Page 37 of Courting the Dragon Prince

ChapterSeventeen

The snail’s thick body undulated as it slid vertically up the cave wall. Glistening mucus followed in its wake. In fact, dried mucus covered the whole wall.

Luther hadn’t noticed.

When they’d entered the tunnel, Luther had been determined to get in, find the key, and get out as quickly as possible. He despised caves, tunnels, and being beneath the cold, hard, unyielding earth. It hadn’t always been that way. But now it made his skin want to crawl off his body. Still, he should have been paying attention to his surroundings.

The snail looked exactly like every single snail Luther had ever seen before, with its bulbous, soft brown body, brownish-red coiled shell, lower tentacles that grazed the wall, and upper tentacles with eyes on top that moved and stretched as they searched.

It looked exactly like a typical snail. Except it was as big as Luther.

“Snail?” Onyx spun around. His whole body tensed as he took in the beast crawling up the cave wall.

Suddenly, it made sense why the two of them had been brought in to deal with the farmers’ snail problem. This wasn’t some normal garden snail. This thing was a bloody monster.

Onyx’s arm snapped out towards a heap of rocks. The earth rumbled.

A shiver shot along Luther’s spine. His teeth snapped together.

A boulder rose from the heap. Onyx flung his arm forward in the direction of the snail. The boulder hurled, striking the snail. The shell crunched and cracked. The snail splattered beneath the force of the boulder.

The crushed, gooey remains of the snail fell to the floor. A putrid stench rose into the air.

“Ew.” Luther gagged. He covered his mouth with his hand.

Onyx’s lips pulled back in disgust. “I agree. Let’s get the fuck out of here.”

Luther nodded. They turned towards the tunnel through which they’d come. They froze.

“Infestation,” Luther whispered.

A snail infestation—that was what the grand monk had called it. And an infestation meant more than one. An infestation meant many. And right now, three snails crawled near the tunnel exit, one directly above it.

“Do you think we could sneak by?” Luther asked. If they ran, they might make it through.

“I don’t want to risk one of those bastards dropping on us.” Onyx stretched out a hand towards the pile. Several rocks rose into the air.

“Are they actually dangerous?” Luther grabbed the torch from the pillar where he’d left it. He held it up so they could see the snails better. And suddenly he wished he hadn’t. Under the flickering torchlight, their wet, pulsing bodies looked even more repulsive. “Or are they just really disgusting?”

One of the snails turned towards them, tentacled eyes bobbing. It opened what appeared to be its mouth. It spat. Fluorescent green goo hurtled towards them.

Luther cried out, and he and Onyx jumped back. Some of the goo landed on the tip of one of Luther’s boots. It sizzled and began to disintegrate before his eyes.

“Shit! They spit acidic slime!” Luther stumbled backwards, dropping the torch. He reached down and undid his melting boot. He tugged it off and hurled it at the snails. It hit one in its stupid beady eye. But although the eye retracted for a moment, the snail didn’t seem at all bothered.

Luther grabbed the torch from the floor.

Another boulder flung at a snail, crushing it. More foul stench filled the cave.

Luther glanced around. “There are four snails now.” Plus the two Onyx had crushed. “How are there more snails? Where are they coming from?”

“There is a hole in the cave floor.” Onyx pointed at a gaping chasm. “They’re climbing up from in there. Who knows how many are down there.”

Onyx lifted another boulder. But just as he hurled it, one of the snails spat acid directly at him. He dodged, and the rock missed its target, crashing against the cave wall, shattering and crumbling into pieces.

Luther’s stomach tightened at the sound. Fear flooded his veins as he fought the memories that threatened to bring him to his knees.

Not now.