Total pages in book: 49
Estimated words: 46791 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 234(@200wpm)___ 187(@250wpm)___ 156(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 46791 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 234(@200wpm)___ 187(@250wpm)___ 156(@300wpm)
“Leave the sacks and run,” Khrys orders, grabbing my free hand.
My heart rips in half at his command, but I’m already running with him, as fast as we can, even harder than we did back at the auction—in the opposite direction of our craft.
Landscape skims by, the flower field recedes. We’re going so fast that the arrows stop; I can only assume that the locals are focused on running, not shooting at moving targets buried in mist. But their footsteps never waver, and they seem to be closing the gap. “They’re gaining on us,” I pant, and the panic spurs us both into a new burst of speed.
But as at the auction, I can only do this for so long. I start to feel desperation, when we see something new through the fog—craggy foothills dotted with twisted trees.
“Finally,” Khrys rasps, pulling me behind the closest trunk. We’re panting, and I can barely breathe. “When they get closer, we attack. Our weapons are deadlier. All we need is this cover, and we can drop them all.”
Dizzy with exhaustion, I drop to a crouch and grab my head, trying to control my air. “Understood.”
“They’re fanning out. But we’ve got the higher ground.” Khyrs’ voice is clear and precise. “On my command, you attack to your right. I go left.”
“Yes,” I gasp. I stand up and ready my weapon. In the near distance, figures waver and get into formation.
But suddenly, everything changes. With a particularly loud eruption, the clouds open up and dump freezing rain. The beings in front of us immediately break ranks and turn to each other, then—to my amazement and relief—turn around.
“The locals are turning back!” Khry’s voice lifts with exuberance. “They’re going the other way.”
Indeed, the entire group of them races in the direction we came. In the distance, a herd of antlex scream and rear up and gallop to the left, disappearing over a ridge.
“Khrys?” I blink against the rain, which has a biting urgency against my face. “Why would they all run away from a little rain?” I wipe my brow and shiver—the liquid is so cold it’s like ice. “Even the animals?”
“I don’t know.” His voice is tense. “Perhaps the rain is a sign of worse weather to come. I suggest we find shelter.”
As he speaks, the raindrops increase—now they are the size of eyeballs. The protective gear keeps me dry enough, but I feel the power of the water through the fabric, and the sheer amount of rain is blinding. “This way.” I point ahead. “Higher ground, and it’s rock. Maybe we can find a cave.”
We scramble up the hill for what seems like forever, as the visibility worsens. “Faster,” urges Khrys.
I’m still out of breath from our run, and my energy flags. It’s all I can do to drag myself up the next part of the slope by grabbing a thick root and pulling, inch by excruciating inch.
“You got it.” Khrys grabs my hand to help.
Then the hail starts. At first, the individual crystals are tiny and thin like paper. Within seconds, they’ve grown bigger than my pinkie nail, each icy shard has sharp claws.
A particularly hard hail punctures my jacket and the skin on my arm, freeing red blood that immediately turns pink with dilution and runs to the ground. “The gear is not holding up! We need safety!” I gasp.
“Veck, this storm will kill us,” mutters Khrys. “I’ve never seen hail like this.” He pulls me to his body and shields my head with his arms, scanning our surroundings. “Come on, I think I see a cave.” He keeps me sheltered under his arm and guides me further up the slope. He was right—after a harrowing few moments, we’re nestled into a cavity in the rocks. The cave goes deep into the cliff and has a thick overhang at the entrance.
“Back here, away from the wind.” He pulls me further back into the cave to the dry dust out of reach of the swirling nightmare outside.
“Whew.” I collapse to the ground, breathing hard. The cave smells like dirt but nothing else; thankfully, we’re the only beings using it for shelter.
“We’re safe from the ice balls.” Khrys points. They’re now the size of my fist with wicked spikes. They slam into the ground and shatter into ice fragments, sometimes piercing an inch or two deep into the soil before breaking apart.
“Stars, this storm is more powerful than most weapons.” Khrys turns to me. “Are you hurt? Take off the jacket, so I can see.” He helps me peel off the garment. “The tunic, too. You’re soaked.”
The circumstances prevent me from any shyness; all I want is to be safe. Still, being half naked in front of him sets erotic images free in my mind. My nipples peak in the cold air, and my cheeks flush.