Total pages in book: 99
Estimated words: 94091 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 470(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94091 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 470(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
Lucy’s arm jerked as the snake’s forward momentum carried it forward relentlessly. Even as she was nearly deafened by its screeching and hissing, almost the entire branding slid into its eye socket and presumably from there, into its brain.
There was a horrible smell of burning reptilian flesh that made her want to gag and for a moment the long black tail whipped crazily in the air. Then the screeching and hissing ceased abruptly and the enormous snake went limp, collapsing into long, black coils that twisted across the floor like a deadly oil spill.
Luckily, Lucy had the presence of mind to finally drop the brand and step away. She was shaking all over, her whole body overloaded on a massive dose of adrenaline.
“I…I don’t know who you are,” she said, her voice trembling. “But thank you. Thank you for helping me.”
The voice didn’t answer and the presence seemed to be gone again but there was no doubting it had been there. No way could she have taken out the giant snake by herself, Lucy thought.
But speaking of the snake, the long black coils seemed to be melting. They shrank until the immense reptile had completely disappeared, leaving only Mistress Shin’dara. She was lying on her side, clearly dead, and her Other Half, Lady Twa’linda, was also showing. Both of them looked shrunken and old—used up somehow, Lucy thought. As though they had lived longer than they should have and only in death was their true age showing.
But she couldn’t spare much thought for the dead Twainer—T’zaren was lying on his face not ten yards away on the marble floor and he didn’t move when she called his name.
He didn’t even twitch.
FORTY-SEVEN
LUCY
“T’zaren? Oh God, T’zaren! Please…please don’t be dead!”
Lucy could hear the tears in her own voice but she refused to give in to them. She tried to roll the huge Monstrum over but he was so big she was having a hard time. At last she got him turned on his side so she could see his face. His eyes were closed and he looked either unconscious or dead.
Not dead! Oh please—not dead! Lucy thought wildly. Leaning over the big Monstrum, she patted his cheeks.
“T’zaren? Wake up, baby! It’s me—it’s Lucy! Please, oh please wake up!”
She had almost given up hope when his eyelids fluttered and the familiar golden eyes finally opened.
“Lucille?” he muttered. “My S’rentha? What happened?”
“You jumped on the giant black snake that Mistress Shin’dara turned into and it got its coils wrapped around you and nearly squeezed you to death!” Lucy exclaimed all in one breath. She was aware that hot tears were rolling down her cheeks, but she didn’t care—she was just so glad he was alive!
“I did?” He took a deep breath and winced. “Gods—think it must have cracked a rib!”
“Do you think you can move?” Lucy asked anxiously. “Because I kind of killed the snake and now it’s turned back into Mistress Shin’dara and Lady Twa’linda and I don’t know what the guards are going to do if they come back and find them dead.”
“You killed the snake?” His golden eyes widened. “How?”
“I used a branding iron,” Lucy told him. “Stabbed it through the eye. And then it shrank back down and now it just looks like two dead people stuck together back-to-back.” She shivered. “Ugh—it’s horrible!”
“Well, Twainers aren’t a pretty sight when…when you can see both sides. It’s why they always keep one side covered.”
T’zaren sat up slowly and tried taking a few deep breaths.
“I think I’m all right,” he said at last. “But it is a great shame to me that I left you to fight the Twainer’s third form by yourself.”
“Forget about that.” Lucy waved a hand dismissively. “Right now we just have to get out of here! Can you stand? Do you need to lean on my shoulder?”
“No—I can manage. I don’t want to crush you.” T’zaren winced again.
“Don’t be silly! I’m a lot stronger than I look. Here, put your hand on my shoulder.” Lucy helped to lever him to his feet and after a few steps, the big Monstrum started to get stronger.
“My body heals itself almost immediately,” he explained, when Lucy exclaimed over how much better he already looked. He shook his head. “I just don’t understand why it took so long to heal when you were fighting the snake! I should have been protecting you—not the other way around.”
“Please don’t get all macho about this,” Lucy begged him. “We really don’t have time for it. Come on—we need to get out of here!”
She had him by the hand, tugging him towards the Throne Room door when T’zaren stooped to pick something up off the floor.
“The dimriel,” he explained, showing her the fist-sized piece of blood-red crystal which glowed when he touched it. “It’s what we came for in the first place—we cannot forget it.”