Read Online Blood Winter by Diana Pharaoh Francis - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Diana Pharaoh Francis
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of the Uncanny and the Divine.
Until the Guardians had loosed a flood of wild magic into the world, the smells of magic around Horngate had been infrequent. But now they were everywhere. It put Max constantly on edge. It was impossible to tell whether or not something was a threat. It was safer to assume that everything was.
As they approached the area south of Frank Bryce’s place, Max slowed down. She could smell carrion and something else, something rank and wet, a mix of black mold, stagnant water, and rotting flesh. The smell wafted from a canyon just ahead. Max eased up to the lip and crouched by a pile of granite boulders. Tyler hunkered down beside her, with the others gathering behind.
Below was a long canyon with a narrow bottom, like it had been hacked into the ground with a god-sized ax. Trees filled it, and between them and the snow, it was impossible to see the bottom. The rush of water from a waterfall smothered quieter sounds. Max stiffened. Mingling with the natural smells, the scent of magic, and the rank stench, was human scent. She frowned. Who would be down there?
Shouts erupted, and branches cracked like someone or something rolling down a hill. A squeal echoed up the canyon. It sent spiders crawling down Max’s spine. It was like the cry had come from the other side of the grave. Then everything went preternaturally quiet. The hairs on the back of Max’s neck rose.
“What’s going on?” Nami whispered.
“We’re looking at the same things you are. How the hell should we know?” Simon snapped.
Max twisted to glare at him, and he flushed, his lips pinching shut. She turned back to Tyler.
“Take Oak, Nami, Ivy, and Flint. Go around the other side, and work your way down. We’ll do the same over here.”
Tyler scowled at her. “I don’t like it.”
Her brows rose. “Why?” But she knew why. Since Niko’s death, he’d hardly been willing to let her out of his sight. He was afraid he’d turn his back and she’d die or disappear.
“We don’t know what’s waiting down there,” he said. “You could be walking into a shitstorm.” His knife spun like a shining pinwheel in his fingers. “Being a Shadowblade won’t matter if someone puts a bullet in your head.”
Max gave him a long look. She didn’t like letting him out of her sight, either, but in the end, that was beside the point. “This is what we do.” She was telling herself as much as she was telling him. It didn’t make her any less terrified that something might happen to him or anybody else for that matter.
His lip curled. “We don’t have to take stupid chances.”
“Got another idea on how to handle this?”
He said nothing. Simon muttered something, and Jody elbowed him. He yelped loudly. Max shot him a violent look, and he wilted.
“Got a problem?” Tyler asked, his expression flat and dangerous.
“No,” Simon choked out, looking like he wanted to dig a hole to escape.
“Then why don’t you share with the rest of the class?” Tyler’s head tipped to the side, and his spinning knife came to rest in his hand. The threat was all too clear.
“I just said—” Simon flushed and looked away. “It wasn’t anything.”
“Must’ve been something. Enough for you to squawk like a chicken and tell the whole world we’re here. So tell me. Now.”
“It was just a joke.”
Tyler waited. Max didn’t interrupt. This had to be settled, for Tyler and for Simon, who clearly needed a spanking to settle him down to work. She watched to see if any of the intruders had noticed their noise.
“I—I just said it was hard to believe you were wearing granny pants under your jeans,” Simon muttered at last.
Tyler leaned forward until his nose brushed Simon’s. “Let’s talk about my wardrobe when we get back to Horngate, shall we?” he said in a silky voice.
Simon blanched and shrank into himself.
Tyler swung back around. “Don’t get dead,” he told Max harshly, and then started off. Nami, Oak,
Until the Guardians had loosed a flood of wild magic into the world, the smells of magic around Horngate had been infrequent. But now they were everywhere. It put Max constantly on edge. It was impossible to tell whether or not something was a threat. It was safer to assume that everything was.
As they approached the area south of Frank Bryce’s place, Max slowed down. She could smell carrion and something else, something rank and wet, a mix of black mold, stagnant water, and rotting flesh. The smell wafted from a canyon just ahead. Max eased up to the lip and crouched by a pile of granite boulders. Tyler hunkered down beside her, with the others gathering behind.
Below was a long canyon with a narrow bottom, like it had been hacked into the ground with a god-sized ax. Trees filled it, and between them and the snow, it was impossible to see the bottom. The rush of water from a waterfall smothered quieter sounds. Max stiffened. Mingling with the natural smells, the scent of magic, and the rank stench, was human scent. She frowned. Who would be down there?
Shouts erupted, and branches cracked like someone or something rolling down a hill. A squeal echoed up the canyon. It sent spiders crawling down Max’s spine. It was like the cry had come from the other side of the grave. Then everything went preternaturally quiet. The hairs on the back of Max’s neck rose.
“What’s going on?” Nami whispered.
“We’re looking at the same things you are. How the hell should we know?” Simon snapped.
Max twisted to glare at him, and he flushed, his lips pinching shut. She turned back to Tyler.
“Take Oak, Nami, Ivy, and Flint. Go around the other side, and work your way down. We’ll do the same over here.”
Tyler scowled at her. “I don’t like it.”
Her brows rose. “Why?” But she knew why. Since Niko’s death, he’d hardly been willing to let her out of his sight. He was afraid he’d turn his back and she’d die or disappear.
“We don’t know what’s waiting down there,” he said. “You could be walking into a shitstorm.” His knife spun like a shining pinwheel in his fingers. “Being a Shadowblade won’t matter if someone puts a bullet in your head.”
Max gave him a long look. She didn’t like letting him out of her sight, either, but in the end, that was beside the point. “This is what we do.” She was telling herself as much as she was telling him. It didn’t make her any less terrified that something might happen to him or anybody else for that matter.
His lip curled. “We don’t have to take stupid chances.”
“Got another idea on how to handle this?”
He said nothing. Simon muttered something, and Jody elbowed him. He yelped loudly. Max shot him a violent look, and he wilted.
“Got a problem?” Tyler asked, his expression flat and dangerous.
“No,” Simon choked out, looking like he wanted to dig a hole to escape.
“Then why don’t you share with the rest of the class?” Tyler’s head tipped to the side, and his spinning knife came to rest in his hand. The threat was all too clear.
“I just said—” Simon flushed and looked away. “It wasn’t anything.”
“Must’ve been something. Enough for you to squawk like a chicken and tell the whole world we’re here. So tell me. Now.”
“It was just a joke.”
Tyler waited. Max didn’t interrupt. This had to be settled, for Tyler and for Simon, who clearly needed a spanking to settle him down to work. She watched to see if any of the intruders had noticed their noise.
“I—I just said it was hard to believe you were wearing granny pants under your jeans,” Simon muttered at last.
Tyler leaned forward until his nose brushed Simon’s. “Let’s talk about my wardrobe when we get back to Horngate, shall we?” he said in a silky voice.
Simon blanched and shrank into himself.
Tyler swung back around. “Don’t get dead,” he told Max harshly, and then started off. Nami, Oak,
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