Then he saw it—hurtling through the air toward him like a falling tree. He didn’t even have time to scream.
It slammed into his back, knocking him flat and punching the air from his lungs. With a groan, he rolled over and blinked at the smoke-clogged sky.
Get up,he told himself.Get up!
Somehow, his ribs aching, he found his feet. His eyes focused on the tail swishing toward him. It seemed to arc in slow motion, giving him time to study the split of its mouth, the shine of its fangs. No eyes to speak of, but it seemed to know where he was all the same. A tail that couldbite. How delightful.
He swung his sword as the tail came swinging for him. And missed.
The tail caught him across his stomach, slamming him into a brick wall. He coughed, dazed, sucking for breath. When the tail swung away, releasing him, he dropped to his knees. Then his hands. He couldn’t shake the stars from his vision.
“That was…not fair…!” he gasped.
He couldn’t force himself to get up. His entire body trembled, his limbs useless. Fear and pain immobilized him, scattering his thoughts like bulls stampeding through chaff. He couldn’t even pretend anymore that he was brave or strong or anything but small and weak and impossibly outmatched by the horror towering above.
“I… can’t…,” he groaned. “I can’t do it…”
He should have listened to Luc. Should have found shelter and hidden until this was all over.
Then he heard the scream.
His head whipped up, and he spotted her at once, crouched in an alley one block away.
Anaya.
She was trying to free a man trapped under rubble, but the Cryptic had spotted them. It raised its tail high, preparing to bring it crashing down on the girl. Even knowing this, she still tried to free the man, pulling at the bricks piled atop his lower half.
“ANAYA!” Rolan yelled. “RUN!”
Either she didn’t hear him or didn’t want to listen. Either way, Rolanhadto do something.
With a roar, he surged upright, forcing his legs to move, ruthlessly bullying his own body into motion. Pain? Ignore it. Fear? Get over it.
Anaya needed him.
Howling like a wolf, Rolan threw himself forward, raising his sword high and gritting his teeth. But he wouldn’t reach her in time.
“Rolan—” Anaya began.
“JELLY BONES!” he roared back.
Anaya immediately went limp, sliding to the ground and melting into a boneless heap as the tail smashed through the air where her head had been. Rolan didn’t even have time to exhale in relief, because the tail’s rebound was headed directly forhim.
As the tail swiped at his midsection for the third time, Rolan leaped. Flipping up and over the tail, he swung the sword in a silvery arc and yelled with all his might.
The blade cut clean through the tip, severing the evil mouth. It melted into smoke even before it hit the ground.
“Ha!” Rolan crowed, landing on his feet. “I—I did it…!”
He turned to stare at Anaya, who was staring back at him in shock.
“Th-thank you,” she stammered.
Rolan rushed to help her free the trapped man, ripping away bricks until Anaya could drag him out.
“Get him to the city gates!” Rolan said. “And stay clear of this mess!”
She nodded, still staring at him as if he were a stranger.
