Page 46 of Sinful Curses
What remained of its charcoaled skin glowed like hot coals as it burned off its face and fell to the ground. No flesh remained on its hands or torso, and he had no idea where its legs had gone, but they were no longer attached to its frame.
“Shit,” Sahira whispered from behind him.
He’d been so focused on getting to the thing and discovering what it was, he hadn’t heard her following him. Glancing over his shoulder, he checked to ensure nothing nefarious approached her before focusing on the field again.
Where did the fire come from that torched this guy?
He searched the night as he recalled the tower of smoke. It must have come from somewhere out there, but where?
“What is it?” Sahira whispered.
“I think it was an immortal.”
“Can you tell what kind?”
“No. There aren’t enough remains left.”
Bending, he found a loose rock on the ground, lifted it, and tossed it in his palm as he studied the field. Like he was skipping stones across the water, he pulled back his arm and threw it sideways across the area.
It made it ten feet before gliding over one of the mounds. The second it skimmed across the top of the pile, a blast of fire erupted; it launched the rock fifty feet into the air.
He never saw where the stone landed or heard it rattle against other rocks. It was most likely vaporized by the blast… like this poor bastard’s legs.
CHAPTERFORTY
“Oh,”Sahira breathed.
“Go back to the others.”
Orin was too close to the field to maneuver around her, but they needed to return. She briefly met his gaze before plastering her back against the rocky wall and sliding along it toward where the others waited.
The brownies had all descended from their customary perches to gather at the edge of the field. Their tails twitched as they studied the land.
“This realm keeps getting better,” Zeth muttered.
“What was that thing over there?” the female brownie asked.
“The remains of an immortal,” Orin answered. “They’re burnt beyond recognition.”
“Delightful,” Elsa muttered.
“How do we get around a field of fiery geysers?” Sahira asked.
“A field of fiery ‘blast off your legs and barbecue off your testicles’ geysers,” Orin said.
The three male brownies grabbed their crotches while Zeth shifted uncomfortably. Orin studied the field as he tried to figure out their next step.
“If someone was coming this way, then there has to be something over there,” Sahira said.
Their attention shifted to the still-smoldering immortal who had become a mystery.
“Not anything good if that unfortunate immortal was trying to escape it,” the female brownie said.
“Our town wasn’t so bad, and we sought to escape it,” Zeth said. “You’re here, but you were surviving in your town. We all have families we’d like to get back to.”
“I have six children I left behind,” the flute-playing brownie said. “Ghouls killed my wife before we all fled. Our children were older and could take care of themselves, but Imissthem. I could have grandchildren that I don’t know. I need answers about what happened to them and where they are.”
Zeth rubbed his chin as he spoke. “So do I.”
