Page 115 of Of Spindles and Nightfall
A low, animalistic growl came from behind them.
Monsters were coming.
“Run!” Aryana hissed, and they raced forward, moving together around corners. Aryana slowed her speed to stay with Neri. She needed to reach Zarathos, but she also didn’t want to leave her behind. They sped around a corner and up a short incline.
With one wrong turn, they hit a dead end.
“Shit,” Jesir breathed, his eyes wide with fear. He held in his hands the spear Aryana had retrieved for him in the first trial. The champion he served must have felt confident without it and probably thought it would be entertaining to give the imp some fighting chance.
And then the creature came into view. A huge lion head was the first to greet them. His back had a large goat’s head attached, and a hissing snake’s tail swayed behind it. A chimera. It was a deadly, violent creature. It prowled through the shadows, its massive lion’s head snarling with malevolent intent, a torn piece of cloth clenched tightly in its jaws. The ragged scrap of fabric fluttered like a flag of warning. Fabric from Aryana’s dress the night of the last banquet.
She trembled. They’d given it her scent.
“Why does it have your dress?” Neri asked.
“It has scented her. It will hunt her till she’s dead.” Jesir looked at Aryana with dread in his eyes.
And Aryana was weaponless. Completely vulnerable.
Suddenly Neri turned to her. “Sorry, friend. You had to know this was coming.” And she lashed out with the small knife Aryana had given her before the last trial. Aryana staggered backward. But the harm was done. A line of crimson red bloomed out along hercollarbone, onto Zarathos’s too big armor. Neri lunged, shoving Aryana down the slope toward the chimera’s gaping jaws.
Chapter 37
Aryana
The beast leaned over her. Aryana didn’t dare move. Any second the chimera would rip her to shreds, slake its lust for her flesh.
Its nose pressed over her, and hot breath blasted her skin. Its sharp teeth parted, a long slender tongue whipped out like a thin velvety piece of ribbon.
It tasted her blood.
She was helpless. Fighting would only kill her faster. She trembled under its piercing gaze.
It pulled back with a growl, looking around,sniffing the air, searching.
For what? Aryana was rightthere.
“Watch out!” Jesir raced toward her and stabbed the beast in the side with his spear.
Aryana’s eyes widened. “No, Jesir!”
The chimera was a single-minded hunter.
Unless provoked by an outside threat.
It was too late. The creature snarled and turned on Jesir. He stumbled, jerking the spear out, dripping with chimera blood. In seconds, the monster was on top of him, his screams marking his end.
Aryana’s heart pounded. No, no! But why? Why had it taken him and not her? Tears stung her eyes. Jesir had given an offering she could never repay.
And Neri.
The monster leaped off of Jesir’s shredded corpse, stalking toward Neri. She recoiled, terror slicing across her face.
Why her? Aryana searched the human woman’s clothes, but then saw the knife Aryana had given her returned to its sheath.
Thatwas drawing the chimera, and not Aryana herself? “Neri, the dagger, take it off. Throw it away!”
The woman nodded, her fingers fumbling with the sheath. She got it off and cocked her arm to throw. The chimera didn’t wait. It lunged and Neri ran, flinging the blade away from her, racing around the chimera and darting back into the maze. But the scent of the knife was on her and the beast pursued. From the sounds of it she didn’t make it far as her screams and death cries filled the arena. Her demise added to Jesir’s across this morbid killing field.
