Read Online Magickeepers: The Eternal Hourglass by Erica Kirov - Free Book Online
Authors: Erica Kirov
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everything in thick, slick grease that Nick thought smelled like death. Not that he had ever smelled death before, but he was certain, if he ever did, it would be just like the overpowering scent fillingthe room. Nick's throat went dry. Now he realized it was the same scent on his floor at the Pendragon on the last day of school. It was also the scent from the cafeteria that same day.
The oils started to pool together again in one spot, and rose, forming what looked like a human. Nick gripped his polar bear, who was roaring as loud and bone-chillingly as Sascha.
Nick had never felt so cold and terrified in his life. The creature forming from the oil now sprouted leather-like wings, but its face was haggard and lined. It was human— and yet not. Its nose hooked like a shriveled carrot, and its fingers and toes were long, with nails like talons.
Nick looked over at Isabella. She had slid off her polar bear and was treading water. Her bear now climbed from the water and charged the creature, which emitted a sound like a high-pitched hiss. Isabella's bear rose up and swatted at the creature with its paws. With one flick of its wing, the creature sent the polar bear sailing against the floor with a horrifying cry of pain.
“Isabella? What do we do?” Nick whispered, but the creature looked right at him, its eyes an eerie blue color, like his own eyes, but…icier somehow, like they were dead, belonging to a corpse.
Isabella swam away until she was backed up against the wall of the pool. Nick saw her look desperately at the ladder.There was no way they could climb out and get across the floor to the door after seeing what this thing had done to the polar bear.
Before he had time to think of a plan, his polar bear wrapped his massive body around him. He felt the muscles in his legs and the sharpness of his claws. The bear enveloped him until he couldn’t even see. Nick let out a scream as the animal dove underwater. He took water into his lungs, and felt an agonizing need for air. He struggled against the beast as he dove deeper to the pool bottom. All Nick could see was water and fur and blackness.
They rose to the surface and he spat out water, choking and coughing before they dove again. He heard a loud sound as the creature plunged into the pool and the bear wrapped tighter around him, like a boa constrictor coiling around its prey.
With his hands, Nick beat against the chest of the bear, fighting for air, feeling the icy water up his nose and in his mouth.
The bear squeezed tighter still.
And then Nick's world went completely and utterly dark.
SOME ANSWERS
AND A RETURN
H E'S WAKING UP! SLAP HIM ON THE BACK!”
From somewhere, like being down a long tunnel, Nick heard voices. His eyelids fluttered, and he had the sudden urge to throw up. Sputtering and coughing, he felt someone turn him on his side and pound his back. Then he heard Isabella's voice. “It's okay, Nick. You’re safe now.”
He opened his eyes and saw Irina, Theo, and Isabella, as well as other members of the clan, staring down at him.
“Kolya…” Irina reached down and touched his cheek. “Are you all right?”
He nodded. Then shivered. His teeth chattered.
“Blankets!” Theo called out. He knelt down and helped Nick to a sitting position as someone wrapped a thick fur blanket around Nick's shoulders.
“What…happened?” Nick tried to think back, but all he remembered was the bear diving underwater with him.
The indoor pool area was now brightly lit up. Nick saw several men beside two of the bears, which lay sprawled on the tile, near the deep end of the pool. Their plush white fur was tinged pink with blood. The third bear was pacing near them, clearly agitated.
“Are they… ?” He didn’t even want to think it.
“No, they’re not dead. But they are injured. If Sascha hadn’t helped even the odds, I don’t know that any of you would have survived,” Theo said softly. He mussed Nick's wet hair.
Isabella's face was pale,
The oils started to pool together again in one spot, and rose, forming what looked like a human. Nick gripped his polar bear, who was roaring as loud and bone-chillingly as Sascha.
Nick had never felt so cold and terrified in his life. The creature forming from the oil now sprouted leather-like wings, but its face was haggard and lined. It was human— and yet not. Its nose hooked like a shriveled carrot, and its fingers and toes were long, with nails like talons.
Nick looked over at Isabella. She had slid off her polar bear and was treading water. Her bear now climbed from the water and charged the creature, which emitted a sound like a high-pitched hiss. Isabella's bear rose up and swatted at the creature with its paws. With one flick of its wing, the creature sent the polar bear sailing against the floor with a horrifying cry of pain.
“Isabella? What do we do?” Nick whispered, but the creature looked right at him, its eyes an eerie blue color, like his own eyes, but…icier somehow, like they were dead, belonging to a corpse.
Isabella swam away until she was backed up against the wall of the pool. Nick saw her look desperately at the ladder.There was no way they could climb out and get across the floor to the door after seeing what this thing had done to the polar bear.
Before he had time to think of a plan, his polar bear wrapped his massive body around him. He felt the muscles in his legs and the sharpness of his claws. The bear enveloped him until he couldn’t even see. Nick let out a scream as the animal dove underwater. He took water into his lungs, and felt an agonizing need for air. He struggled against the beast as he dove deeper to the pool bottom. All Nick could see was water and fur and blackness.
They rose to the surface and he spat out water, choking and coughing before they dove again. He heard a loud sound as the creature plunged into the pool and the bear wrapped tighter around him, like a boa constrictor coiling around its prey.
With his hands, Nick beat against the chest of the bear, fighting for air, feeling the icy water up his nose and in his mouth.
The bear squeezed tighter still.
And then Nick's world went completely and utterly dark.
SOME ANSWERS
AND A RETURN
H E'S WAKING UP! SLAP HIM ON THE BACK!”
From somewhere, like being down a long tunnel, Nick heard voices. His eyelids fluttered, and he had the sudden urge to throw up. Sputtering and coughing, he felt someone turn him on his side and pound his back. Then he heard Isabella's voice. “It's okay, Nick. You’re safe now.”
He opened his eyes and saw Irina, Theo, and Isabella, as well as other members of the clan, staring down at him.
“Kolya…” Irina reached down and touched his cheek. “Are you all right?”
He nodded. Then shivered. His teeth chattered.
“Blankets!” Theo called out. He knelt down and helped Nick to a sitting position as someone wrapped a thick fur blanket around Nick's shoulders.
“What…happened?” Nick tried to think back, but all he remembered was the bear diving underwater with him.
The indoor pool area was now brightly lit up. Nick saw several men beside two of the bears, which lay sprawled on the tile, near the deep end of the pool. Their plush white fur was tinged pink with blood. The third bear was pacing near them, clearly agitated.
“Are they… ?” He didn’t even want to think it.
“No, they’re not dead. But they are injured. If Sascha hadn’t helped even the odds, I don’t know that any of you would have survived,” Theo said softly. He mussed Nick's wet hair.
Isabella's face was pale,
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