Fate opened fire from the other side.
The serpents veered into the shots, taking the hits to protect its human form. The laser blasts did nothing to stop the Gorgon. She was on Brune in seconds. One of the serpents bit into Brune’s shoulder, lifted and pitched her into the pool. The Gorgon moved toward the water, no doubt to wade in and finish the job.
Fate lifted the severed head by the horn. “Hey, over here!” she called out.
The Gorgon swung around. Fate edged toward the opening leading back to the portal, but not quick enough. One of the serpents lashed out, corralling her into the middle of the cavern. The Gorgon advanced with frightening speed, forcing Fate into the tunnel on the other side.
She didn’t get far before darkness engulfed her. Digging in her utility belt, she retrieved a sun disc and clicked it on. The metallic disc whirred and darted out into the darkness in front of her, shining its bright beam over the narrow walls. Terror pooled alongside increasing hopelessness. What if the tunnel was a dead end? How could she defend herself within such a narrow space? She struggled to think, but her instincts and training were clouded by fear.
Hisses from behind pushed Fate forward. Adrenalin flooded her system, jolting her body into a high-speed chaotic run that became suddenly harder. The level ground had turned into an incline. The walls closed in, making it difficult to breath. Was she having a claustrophobic reaction or was the air stale?
Either way, she was in trouble. Her legs were growing heavier by the second. She needed oxygen. Grabbing the wall for support, Fate gulped back the acidic tang of fear creeping into her mouth. She needed to get a grip on her raging terror. Her chances of survival were already low, but this panic was definitely going to get her killed.
Fate rounded a corner. The walls opened into a small cave with a high ceiling. Strewn over the ground, were piles of shedded snakeskin. Shuddering, she directed the light of the sun disc over every part of the cave using the remote control, searching for another opening. Her breath stalled in her throat. She was trapped.
Letting the Gorgon’s head fall with a dull squelch, Fate ran to the far wall and put her back to it. “Breathe,” she whispered. She called the sun disc back to hover next to her and turned off the light. Drawing her sword, she waited within the inky black. Not that she was under any delusions of not being seen. She’d watched too many wildlife shows with Eustace to know snakes can detect infrared radiation in the dark, but only within short distances. But by the way she was sweating, she probably looked like one big glow-in-the-dark stick.
Fate gripped the hilt of her sword as the sound of scales slid over the rock. She fought to keep from trembling and held every muscle tight as she could, so as not to give the Gorgon any sound waves or vibrations to follow.
When the dry skins crinkled under the weight of the slithering serpents, Fate stopped breathing, waiting for them to move closer. One of them brushed against her hair. A tongue flicked over her cheek. A rasping hiss sounded near her ear.
Fate turned the sun disc back on, directing the strong beam into the snake’s eyes. It reared back, giving her the room she needed to sweep the blade of her sword. The head dropped and the other five serpents descended upon her, striking from all angles.
Fate lopped off the head of two more before another bit into her armor. A long fang punctured the thick leather. Stabbing pain drove into her bicep. Screaming, she swung her blade down on its neck. The body thrashed, swiping away a serpent ready to strike with mouth agape.
Fate’s courage swelled. There were only two serpents left to go. Adrenaline fired through her veins, thrusting her into a fighting frenzy. Shrieking with rage, she went berserk, hacking at anything that moved. Slicing another head off, she went after the last one. It rose high above her, its hiss more of a horrible wheeze as it swayed back and forth.
There was no reaching it. The bodies of the amputated serpents jerked and writhed, blocking her way. The raw ends were already healing over and growing back. Shaking from the need to kill or be killed, Fate held still, allowing her training to take over. Distraction was her only weapon in that moment. Holding her sword toward the serpent, she swung it to one side. The serpent tensed, watching the tip of her sword while she reached for her laser gun.
Taking aim, she discharged a steady beam into the heart of the Gorgon’s fragile human body. Thin, pale skin turned reddish black. A fleshy hole widened in the chest. Fate didn’t stop until she burned straight through. The severed serpents buckled out from under the Gorgon, dropping her to the ground. Her ear-piercing screech filled the cave. The last serpent descended on Fate. Ducking low, she swung round and hewed the head clean off. The body flopped until Fate lost patience and stabbed it again.
