“Yes, of course, it is,” Kerina murmured softly. “Family is a powerful thing, even when you don’t have it. It’s far more powerful when you do.” She suddenly stopped. “Did you hear that?”
Gabriel paused, listening. The grasslands within the vast caves had given way to taller trees and dense undergrowth. Something flickered at the corner of his eye. Short and hairy, it darted out from behind the trees, before vanishing behind a thick bush. The air suddenly seemed thick, heavy with the scent of a male in heat.
Gabriel ground his teeth.
Kurupi…
Chapter 14
“What was that?” Kerina asked, unable to hide the quiver in her voice.
The bushes rustled again. Gabriel put his arm in front of Kerina, as though protecting her, moving her body behind his own. He turned his head to whisper, “Kurupi.”
“What does it want?”
Gabriel’s face paled, and he shook his head. “We need to get out of here. Fast.”
He turned, moving his arm around her back, and started to run, propelling her forward. But they didn’t make it farther than a couple yards before a short, hairy, grotesque creature pounced in front of them.
Kerina recoiled as his most prominent, most disturbing feature came into her view. This small creature was not small in all ways. It took a moment for Kerina to process what she was seeing. A fleshy tube wrapped several times around his waist like a belt, but it wasn’t until she reached the end that she understood what she was looking at.
The creature’s penis.
Gabriel jumped in front of her, blocking the creature’s path to Kerina, and brandished his spear. Kerina could just barely see around the side of Gabriel’s shoulder, but she wished she hadn’t looked. Kurupi’s penis-tail was unwinding from its waist, moving like one of Medusa’s snakes, heading toward them.
Gabriel stabbed and slashed with his spear, but missed. Kurupi’s penis wrapped around the spear handle and yanked hard, then released, sending the spear soaring across the cave.
Kerina needed to do something. But what? She didn’t have an herb for short hairy creatures that could violate a person from across a cave. A glance around revealed some loose rocks, and she bent down to grab one as Kurupi’s penis-tail floated toward Gabriel.
She hurled the stone at the vile creature’s head. When the rock made contact, Kurupi let out a disturbing squeal. It darted toward her, but Gabriel shoved her out of the way. Her shoulder slammed against the cave wall, sending a shuddering ache down her arm. She quickly pulled herself together and grabbed another stone. The creature had wrapped its penis-tail around Gabriel’s waist the way one might expect from a monstrous kraken. Katrina rocketed more stones at Kurupi, pelting it in its body and face until it released Gabriel.
He sprinted for his spear, but before he could make it back, Kurupi had set its sights on Kerina. She held a rock in each hand out in front of her, unsure of what she would be able to do against such a creature if it got any closer. Because of the length of its penis-tail, it was able to get closer to her while its body remained at a distance, making it harder for her to fight back.
Gabriel was creeping up behind the creature, spear drawn back and ready to attack, but Kerina feared he wouldn’t be able to act quickly enough. Kurupi’s grotesque organ was hovering closer, and if Gabriel moved any faster, he’d likely draw attention to himself before he could impale the creature.
Behind Kurupi, Gabriel nodded sharply toward the creature with wide eyes, as though wanting Kerina to do something. But she didn’t know what. All she could do was stare back at him, apologetically shaking her head.
Finally, Gabriel charged, sinking his spear into the creature’s back. Kurupi squealed like some sort of demon hog, its penis-tail thrashing around as Gabriel ran to Kerina’s side.
“Okay, now,” he said.
Kerina looked from the creature to Gabriel, her eyebrow pulling together. “Now what?”
“Now use your magic.” He waved his hand frantically at the creature. “Hurry! A spear’s not going to be enough to kill it!”
She froze. Her eyes went wide, and she shook her head. “I...I don’t have an herb for that.”
He grabbed her pouch from her side and held it out to her. “Of course you do. You turned man into a creature of the sea. Turn this creature into a fish or something.”
Kerina shook her head again. “I can’t.”
