Read Online Chartile: Prophecy by Cassandra Morgan - Free Book Online Page B

string. Before he could notch it, the monster was upon him.
Its wings beat around him, and its screeching and screaming was
deafening now that it was inches from his face.
    “ Jayson!” someone shouted.
There was a flurry of weapons. Jayson was oblivious to anything but
the animal screaming at him. He held his arms around his head, and
curled himself into a ball. From beneath his arm, he saw a dark
gray face, both human and bat-like, with large, pointed teeth in a
wide mouth as it screeched. The creature opened its mouth wider,
ready to bear down on him. He closed his eyes, prepared for the
pain. It never came. Piper cried out and lunged forward to cover
Jayson. The creature sank its teeth deep into Piper’s arm. She
screamed an agonizing cry as loud as the creature’s. It echoed off
the small cave walls. What appeared to be lightning surrounded her
and lashed out at the creature. It screeched its ear-piercing cry
again, and turned tail, taking off into the night.
    Jack and Leo followed it, but it vanished
into the night as quickly as it had come. Piper fell to the floor
beside Jayson whimpering and shaking. He knew this was his fault.
If he hadn’t fallen asleep, the fire would have never died.
    “ Piper, I’m sorry, I’m
sorry,” was all he could say. He couldn’t move. He shook so
violently he could barely hold his bow. He didn’t even notice the
tears that streaked his cheeks. Piper was shaking more fiercely
now, and her breathing was becoming more labored. The lightning
coiling around her body had died away, leaving the shrunken form of
a little girl curled in pain at their feet.
    Jack and Leo hurried back into the cave to
find Dimitri cradling Piper, and holding back her hands to keep her
from clawing at the bite wounds on her arm. The flesh around the
wound was red and raw as though it had been touched by acid.
    “ It burns! It burns!” She
whimpered weakly, her head rolling from side to side. She screamed
again and fell unconscious.
    “ Piper, stay with me! Stay
awake!” Dimitri bellowed. He shook Piper and ran a hand over her
face and hair, but she did not stir.
    Panic followed. Leo and Jack dropped to
Piper’s side. They too attempted to rouse her, but to no avail.
Jayson curled back against the wall, his arms wrapped around his
torso and tears continuing to stream down his face. Dimitri stood,
cradling Piper in his arms. She suddenly appeared very small and
frail.
    “ I must get her to the
healers. They can help her,” he said and hurried from the cave. It
was still dark, and the threat of getting lost or being attacked
again loomed for another several hours. They could not hold out for
morning. Piper could not hold out for morning.
    “ Dimitri! Wait!” Jack
cried. “Let’s at least light some torches.” Dimitri nodded in
agreement, but did not set Piper down. He swayed and paced at the
mouth of the cave. He kissed Piper’s forehead and whispered quietly
to her. Jack and Leo worked as quickly to make three torches from
the scant supplies they had carried. Jayson attempted to help by
fanning the barely warm embers, but he still shook so violently
that Leo eventually took over.
    “ Please! Quickly,” pleaded
Dimitri. It pained them all to hear such desperation in his voice.
“We still have many hours journey. Why didn’t I bring a pony? Oh,
by Rashiri!”
    “ We’re almost done,” said
Jack, lighting the last torch. “There. Alright, I’ll lead. You just
tell me where to go.” Dimitri nodded, and they hurried
on.
    Even by torchlight, their way was still slow
and cumbersome. At first they attempted a slow jog. But after
having tripped on rocks and roots, or nearly ending up with a face
full of branch, they quickly slowed to a brisk walk. If Dimitri
tired of carrying Piper it did not show save for the few times he
adjusted her position in his arms. She never stirred the entire
way.
    Finally, the sky began to turn from black to
gray. They found a small spring, and collapsed at its banks