Out of breath, Fate stumbled against the wall and leaned on it for support. A terrible fatigue was setting in. Her body begged to sit down, but she wasn’t about to rest there. Picking up the Gorgon’s head, she staggered back through the tunnel. When she emerged into the chamber, she found Brune lying face down on the rocks with her legs floating in the water.
Fate ran over and touched her face. Her skin was ice-cold. “Brune?”
Brune moaned something.
“Come on, let’s get you back to the sanctuary.” Fate grabbed Brune under the arms and dragged her fully out of the water. Even with the cybernetically enhanced strength built into her armor, the effort winded her.
“You have to leave me,” Brune groaned.
Fate struggled to catch her breath. “No way. I’m not leaving you here.”
“I’m contaminated.”
“I’d hardly call getting wet, being contaminated,” Fate argued.
“There’s something in the water. It got into the bite. I can feel it.”
Fate waved her off dismissively and then dropped her arm in exhaustion. “We’ll fix it. But first we need to get you out of here.”
Brune rose shakily to a sitting position. Dark green veins bulged from her neck and were spreading over her jaw.
“Ew…uh you look a little…under the weather” Fate squinted at the infected area. She struggled to her feet and held her hand out to Brune. “Come on. Farouk will patch you up.”
Brune looked at her. “I can’t go with you.”
Fate teetered in place. “You can, and you will.”
Brune’s chin quivered as her eyes filled with tears. “No, I deserve this.”
Fate bent at the waist, leaning her hands on her knees. The mere act of holding her head upright was tiring. “Despite being constantly annoyed by your overblown superiority complex and complete lack of people skills, even you don’t deserve to be left behind in a hellhole like this. So don’t make me have to drag you and this two-hundred-pound head out of here. Because I will. But it’s got to happen now. I’m fading fast. I’ve got a fang stuck in my arm and I think it might be killing me. I say that because I’m not feeling all that great at the moment.”
“Really?” Brune gave her the frown Fate had grown accustomed to seeing. “Are you saying I can’t sacrifice myself for the good of all, because you need saving?”
Brune’s face dimmed and blurred. Fate rubbed her eyes, but her vision only got darker. “That’s not what I meant, but that may be an option we can…” She trailed off. Her tongue suddenly felt thick and her words slurred as she tipped over and blacked out.
36
This Beast Has No Manners
THE LUSH GREEN OF the meadow melted away into shapeless gray hues before rearranging into the rise and fall of the rolling desert plains. Finn squinted against the glare of the sun bouncing off white sand. Sithias had used the Words of Making to put them on the very edge of the Mirajaran Desert, but from where they stood, there was no way to tell where the Mirajaran began or ended. The waves of sand stretching past the horizon looked the same in every direction.
Heat radiated off the ground in waves. There wasn’t even the slightest breeze to make it a little more bearable. Finn could already feel his energy being sapped by the extre
me heat and was tempted to invoke Air to call a gentle wind, but he knew it was best not to tamper with the elements for the sake of comfort.
Finn turned to Sithias, who was well shaded beneath a straw, pointed hat with a round brim the size of an umbrella. He looked like a Mexican wizard. All that was missing were the colorful patterns woven into the weave and dingle balls for trim. “I think some major sunblock is in order,” Finn suggested. “The burning’s already beginning.”
“You’re eyeing my hat, are you?” Sithias bounced in place, making the overly wide brim of his hat flop. “A stroke of genius really. I’m amazed at how comfortable I am under this manmade shade I’ve designed.” He pulled at the string under his chin. “Although this chin strap could use a little adjusting.”
Finn didn’t bother to tell him his invention had already been designed centuries ago. He wiped at the sweat beading on his upper lip. “That’s because you’ve got the constitution of a snake. You need the heat.”
“Not when I’m in human form.”
“Fine then,” Finn gave in, “I’ll take one of your sombreros.”