Gabriel raked his hand through his hair. “Of course you can! What do you mean you can’t? You’ve done it before!”
By this point, Kurupi had wrapped its penis-tail around the spear and was removing the weapon from its back. It tossed the spear aside and set its sights on them.
Time was running out.
Kurupi’s penis-tail hovered toward them, and Kerina grabbed Gabriel’s hand and began to run. It was their only hope.
But before they got very far, Kurupi’s organ wrapped around both of their bodies, pinning them back to back.
Kerina tried to pry herself free, but it was no use.
Gabriel reached behind him to grab her hand.
“Please, Kerina,” he said. “Try to remember what you did when the world ended the first time. Focus on that, and do it again now.”
Tears stung Kerina’s eyes. Her throat tightened up. “That wasn’t me,” she said, even her whispered voice strained. “That was Anja.”
Gabriel released her hand. His eyebrows pulled together, and his mouth contorted a few times before he finally spoke. “I don’t understand. What are you saying?”
Kerina swallowed, but it did not relieve the pinch in her throat. “Gabriel, I’m so sorry. I don’t have magic. I’m not a mage.”
She’d wanted to tell him. Deep down, she knew eventually she would. But she hadn’t planned for it to be like this. Not while in the grips of some monstrous creature.
There was no indication of forgiveness. Not in Gabriel’s words, not in his expression. His attention had turned elsewhere.
Looking for some other way to save them, she guessed. He couldn’t count on her. He never could, but he would just be realizing that now.
The creature was already on the move, carrying Kerina and Gabriel in its clutches. With its short legs, Kurupi’s run was more like an absurdly fast hobble. But they were still moving quickly, and a sickening feeling roiled in Kerina’s stomach.
“What do we do now?” she asked Gabriel, her voice small.
“We?” he asked. He shook his head, his hands still trying to push Kurupi off them. He grunted from the effort before cutting his gaze to her again. “Why, Kerina? Why did you lie to me?”
Having his body pressed to hers normally would have excited her, at least over these last few days, but right now, all she wanted to do was shrink away. There was nowhere to go, though, and she had to face her lie head on.
Her voice shaking in part from Kurupi’s fast hobble and in part from an effort to hold back her tears, she said, “I was scared. Scared for what would happen to me if I stayed. Scared for what would happen to the world if you didn’t attempt this mission.”
She tried to wriggle free of Kurupi’s hold, but it didn’t work. She couldn’t be sure with her vision bobbling in the grasp of the sprinting Kurupi, but she thought maybe Gabriel’s expression softened just a little bit.
“It doesn’t matter much right now,” he said. “Right now, we need to get out of this situation. If we don’t—”
Kerina waited for him to finish the thought, but he just looked away. Looked everywhere but at her.
Still, the words came tumbling out of her mouth. “What happens if we don’t?”
Gabriel’s face paled. “It’ll be worse for you than me,” he said, eying Kurupi’s penis-tail. “Kurupi is only interested in women.”
As a nauseated feeling swept through her, Gabriel added, “But we will get out of this. We got out of everything else, didn’t we?”
He sounded about as confident as Kerina felt, which was to say, not at all. She offered him
an unconfident smile, though it felt more like a frown on her lips.
Kurupi was a lecherous creature, and Kerina already felt violated just being in its grasp. There had to be a way out. Some herb that would do something. In her mind, she went through the list of what was in her pouch, but nothing seemed like a good fit.
Until she remembered the thin man back at Anja’s apothecary.
She’d mixed two herbs then to create a small explosion. With Kurupi, she’s been so focused on how to defeat it, that she hadn’t considered that all they really needed to do was escape.
“I might have an idea,” she said finally, “but I’m going to need your help. And it’s going to hurt.”
At Gabriel’s silence, she added, “I can create a small explosion, using herbs. It might not be magic, but it will hurt Kurupi enough to let us go.”
“Then what are you waiting for?”
