Read Online Wicked Path (The Daath Chronicles Book 2) by Eliza Tilton - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Eliza Tilton
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really soon.
“Not much,” Cael said. “If we keep this pace, we’ll reach the hut by nightfall.”
“Then let’s keep going,” Raven said, picking her pole back up.
Cold and barren, the mountain had a majestic quietness. Grand and wide, far as you could see. The first sun dipped below the horizon, coating the sky with a swirl of orange and red. From this high, the sunset was unlike any I’d ever seen. Varying hues of red, orange, and gold reached out to the mountains, bathing everything in a warm light. The second sun, still visible, glowed brighter in the amber light of its setting sister. How could such a natural picture of beauty exist in a place so desolate?
“Ahh!” Raven’s sharp cry ripped through the air, tearing my gaze from the surrounding beauty as my heart leapt in my chest.
“Raven!” I screamed and started to run to the empty spot where she’d walked ahead of me just seconds ago.
“No!” Cael held up his hand, palm out. “Don’t run, or you’ll fall too!”
He poked his metal staff into the ground between us. “Raven!”
“I’m here!”
We followed her voice, slower than I cared for, until we located the crack she’d slipped through. Stuck in between a narrow crevice, her pack kept her wedged in.
My breath hitched at the sight of her.
“I have some rope,” Cael said, rummaging through his pack. “We’ll pull you up.”
“You okay?” I asked, leaning over the edge.
She planted her feet against each side of the crevice, and pressed her hands against each wall at shoulder level. “I think so.”
Adrenaline pumped through me, and I reached over the ledge, extending my hand to her. “Reach up.”
She lifted one hand, then slid.
“Raven!”
She flattened her back against the wall and planted her feet. “I can’t do it. I’ll fall.”
“Hold on, Cael’s getting the rope.”
Jagged edges covered the inside of the narrow opening, which gave her another small foothold.
Her eyes widened as a dark shadow crossed over her face. “Avikar, behind you!”
A giant bird swooped at me. I dodged into a roll, just missing its razor sharp talons. It flew back into the sky where five other large birds circled.
“Vulcries,” Cael said, taking out his sword.
I whipped out my bow and notched an arrow. “What are vulcries? They look like vultures.” The birds had the long wingspan of the carnivorous bird, but why would they attack?
“They are vultures, except these don’t wait until you’re dead.” He raised his sword as another black bird descended.
Killer vultures? I shot an arrow into the sky, nicking the wing of one of the birds, and smiled. “And just as dumb.”
“Avikar!”
I turned to the sound of Raven’s voice, as two vulcries dove into the tight crevice.
“Don’t underestimate them,” Cael yelled out. “They’ve survived by hunting anything in this area!”
I lined a shot at the vulcries near Raven. “You couldn’t warn us?”
The shot had to be timed perfectly. Letting go of the bowstring, the arrow flew straight and true, drilling into the first bird’s head and catching its companion in the side. The body fell, almost hitting Raven.
Trusting Cael was a mistake, and now, because of his carelessness, Raven was in trouble.
As I looked up, something hard hit my back, and I flew forward onto my stomach. Using my hands, I pushed off the ground, throwing another vulcrie off my back, and faced the bird in front of me.
I’d never walloped a bird before. This would make for interesting conversation later.
The vulcrie flapped its wings at me. “
Kreeaaaaaa. Kreeaaaa
.”
Was I being taunted by a bird? I laughed back at it.
“
Kreeaaaaa. Kreeaaaa,”
it yelled again, and came at me, beak first. My fist caught its beak. The bird flopped over. Large and intimidating, but still dumb. Cael swatted away two more with his sword, and the crevice where Raven was stuck was clear.
Killer vultures? Hardly.
“When you’re done playing with the
“Not much,” Cael said. “If we keep this pace, we’ll reach the hut by nightfall.”
“Then let’s keep going,” Raven said, picking her pole back up.
Cold and barren, the mountain had a majestic quietness. Grand and wide, far as you could see. The first sun dipped below the horizon, coating the sky with a swirl of orange and red. From this high, the sunset was unlike any I’d ever seen. Varying hues of red, orange, and gold reached out to the mountains, bathing everything in a warm light. The second sun, still visible, glowed brighter in the amber light of its setting sister. How could such a natural picture of beauty exist in a place so desolate?
“Ahh!” Raven’s sharp cry ripped through the air, tearing my gaze from the surrounding beauty as my heart leapt in my chest.
“Raven!” I screamed and started to run to the empty spot where she’d walked ahead of me just seconds ago.
“No!” Cael held up his hand, palm out. “Don’t run, or you’ll fall too!”
He poked his metal staff into the ground between us. “Raven!”
“I’m here!”
We followed her voice, slower than I cared for, until we located the crack she’d slipped through. Stuck in between a narrow crevice, her pack kept her wedged in.
My breath hitched at the sight of her.
“I have some rope,” Cael said, rummaging through his pack. “We’ll pull you up.”
“You okay?” I asked, leaning over the edge.
She planted her feet against each side of the crevice, and pressed her hands against each wall at shoulder level. “I think so.”
Adrenaline pumped through me, and I reached over the ledge, extending my hand to her. “Reach up.”
She lifted one hand, then slid.
“Raven!”
She flattened her back against the wall and planted her feet. “I can’t do it. I’ll fall.”
“Hold on, Cael’s getting the rope.”
Jagged edges covered the inside of the narrow opening, which gave her another small foothold.
Her eyes widened as a dark shadow crossed over her face. “Avikar, behind you!”
A giant bird swooped at me. I dodged into a roll, just missing its razor sharp talons. It flew back into the sky where five other large birds circled.
“Vulcries,” Cael said, taking out his sword.
I whipped out my bow and notched an arrow. “What are vulcries? They look like vultures.” The birds had the long wingspan of the carnivorous bird, but why would they attack?
“They are vultures, except these don’t wait until you’re dead.” He raised his sword as another black bird descended.
Killer vultures? I shot an arrow into the sky, nicking the wing of one of the birds, and smiled. “And just as dumb.”
“Avikar!”
I turned to the sound of Raven’s voice, as two vulcries dove into the tight crevice.
“Don’t underestimate them,” Cael yelled out. “They’ve survived by hunting anything in this area!”
I lined a shot at the vulcries near Raven. “You couldn’t warn us?”
The shot had to be timed perfectly. Letting go of the bowstring, the arrow flew straight and true, drilling into the first bird’s head and catching its companion in the side. The body fell, almost hitting Raven.
Trusting Cael was a mistake, and now, because of his carelessness, Raven was in trouble.
As I looked up, something hard hit my back, and I flew forward onto my stomach. Using my hands, I pushed off the ground, throwing another vulcrie off my back, and faced the bird in front of me.
I’d never walloped a bird before. This would make for interesting conversation later.
The vulcrie flapped its wings at me. “
Kreeaaaaaa. Kreeaaaa
.”
Was I being taunted by a bird? I laughed back at it.
“
Kreeaaaaa. Kreeaaaa,”
it yelled again, and came at me, beak first. My fist caught its beak. The bird flopped over. Large and intimidating, but still dumb. Cael swatted away two more with his sword, and the crevice where Raven was stuck was clear.
Killer vultures? Hardly.
“When you’re done playing with the
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