Read Online Maxon by Christina Bauer - Free Book Online

Tempest, who’s now the Furor emperor and my good friend. Bottom line? It’s definitely Tempest’s right to kill the old beast.
    Bit by bit, a shadowy figure crawls out of the darkened sands. At first, it looks a withered man who’s skeletal and tall in his torn black waistcoat and matching breeches.
    â€œSo that’s Chimera.” Ty’s eyes get big as saucers. He doesn’t get to see many Class A demons outside of Charybdis.
    â€œI need you to summon Emperor Tempest,” I say.
    Ty shifts his weight from foot to foot, which is his favorite move when he’s stalling. “What if I summon Tempest and he doesn’t want to some here? Should I to bring the other guys back with me?”
    Ty brings up a good point. Tempest is a moody son of a bitch. No one knows what he’ll do or why. “Sure, grab the guys.”
    Ty licks his lips. “Okay if I wait a little before I leave?”
    I get what he’s up to. Ty’s dying to see Chimera for himself. Which is dangerous as hell.
    Part of me knows I should order Ty to run anyway, but I don’t. Why ruin his parade? He’s not fighting Chimera, anyway.
    â€œYou get one minute,” I say. “After you see the real Chimera, you’re out of here.”
    â€œThanks, M.” Ty squints at the odd figure. “That’s not him yet ?”
    â€œNope.”
    Chimera raises his arms toward the darkened sky. Black dragon scales crawl over every inch of his body. His neck elongates from his shoulders, the vertebrae shifting and twisting like a snake’s. At the same time, his face takes on the features of a lizard, with a wide, flat skull and long, lipless mouth.
    Now, I should definitely feel some kind of serious battle kick. I mean, I studied Chimera for years in Furonium. This’ll be a tough fight. Still, I don’t get so much as a drop of adrenaline.
    Damn, I am so far gone.
    Ty stares at the monster, his mouth hanging open in awe. “So, that’s Chimera.”
    â€œNot yet.”
    â€œStill?”
    â€œStill.”
    The old man hunches to one side. A second neck sprouts from his shoulder, the length ending in a hooded cobra-style head with long white fangs and bright red eyes. Chimera then leans back on his heels. A third neck sprouts from the center of his rib cage. This one is silver-scaled with an arched skull.
    â€œNow, that’s Chimera.”
    Ty mumbles something that sounds like “humph.” More likely, it was a gasp of shock, which is how normal thrax react to a sight like this.
    Chimera’s three heads sniff the air wildly. He remains in hybrid form—part human and part dragon—so he has to really work at catching a scent.
    â€œYou two,” Chimera’s heads hiss at us in unison. “You’re thrax.”
    My tail sways behind me. “Among other things.”
    â€œAh, you’re a Furorling, little man.” The three heads smile directly at me. It’s the sick grin you give a kitten before you stomp on their spine, if you’re the kind of guy who enjoys that kind of thing. And Chimera’s definitely that guy.
    I turn to Ty. “Summon him,” I order. No need to name Tempest here. If Chimera thinks I’m an average Furorling, so much the better.
    â€œYou got it.” Ty takes off at a run. The Pulpitum isn’t far, so Tempest should be here in a few minutes. That’ll give me time to play.
    Chimera limps closer, his three necks swaying with the movement. “Let me get a good look at you, Furorling.”
    â€œSure,” I say with a shrug. “Knock yourself out.”
    I can’t believe my luck. This guy’s been stuck underground in Charybdis for way too long. A thrax toddler could pick up on this weak attempt at a sneak attack.
    Chimera hobbles nearer and stops inches in front of me. His claw-like hands paw at my chest. The touch makes me want to puke.
    â€œNow,” coos Chimera.