Page 73 of Dark Captivation

The mage vanished through the opening and the same terrible munching sound ensued, cloaking the once vibrant library with the ominous feel of impending doom. What hell had my chaos summoned?

Mages ran past Ferina and I, scrambling to find the exit, not giving two shits about capturing us anymore. Although this wasn’t what I was expecting, at least now Ferina and I had a fighting chance to get out of this alive.

Ensuring we stayed as low as possible, we searched for the doors, ignoring the fact that the hand continued dipping inside. It picked off the mages one by one like potato chips in a bag. If we weren’t careful, we might be next.

The redwood double doors came into view, and I took a grateful breath. We stretched closer as a flesh-colored wall blocked the overhead lights. The hand had found us.

Ferina hadn’t seemed to have noticed what was happening. I shoved her toward the door as the hand grasped me in its clammy fingers.

Ferina shouted for the creature to let me go. Her pleas fell on deaf ears as it yanked me through the damaged ceiling into the chilly outside air.

I wasn’t sure what I expected the hand to be attached to, but I hadn’t pictured this.

A balding giant, ten stories high stared me in the eyes. It was naked with a plump round belly and it had two buck teeth sticking out from between its lips. An unnaturally tight smile expanded across it’s some-what human looking face. I say somewhat because no human I’d ever seen looked half this ugly.

“Are you crazy or something? Didn’t your mother teach you how to treat ladies? Now put me down!” I roared, scratching his skin with my nails.

Something shiny glinted at the corner of my eye. A sword was lodged in the giant’s hand, near the wrist. It had been left by one of the mages before he was eaten.

“Wait, you are not like the others. You are the one who summoned me.” His voice was slow, deep and rough as gravel.

“Yes, I’m the one who summoned you. You’re welcome. Now you can thank me by not eating me and putting me down by those rose bushes.” I pointed down at the lush garden. “Please and thank you.”

“Ha! Summoner or not, you’re small just like the rest of them. You are worthless, worth nothing more than the pebbles beneath my feet.” His lips slid open, showing yellow stained teeth.

Resisting the urge to fan away his foul breath I said, “You’re not going to make many friends with that attitude.”

“I don’t need the friendship of puny shifters or mages.” His jaw gaped, his tonsils staring me in the face. I grasped the sword by its handle and worked it loose.

He drew me in closer to his crater sized mouth and I swiped the blade across his upper lip, splitting it into two.

“Ouch!” he cried, stomping his feet in a childlike tantrum. “Why’d you do that?”

“If you don’t like your food spicy, you should have dined elsewhere.” I punctured his thumb with the sword, cutting through the flesh.

“Stop it. That hurts!” His other hand sprang forth. He drew it back as if to swat me like a fly.

My eyes squinted closed, bracing for the heavy blow. Twin swishing sounds followed the crack of what sounded like two hard objects colliding. My eyes broke open.

Malek in demon beast form, daggered his claws into the approaching hand, slicing it like a cut of meat.

The giant sobbed as his hand fell to the ground.

“How dare you capture my bride! Release her now.” His voice was low and teamed with deadly menace.

Malek leapt to my side, taking me by the waist as he was trying to pull me free of the giant's grasp.

“I’ll eat you both for this!” The giant stomped his feet again, bringing Malek and I towards his opened lips.

“Malek, hurry!” I yelled, now inches from his gaping lips.

I saw the back of its throat as we neared its mouth, the giant’s foul breath making me want to gag. Fangs first, Malek jumped for the giant’s neck.

With two determined slashes of his claws, Malek removed a triangle shaped lump of flesh, depriving the beast of his throat and voice box.

Realization struck too late for the beast as his eyes turned all white. Unable to breathe, he released me and began tumbling backward.

I fell several feet before Malek captured me with his arms. Using the giant’s hip as a springboard, Malek jumped us onto the side of the building.

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