heel and walked straight back into the darkness. At once, her crystal sword glowed a bright amber, gleaming off the walls and ceiling and lighting up the floor like a beacon.
Farther down, she could see the edge of a thick gate made of ancient wood. She didn’t have time to examine it. She could see the thin places in the mud where something had punched through and dirt had trickled back into the hole. There was only one open hole, but two other places were thin enough that, given time, the same thing could happen. She had no idea how many of the creatures had slipped through. Hopefully only two or three. If Aabis’ fishing vessels had been attacked three days earlier, that gave the demons that many days to grow larger. She released the droplets of sacred water as she spun, creating a turbulent storm so that the water became a cyclone, wind howling through the small chamber, pushing the rain so that it fell chaotically in every direction from the ceiling, bouncing off the walls, to flood the floor.
The water began to form a pool, whirling around and pouring down the hole that had been opened between the two realms. The hole glowed with an orange-red flame, and then it abruptly went black, leaving only the amber crystal glowing.
Safia plunged the blade into the ground. Immediately, the earth rolled under her feet. She didn’t so much as sway. She sealed the portal, closing off all ability to use the ground to any caught above. They could not reenter. Any below could not use the portal to come above ground. No more could whatever form the demon had been given be sent above ground. She was careful to ensure that weapon would no longer be in the army of the underground.
When she was certain she had sealed every possible entry, she returned to her brother and her diving gear. To her dismay, Izem was already changed.
“Izem,” she began.
“We spoke of this already, Safia. I will not allow you to go alone. You are the defender, and I will follow your lead, but you will not go into the sea without me.”
She narrowed her eyes suspiciously. “Is this his decree?”
“You are my sister,” he answered. “If we are to do this before the sun sets, we must hurry.” He gestured for her to put on her diving gear.