Page 11 of Wicked Curses
“I’m surprised the other buildings are still around.”
“The other ones have a steel foundation and frames. They may look like they’re made of wood, but an extremely solid frame is behind that wood. We haven’t found any evidence that the buildings that toppled had anything like it. We haven’t discovered any other steel, besides what’s inside those seven buildings, anywhere around here.”
“So, at one time, there were more than seven buildings,” Sahira murmured. “But what does that mean?”
“It’s another one of the many mysteries surrounding this place.”
“The fact that others once resided here explains the stored food,” Orin said.
“But if they abandoned it because it was dying, they left early; it’s been going for centuries since then. It’s not the most vibrant realm, but there’s enough to keep immortals alive,” Sahira said.
“There are animals to hunt for food and other creatures that only exist to kill us,” Zeth said.
“If there was enough to survive, and far more than most outer realms, why would they abandon it?”
“Another one of those mysteries. Besides, they might not have abandoned it. They might have all been stuck here, too, and finally died off due to The Reaping.”
“What exactly is The Reaping?” Sahira asked. “Because it doesn’t sound good.”
“It’s not,” Zeth said.
Orin had already heard about The Reaping and wasn’t looking forward to it, but he wasn’t overly concerned. The Reaping and this place would not be how and where he died. He’d survived worse than what was to come.
“Once a year, the scarog beetles arrive,” Zeth said. “We call it The Reaping.”
CHAPTEREIGHT
Sahira’s stomachplummeted into her feet. She’d heard of scarog beetles before but, thankfully, never encountered them. She doubted any immortalshadn’theard about the ravenous creatures.
The scarogs were monstrous beasts who devoured anything in their way when they invaded a place. They stripped the flesh from their victims and ate it before consuming the muscles and bones.
Her knees almost knocked together before she stopped them. “How many of them come once a year?”
“Dozens,” Zeth answered.
“Dozens?” She somehow managed to stop herself from croaking the word.
“Yes. Most times, it’s difficult to count them because they move so fast and there are so many of them. They don’t leave until they’ve killed someone.”
Sahira frowned at this revelation. Scarog beetles were usually voracious and didn’t care about who they did or didn’t kill. They normally didn’t stop until there was nothing left to feed on.
“They stop after killing someone?” she inquired, certain she hadn’t heard him right.
“Only if a full day has passed. The beetles come in and, if they kill someone immediately, stay for a full day and continue hunting. If three days pass without a kill, as soon as they succeed in finally getting someone, they leave right afterward. So, they hunt and kill as many as possible for one full day. After that, they only hunt until they kill one immortal and then they leave again.”
Sahira didn’t know how to respond. She’d never heard of such a thing; it was ridiculous, insane, and impossible. “From what I’ve always heard, that’s not how scarogs work. They hunt until there’s nothing left to hunt.”
“Maybe that’s true in everyother realm, but it’s not how they behave here,” Zeth said. “It’s how the first vampire to arrive died. And it’s how Belda has remained all this time. When the scarogs arrive, we all cram into the seven main buildings… if we can. Not everyone always makes it inside, and our homes are useless against stopping them.”
Sahira stared at the pub as she pondered his words. A woman danced on one of the wrought iron balconies, but the place was subdued.
The dark wood facade certainly didn’t hint at the steel beneath, but Zeth had no reason to lie, and she now understood those thick shutters a lot better. They would require metal that thick to keep the scarogs out.
“So, if only one immortal remained here when the scarogs arrive….” Her voice trailed off as the woman retreated inside.
“The scarogs would hunt them to death.”
Sahira couldn’t stop herself from tugging at her collar as she glanced around the town. Being trapped here was bad, but this… well, whatwasthis?
