Read Online Under Wraps: An Urban Fantasy Adventure (Werewolves vs. Mummies Book 1) by J.A. Cipriano - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: J.A. Cipriano
Tags: Fantasy
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burst from Aziza’s lips, eyes, and well, pretty much every hole in her head. It exploded upward, reminding me of the time the great tree had burned and filled the sky with thick, dark smoke for miles. Bits of paper white ash flitted through the air on unseen currents as darkness pooled against the silver backdrop of the room.
Aziza shuddered, her body writhing beneath my foot as we stood, the wolf, the wind, and I.
“You may have spoken the words,” the wind raged. “But you will not succeed in entering the temple. Not without this.” I held the book out once more, and as I did so, it burst into a million golden beetles. They scurried across my flesh, back bright and glittering, before disappearing within me.
Chapter 10
“We’re not going to talk about anything that happened, are we? Even though you stabbed me in the stomach and left me to die.” The words tumbled out of my mouth though I wasn’t quite sure I’d said them aloud until Aziza turned and looked at me, eyes half-staring into the distance as thoughts writhed beneath their surface.
We were walking along the bank of the Nile. Toward where? I wasn’t sure. Thick mud squelched as I moved, covering my feet in the stuff. Unfortunately, that sound was the only response that greeted me. I sighed, a small explosion of air that made Aziza’s eyebrow quirk upward just a hair.
Thanks to Setne, I’d managed to carry her to the surface and make camp. After what felt like hours, she had woken up, and without even saying a word to me, proceeded to walk down the riverbank. Tromping off like it wasn’t filled with crocodiles, evil mummies, and mud. That had been about an hour ago. Since then, she’d offered little in the way of explanation, and every time I tried to talk to her, she either blew me off or stayed silent. Whatever was going on in her mind was clearly for her brain only. Did she even have a brain? Didn’t they remove those from mummies?
“What’s there to say? That I got taken over by some spirit? That it trapped me inside my own head so all I could do was scream and shout, and do little else of consequence while it gutted you and stole the book?” she snapped, swallowing back an additional retort, her throat convulsing with the effort. The sound of her voice was like a box of knives strewn across the floor. Pointed, sharp, and dangerous.
I looked away from her, glancing off into the distance so I couldn’t see the rage starting to fracture her face. “I’m not trying to upset you or anything, Aziza. I know it must have been horrible.” I swallowed, unsure of what else to say. I wasn’t exactly the most comforting person. My parents had subscribed to that whole tough love thing, and as an Alpha in my pack, I wasn’t exactly encouraged to talk about my feelings. Feelings were weakness, and weakness was for omegas.
Aziza didn’t reply, but her hands balled into fists. I could tell she wanted to yell at me from the way her top lip quivered. Her scent changed, taking on sort of a muskiness that reminded me of brambles and fire. She opened her mouth, but sound didn’t come out. Her mouth closed, compressing into a thin line.
Without thinking, I reached out toward her, presumably to put my hand on her shoulder? I wasn’t really sure, but before I could do so, she slapped my hand away and turned toward the river in a huff. A small sob wracked her body as she stood, back to me, and shoulders shaking.
“I don’t need your pity, Thes.” Her words were tight and strained, like a ball of razor wire, and I knew that untangling them would leave me cut and bloodied. I wasn’t sure I was up to it. Still, staring at her was tearing me up inside, leaving something raw and unfinished inside. I sucked in a barbed wire breath and shut my eyes for a second.
“I don’t pity you, Zeez.” I swallowed, dropping my hand to my side. “I feel bad that something horrible happened to you, but it isn’t pity.”
She said nothing, and the silence
Aziza shuddered, her body writhing beneath my foot as we stood, the wolf, the wind, and I.
“You may have spoken the words,” the wind raged. “But you will not succeed in entering the temple. Not without this.” I held the book out once more, and as I did so, it burst into a million golden beetles. They scurried across my flesh, back bright and glittering, before disappearing within me.
Chapter 10
“We’re not going to talk about anything that happened, are we? Even though you stabbed me in the stomach and left me to die.” The words tumbled out of my mouth though I wasn’t quite sure I’d said them aloud until Aziza turned and looked at me, eyes half-staring into the distance as thoughts writhed beneath their surface.
We were walking along the bank of the Nile. Toward where? I wasn’t sure. Thick mud squelched as I moved, covering my feet in the stuff. Unfortunately, that sound was the only response that greeted me. I sighed, a small explosion of air that made Aziza’s eyebrow quirk upward just a hair.
Thanks to Setne, I’d managed to carry her to the surface and make camp. After what felt like hours, she had woken up, and without even saying a word to me, proceeded to walk down the riverbank. Tromping off like it wasn’t filled with crocodiles, evil mummies, and mud. That had been about an hour ago. Since then, she’d offered little in the way of explanation, and every time I tried to talk to her, she either blew me off or stayed silent. Whatever was going on in her mind was clearly for her brain only. Did she even have a brain? Didn’t they remove those from mummies?
“What’s there to say? That I got taken over by some spirit? That it trapped me inside my own head so all I could do was scream and shout, and do little else of consequence while it gutted you and stole the book?” she snapped, swallowing back an additional retort, her throat convulsing with the effort. The sound of her voice was like a box of knives strewn across the floor. Pointed, sharp, and dangerous.
I looked away from her, glancing off into the distance so I couldn’t see the rage starting to fracture her face. “I’m not trying to upset you or anything, Aziza. I know it must have been horrible.” I swallowed, unsure of what else to say. I wasn’t exactly the most comforting person. My parents had subscribed to that whole tough love thing, and as an Alpha in my pack, I wasn’t exactly encouraged to talk about my feelings. Feelings were weakness, and weakness was for omegas.
Aziza didn’t reply, but her hands balled into fists. I could tell she wanted to yell at me from the way her top lip quivered. Her scent changed, taking on sort of a muskiness that reminded me of brambles and fire. She opened her mouth, but sound didn’t come out. Her mouth closed, compressing into a thin line.
Without thinking, I reached out toward her, presumably to put my hand on her shoulder? I wasn’t really sure, but before I could do so, she slapped my hand away and turned toward the river in a huff. A small sob wracked her body as she stood, back to me, and shoulders shaking.
“I don’t need your pity, Thes.” Her words were tight and strained, like a ball of razor wire, and I knew that untangling them would leave me cut and bloodied. I wasn’t sure I was up to it. Still, staring at her was tearing me up inside, leaving something raw and unfinished inside. I sucked in a barbed wire breath and shut my eyes for a second.
“I don’t pity you, Zeez.” I swallowed, dropping my hand to my side. “I feel bad that something horrible happened to you, but it isn’t pity.”
She said nothing, and the silence
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