Page 33 of Queen of the Wicked (Afterlife #1)
Erebos took the map from Eryx’s free hand. “It’s where we were headed.”
“We can’t stray from the route,” Izara protested. “We’ll never find our way back.”
The slithering intensified, shaking the walls and causing debris to drift from the ceiling. Alessia covered her mouth and nose with her arm, eyes watering amid the dust particles. “If we keep standing here, we’re dead people walking,” she said in a muffled voice. “We need to move.”
“She’s right,” Erebos agreed. “There’s no telling what?—”
Suddenly, the source of the slithering revealed itself, bursting through the stone partition in front of them before they could brace themselves.
Rocks and stones spewed in every direction, and what emerged was a creature straight out of Alessia’s nightmares.
A hulking serpent on legs towered to the arched ceilings of the cave, showcasing sharp rows of teeth and a tongue dripping with the same goo Eryx sported on his boot. It was the length of a football field, with a sweeping tail covered in black scales sharp enough to cut glass.
Alessia craned her neck to view the entirety of its body, stricken with fear before Eryx shouted, “ALESSIA, MOVE!”
Adrenaline replaced her fear as she rolled to the right of the cave, where a rock had been seconds from smothering her.
Izara called upon her power, like the absolute badass she was, flinging balls of fire at the creature, which was a mix of serpent and lizard with glowing green eyes.
The snake hissed, but Alessia didn’t think it was because the Godzilla-like creature was hurt.
It was more of an annoyance before it shot out green venom into the soul seeker’s path, its acidicness sizzling against the stone.
For whatever reason, that shook the sense into Alessia that she needed. She’d be damned if that acid venom made contact with her skin. It’d probably melt through to the bone.
Legs with talons the length of Alessia’s body slammed beside her, rumbling the cave walls. Eryx and Erebos had their swords drawn, swiping wherever they could get an opening before seeking shelter when the venom spewed.
With a deep breath, Alessia called upon the smoke, more than relieved when it responded to her summons immediately, as if sensing the danger swarming her. It coiled around her wrists, waiting for her cue to strike.
Come on, she whispered. Focus.
Attempting to ignore the thrashing creature, she sent tendrils along its torso, snaking around the scales until they reached the throat. Her magic seemed repelled by it, forced to remain in the serpent’s proximity. It was as if her powers were at war with herself.
“It’s a python!” Erebos screamed, jabbing his sword into one of its legs. Blood spilled to the stone beneath, encircling him like a target.
“On crack!” Eryx retorted. “Do you see the size of this thing?” He grunted when the python kicked its leg out, barely dodging the blow.
The python released a piercing screech when one of Izara’s fireballs landed their target, directly into its eye.
Taking advantage of the distraction, Alessia sent her tendrils of smoke around its neck, tightening them until she was exhausted.
The creature thrashed beneath her hold, spewing more venom as a last-ditch effort to save itself.
“It’s also an argentinosaurus,” Erebos panted. Beads of sweat trailed down his forehead as he sank his blade into its stomach. “Mutations can happen. I read about them in the texts. You have to be careful of its?—”
He didn’t get to finish his sentence when the mutated beast swept its tail in the blink of an eye.
Everything that followed happened in slow motion.
The sharp edges of its tail slammed directly into Alessia, stripping the breath from her lungs. Pain exploded down her body as she was thrown into the stone wall, hitting her head with a loud thud while losing total power of the hold she had on its neck.
The world blacked out in that moment, followed by another excruciating burst of agony. Her ears rang, overpowering the muffled screaming in the distance.
She needed to get up. She needed to help. But the ground was on the ceiling, and then the ceiling was on the ground. Alessia couldn’t see straight, a kaleidoscope of colors that clouded her judgment.
Stars swam in her peripheral vision, followed by a trickling sensation on her scalp as she tried to regain her bearings.
Izara was in her element, expertly rolling and dodging the venom while throwing fire left and right.
Eryx held his ground, standing poised with his sword, ready to launch another attack, when Erebos abruptly dashed in front of him.
“Erebos, stay back!” Eryx screamed.
The lord didn’t heed the beast or the general’s warning. His only focus seemed to be on her as he narrowly avoided another swipe from its tail and raced to the other side of the tunnel where she lay sprawled on the ground.
Alessia couldn’t comprehend what she saw. Didn’t understand what was happening when her head throbbed so loudly it sounded like a drumline in her mind.
The mutated serpent swung its head, drool dripping from its gaping jowls, when it landed on Erebos running directly in front of it. Green eyes glowed brighter at the prospect of its next meal, and the air was permeated with a rancid, decaying scent that had Alessia’s stomach rolling.
“STAY BACK!” The general’s voice gave out at the same time Alessia understood the gravity of the situation.
Erebos was risking his life for her.
He was racing into the front line of destruction despite every warning Eryx screamed.
And he was seconds from dying.
Hardly able to keep her eyes open, she stared in horror as the beast lifted its talon and aimed right for Erebos’s spine.