While Sithias went about producing another hat, Finn shielded his eyes with his hand and glanced around for the Lhiannan Shee, turning a full 360 degrees before he gave up.
“I assume you’re expecting our guide at any moment.” Sithias handed Finn the huge hat.
Finn placed the hat on his head, feeling instant relief from the blazing sun. “Aye, I was expecting her–I mean him–to be waiting for us when we got here.”
“Are you going to let me in on who this mysterious guide isss?”
“Uh…someone I met in Asgar–a good piece of luck finding him too. This fellow’s familiar with the Mirajaran. He’ll get us where we need to go.”
Sithias narrowed his clouded eyes and stared at him. “You look nervous. Are you certain we can trust this man?”
Finn was about to continue his lie by assuring Sithias they were in good hands, when he spotted a distant caravan of camels rise over a swell and pointed over Sithias’s shoulder. “There he is.”
“Shall we let your guide in on my disguise, or should I stay in character?” Sithias asked as they started walking in the direction of the camels.
“It’s probably best he thinks you’re Asclepius. We wouldn’t want him slipping up in front of the Djinn.” Not that it actually made a difference. The Lhiannan Shee already knew Sithias was a shapeshifting snake. But Sithias didn’t need to know that.
“Excellent. Asclepius lives.” Sithias slowed his pace and leaned heavily on his staff like the old man he was pretending to be.
The single file formation of camels drew to a halt in front of them. Three of the camels were for riders and the other three carried provisions. The rider was dressed in layers of fabric and wore a red turban. His face was covered with only the eyes showing. Had it not been for the two empty saddles, Finn might have worried this was a desert nomad they’d run into. He couldn’t help being impressed by the Lhiannan Shee’s authenticity and preparedness.
“Your ships of the desert have arrived,” the guide announced.
Confused, Finn frowned. Why did his guide sound female? What kind of game was she playing now? “Who are you? I was expecting–”
“My brother, Hakim?” She removed the veil from across her face, revealing a dark-skinned beauty with raven hair and eyes the color of olives. She smiled seductively. “He couldn’t make it, so he sent me in his place. You may call me Alya.”
“Alya, this isn’t going to work. You need to send for your brother,” Finn argued.
“It works for me,” Sithias said, his stoop suddenly gone. “Allow me to introduce myself, Alya. I am Sith–” He cleared his throat. “Asclepius, healer and physician, at your ssservice.”
Her gaze shifted to him as she bent her head in greeting. “I have heard of you.” Her eyes widened, as if in awe. “Is it true you can raise the dead?”
Sithias looked stumped. “I can,” he answered carefully, “as long as it doesn’t interfere with the natural order of things.”
“I would think any such resurrection would be a disruption.”
Sithias opened his mouth to speak, but Finn cut in. “Where is Hakim? He said he would be here. He knows where to find the Djinn.”
“As do I.” Her gaze burned with defiance.
He could see she wasn’t going to back down. “So this is how it is.”
“If you’re that dissatisfied, I can turn around and go home.”
“No, it’s too late for that. We’ll just have to make do,” Finn grumbled as he stormed over to one of camels.
The Lhiannan Shee held up her hand. “I wouldn’t do that if–”
The camel jerked its head toward Finn, growling with its mouth open. Foamed spittle sprayed from its gurgling throat. Finn stopped in his tracks, not because he was startled; the beast smelled like slimy compost.
“Walking up to a camel that way only disturbs it,” she admonished him. “You must approach in a non-threatening manner. And don’t look it in the eye.”
“I don’t care about its bloody feelings. I’m more concerned about the assault to my senses.” Finn covered his nose as he eyed the grumpy, spitting camel.
“I apologize for my apprentice,” Sithias said, playing the blind man by using his staff to step in next to Finn. “We’re grateful to have you and your camels–” He slapped his hand over his nose. “Oh! What is that smell? Is that coming from these beasts? It’s horrible. No offense to our gracious host.”
She bowed her head slightly. “None taken. After a time, you’ll grow accustomed to their odor and it won’t be as bothersome.”