“Our best shot is to hit him where it’s going to hurt the worst, and the closest to where his grip on us is.” When Gabriel didn’t interrupt, she added, “That means the blast is going to hurt us, too.”
“Not as badly as Kurupi will hurt you,” Gabriel said. “Do it, and I will make sure to get us both somewhere safe to treat out injuries.”
Kerina wondered if that was true. Why would Gabriel want to help her now? After she had lied to him? What if he didn’t help her once Kurupi dropped them?
But it didn’t much matter in the end. Perhaps Kerina was just destined to die. That didn’t mean she shouldn’t save Gabriel; shouldn’t help him save the earth and his people and every innocent out there.
“I can’t reach my pouch,” she said. “My arms are too short from this angle.”
Gabriel nodded, leaning to the side so he could reach his arm straight behind him, toward Kerina’s hips. She could feel as his fingertips skimmed against the pouch, but he didn’t grab it.
His gaze locked with hers, and he shook his head slowly. Shit. He couldn’t reach it.
She wriggled, trying to turn her hip toward him. But there wasn’t any room with Kurupi’s tight grip. Moving quickly, she sank down and turned at the same time. The smaller width of her waist compared to her hips gave her just enough room to shimmy her hip forward. Then she pushed back up, before Kurupi could tighten its grip.
This time, Gabriel snatched the bag. “What am I looking for?”
“It’s blue floral grass and golden dime flower,” Kerina said. “They are the only two herbs in there that are in small tubes. They are tinctures—liquids.”
He dug through the pouch, spilling some herbs in the process. Kerina winced. They might have needed those later. “Toss the pouch to me. Carefully. I’ll find it faster.”
“What if you drop it?”
He’d never questioned her ability before. But she supposed she deserved it.
“I won’t drop it, Gabriel. Please, just toss the pouch to me.”
Gabriel seemed to be considering it, but before he made up his mind, Kurupi took a sharp turn in the tunnels. Kerina’s head made a sickening crack against the stone wall. Her vision and consciousness snapped to black.
Chapter 15
“Kerina!”
She did not answer.
Gabriel twisted around as far as he could. His back muscles strained from the effort, but all he could see was Kerina’s head lolling. The flickering luminescence in the caves turned the crimson blood leaking from the cut on her forehead a deep, ominous black.
He shoved against Kerina to wake her, but she did not move. His mind tangled in curses. What now? Without her magic—
But she doesn’t have magic. She never did.
He gritted his teeth against the endless cacophony of “Liar” pounding through his skull.
If she had told him the truth, he would never have dragged her into such danger. It was insane—utterly, completely insane. He would never have expected her to take on Tua and his monstrous children. Not only was she human, with no obligation to save any siren, but she was not even a mage. She had no power, no magic. What the hell was she thinking throwing herself into a plan so audacious, so suicidal that any mage—a real mage, with real power—would have hesitated.
The fear knotted in his chest flared into anger. Had she really thought that he would have meekly turned around and returned to his clan to quietly await death if she hadn’t come with him? That he wouldn’t have found a way for his clan to fight on, to survive?
Had she really thought so little of him?
Kurupi’s ungainly gait staggered to a halt. The prehensile organ unwound and flung Gabriel against the cave wall before dropping Kerina to the ground. Gabriel closed his fist around the mouth of Kerina’s pouch to keep the herbs and tinctures safe, but could not bring his arms up in time to break his fall. His shoulder smashed against rock and he groaned as he crumpled to his knees.
He had to do something.
Anything.
The injury hampered his movements and his fingers felt clumsy as he searched through her pouch and uncorked the tinctures. What was he supposed to do? Pour one into the other? Would it explode immediately?
His gaze snapped up, searching the dim recesses of the cavern. Kerina lay unmoving where Kurupi had dropped her. The monster, slobber dripping from his gaping mouth, raked his gaze over her. His long penis coiled and straightened repeatedly, like a snake preparing to strike.
Gabriel’s grip tightened on the two vials. Now or never.
