“Hey, ugly.” I picked up the bottle with the divine water that was lying on the ground.
The crawler dragon stepped closer, opening its bloodied jaws. I briefly looked at my shoulder seeing a deep, gaping wound. If not for the holy water, my destiny would have been decided, but I did not have time to dwell on it. My right arm dangled beside my hip, useless, too injured to move.
I clenched the bottle with my left hand.
The monster growled, spreading its wings.
Why is it hesitating? Why isn’t it attacking?
I stepped closer and the beast shrieked, moving its head from side to side. If I did not know any better, I would have thought that it was trying to communicate. But that was insane.
My head snapped up when another dragon landed beside it.
What the fuck!
The next moment, a massive wall of flames hit the place where I had just stood. I ran through the field, clenching the bottle that had become my last hope as the fire licked the exposed parts of my skin. With a turn of my head I confirmed that the next flash was coming, and I jumped forward, with everything I had, protecting the bottle in my hand. Landing hard on my wounded arm, I yelped, almost blacking out from the excruciating pain that knew no bounds.
When my eyes opened, I could hardly see through the settling smoke. A few moments later, I realized that bothcreatures were circling me. The dragons did not intend to let me regroup.
How could the mindless beasts possibly strategize against me?
My chances of making it out alive were rapidly shrinking. I needed to act fast. With a grunt, I pushed myself up, but neither of the infected dragons moved closer.
Was it the bottle they were so afraid of? Could they sense what it was?
That was impossible. And yet, when I placed it on the ground, I immediately noticed the change in their behavior.
“You know what it is?” I asked, eyeing the dragon who was the closest to me. “I’m not holding it. Come and get me.”
The monster shook its head, screeching and took a step forward. The other one did the same. I took a quick glance back, returning my gaze to the first dragon, who took another step. For some reason, they did not want to burn me to a crisp, and I was alright with that. One more step, and I dropped to my knees, picking up the bottle and threw it right at the monster’s face. The explosion of liquid and glass coated its head, and for a moment, I thought that it did not work, because the beast just shook its head. But it kept on shaking it, and then it started screeching. Immediately, I rolled to the side as the second dragon snapped its jaws just inches away from me. Since I no longer had the water, it was fully committed to get me.
My vision blurred from the impact of hitting the ground, and pain shot up my shoulder. I clenched my teeth andgrowled, getting on my feet just in time. The crawler dragon was near, but not close enough to strike.
“What are you waiting for?” I snarled.
The monster opened its massive jaws, extending its body toward me. I twisted in the air, grabbing hold of the side of its head and pulled myself onto its back. With one desperate motion, I unsheathed my knife and plunged it into its skull. Pain exploded in my injured arm and I dropped on its back, losing consciousness.
CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
ALINA
My body was shaking as I walked through the cellar, trying to show confidence I did not feel. Grace was carefully covered with a blanket and there was an empty area around her, as if her passing would somehow invite more death into our secluded space.
Some women were holding on to their kids and crying, others wrapped their arms around themselves chanting. One elderly man paced the walkway, his hand gripping a cane.
“What’s happening?” someone asked in a loud whisper.
The sound broke something in the silence.
“Where’s my husband?” another woman added.
“Mama, I’m scared!” a child cried.
“Please. Remain calm. Our defenders know what to do. They have a way of killing the monsters,” I said, trying my best to sound calm.
“What if they find us here?” a loud voice squeaked out.
“Please keep your voice down!” I tried to quell her anxiety.
