Page 83 of From Frost to Flame

“I told you snakes were dangerous,” Julian hissed, holding tight to Mora.

“It’s possessed,” Mora quipped. “That’s different.”

The floor and stone columns vibrated again as the snake whisked down the hall toward their voices. Within seconds, the snake’s head rose from behind the shelf. It swayed from side to side as if deciding the fastest way to swallow them whole. Its jaws stretched open wide, and black fangs dripping inky venom flicked out from the roof of its mouth. Its deafening hiss shook the walls as it lunged for them.

Mora teleported them to another narrow aisle of books on the same floor. From between the aisles they could see the dark blue bridge glinting in the moonlight just up ahead.

“Fuck,” Julian cursed as he hit his head against the bookshelf.

Lex covered Julian’s mouth and shook his head. “Quiet,” he whispered. “I think that thing is tracking us by sound.”

The three of them sat in complete silence, not daring to even move.

Sure enough, the vibrations of the floor stopped, and an irritated hiss shook the bookshelves. The snake angrily smashed shelves with its tail, trying to stir them out of hiding.

Lex took his hand off Julian’s mouth and pointed in the direction of the bridge. He mimed that they needed to run to the other side to get to Silas and Castor.

Once they understood, the trio tiptoed to the edge of the aisle, their hands tightly laced, and spotted the snake slithering over the toppled shelves, searching for its prey. Lex held up three fingers and mouthed, “On three.”

He counted silently. One. Two. Three.

Julian’s winds shot across the library and sent bookshelves toppling over with a loud crash. The snake raced toward the commotion, and they darted for their escape. The sound of smashing columns and crashing books rang out behind them.

Lex’s ankle throbbed as he limped to the crystal bridge. It glowed under the light of the moon. He let go of Julian’s hand so he didn’t slow them down. The other side of the library was within reach.

Lex listened for the sound of the snake, but it had gone quiet.

Something isn’t right. Where is that thing?

All at once, the snake’s head slithered up from the underside of the bridge.

It pulled its scaly body up so it blocked the entire other side from view. Its eerie rattle echoed through the library, warning of their death as its fanned hood cast them in shadow. It had caught its dinner.

“I can’t teleport anymore,” Mora whispered.

“I’ve got one more in me, but we won’t be going very far,” Julian said, stepping back. “Lex, give me your hand.”

Lex looked at his family. Even if they teleported together, he’d slow them down. His ankle radiated with pain and his shoulder was sore, making it hard to lift his arm. Julian moved to grab him.

Lex did the only thing he could think of to keep his family safe. He shoved them off the edge of the bridge. Mora screamed, but in a bang, just before they crashed into the invisible barrier, Julian teleported her onto the bridge behind the snake just like Lex predicted he would. Julian and Mora saved each other every time.

“You absolute idiot!” Julian yelled from the other side of the bridge.

The snake kept eyes locked on Lex. It sensed he was the weakest one of them and ignored Julian’s cries.

“Run! Just run!” Lex called, turning on his heels.

The snake shot after him.

A hiss filled his ears and, moments later, fangs raked over his back. His muscles burned and tightened as venom spread through his bloodstream. He crashed forward onto the bricks and his body shook uncontrollably. His jaw locked, and the world blurred. The snake’s mouth opened over him.

I need to move. I can’t leave Silas behind. I have to move.

He squeezed his eyes shut and forced himself to crawl forward on shaking arms. The wet mouth of the snake lowered over his legs. A saliva-coated forked tongue licked over his back. He was going to be swallowed.

Then, there was a growl like rolling thunder. The wet mouth of the snake vanished.

He looked back to see a twenty-foot-tall beast with pitch-black eyes and fur. His back had six oily, rope-like tentacles wrapping around the snake’s thrashing body, holding it in place as he bit down into its neck. A rip rang out through the library as the beast tore a hunk of flesh from the snake’s neck. The snake screeched, writhed in pain, and shook its rattle in an attempt to scare the predator away, but it was useless. The Death Walker wolf lunged forward for another bite. This time, it leisurely chewed and swallowed.

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