Even if he didn’t know what the hell he was doing.
He sprinted toward Kurupi and hurled his weight at Tua’s cursed son. They both went down, tumbling away from Kerina. The monster flailed, his arms swinging out. His prehensile penis looped around Gabriel’s neck, tightening like a noose. Sneering, Kurupi drew Gabriel close, so close Gabriel could smell the monster’s foul breath.
Gabriel spared a glance over his shoulder. Kerina was ten feet away. Surely that had to be a safe enough distance.
He flicked the corks off both vials and poured the contents on Kurupi’s penis in the tiny space between their faces.
Kerina had said the mixture would explode.
Gabriel had braced for a deafening sound, for a blinding flash of light.
He got both.
What he hadn’t expected was the scalding heat burning his hands. A scream tore out of Gabriel’s throat, but the sound was drowned out by Kurupi’s anguish. The monster’s wail ripped through the cavern, rolling into escalating echoes until it seemed as the sound bounced off every wall, every limestone pillar, every stone.
The grip around Gabriel’s neck loosened. The stink of Kurupi’s hairy body vanished. Gabriel swallowed a curse as he turned, fumbling toward where he thought Kerina lay. His vision was a blur of shadows set against jolting yellow waves, and his hands…
He couldn’t feel his hands.
“Kerina…” He staggered forward. “Damn it, please say something. Kerina. I can’t find you. I can’t…”
Can’t see...Can’t fight...Can’t—
A low groan.
He turned toward the sound. “Kerina?”
“Gabriel?” Motion rustled toward him. “Oh, my...what did you do to your hands?” Her voice rose into a screech of panic.
“The tinctures. I didn’t know what to do. I just—”
A pause, then, “He’s gone. Kurupi’s gone.”
“I don’t know for how long. We have to get out—”
“I have to treat your hands first. Stop the bleeding. Stop any infection. Then…” Kerina’s voice wobbled. “I’ll get you out, Gabriel. I promise. I’ll get you back to the ocean.”
The ocean?
No. He could not go back. He had to go forward. He had to reach Tua. Find the Legacy Stone. Restore it to its sacred place. He had to—
Do what? Bitterness raked him, its claws sinking deep into his heart. What could he do? He couldn’t see. Sensation was returning to his hands, but he would almost have preferred feeling nothing, especially when the alternative was raw agony.
>
If Kerina were a mage, a real mage, they would have defeated Kurupi. They would not be where they were now...so close to reaching Tua yet with no possible way of moving forward. She had no magical powers, and without his vision, without his hands, he could not fight.
He could not protect her.
Gabriel shakily exhaled through the sudden weight pressing against his chest. Protect her?
Protecting Kerina had gotten him into this fix in the first place.
Fury and fear warred for dominance, the emotions so strong they silenced him. The words would not come. His tongue felt heavy and dry in his mouth. He knew that if he gave voice to the conflicting feelings in his heart, it would change everything between him and Kerina.
Too late. The truth was bitter. Her lie has already changed everything between us.
Kerina smoothed a balm against the palm of his hands. A cool, tingling feeling chased most of the pain away. Magic, he would have thought, but now he knew better.
There was nothing magical about her.
His brow furrowed at the sudden image of her walking forward, a date on the palm of her extended hand, utterly fearless as she offered it to the massive dog-monster Teju Jagua.
No magic.
The memory of her rushing toward the feathered serpent Mbói Tu’i and flinging powder into its face.
No magic.
She had leapt onto Ao Ao’s back and covered its nostrils with a drug-infused cloth, driving the flesh-eating sheep-monster into slumber.
No magic there either.
Just… His throat tightened. Just courage.
His stomach churned into knots. She could have died. On the wild seas. On every segment of the deadly journey toward Tua. Without magic, she could have died...or worse.
“How do your hands feel?” Kerina’s voice, oddly subdued, drew Gabriel back into the present.
Mage’s Legacy: Cursed Seas Page 13