“I’d rather fly than sit on that walking flea carpet of smelly mystery stains,” Sithias whispered to Finn.
“Had the same thought,” Finn agreed, “but we’d fry to a crisp under this sun, and we certainly can’t walk. It’s too bad driving an air-conditioned jeep is out of the question, or I’d have you write one up.”
“Sounds interesssting. What’s a jeep?” Sithias asked.
“Never mind. We’d end up spinning the wheels and digging ourselves in anyway.”
Sithias waved his hand in front of his face. “The camels it is then. How long do you think it’ll take before we can’t smell them anymore?”
Finn sighed in resignation. “Probably longer than it takes to get where we’re going.”
•
After traveling most of the day, the stink of camels became the least of their problems. Camel riding proved to be more than a little uncomfortable. It was downright unpleasant. Although, Finn appeared to be fairing better than Sithias.
Sithias had gotten off to a rocky start with his camel. Upon mounting the animal, he’d proceeded to fall onto the camel’s neck when it rose to its feet, hind first. Something the camel had not appreciated. The two never got along after that. His camel moaned and growled for hours, and even tried to run off with him.
Worse yet, the Lhiannan Shee had been willing to let him ride off into the horizon. She wanted Finn to herself. The only reason she finally chased after Sithias was because Finn had threatened to break his agreement with her. It’s not that he’d been worried about Sithias exactly, since he would eventually have found his way back, either by sprouting wings or using the Words of Making. Finn’s main concern had been with showing the Lhiannan Shee he was the one in charge.
For the moment, all was calm. The endless, undulating waves of sand against the clear blue sky had a soothing effect on Finn’s mind. He could let go and allow his thoughts to travel where they might, and Fate was where they went. He imagined her sitting behind him with her head resting on his back and her arms around his waist. At times, when he was completely in the moment, all was right with the world.
“My tailbone’s throbbing,” Sithias moaned. “This animal and its herky-jerky gait will be the end of me. I’m being thrown about this saddle with each ungainly step. My thighs are chafed and my tush is turning into one big bru
ise!”
Finn turned in his seat to have a look at him. Sithias was clenching the wooden horn of the saddle for dear life, his legs clamped tightly as he sat atop the camel stiff as a board. “Aye, it’s no picnic on this thing, but you need to loosen up. Let your body sway with the movements. You’ll find it easier than staying rigid in your seat.”
Sithias hunched forward with his wrinkled face pinched into a miserable frown. “I tried to give this beast of burden the respect it’s due. I was a caribou once. Remember? I carried you and Gerdie through a snowstorm.”
“Aye, I remember.”
“But I can’t do it. This beast has no manners.”
The camel turned its head and growled, its lips flapping and spewing spittle into the air.
Sithias shielded his face. “See? It’s doing that on purpose!”
Finn squelched the urge to laugh. “It does seem to dislike you. Maybe you should try some of your healing powers on it.”
“What I’d like to do is show it there’s a deadly snake on his back.” He kept his voice low so ‘Alya’ didn’t hear him.
“You’re overstating the deadly part, but it’s possible the camel senses a reptile on his back.”
Sithias gave him a dismissive wave. “I’d never credit this creature with that much intelligence.”
The camel bleated, as if to argue the point.
“We’re nearing Djinn territory,” the Lhiannan Shee announced as she brought the caravan to a stop. She turned to look at them. “I suggest we make camp here. If we get any closer, we’ll be susceptible to the illusions that plague this land.”
“Oh thank the gods!” Sithias exclaimed. “Get me off this thing!”
The camels were unpacked and the tents were pitched within minutes, thanks to Sithias and his Words of Making. He limped over to his tent and whipped the flap aside. “I’ll be taking a moment to gather myself together before we summon the Djinn. I have some ointments that need to go on places best kept private.” With that, he disappeared into his tent.
The Lhiannan Shee sidled up next to Finn. “Alone at last. If I had to listen to another wailing complaint from him, I’d go insane.”
Fate's Keep (Fate's Journey Book 2) Page 27
