Page 86 of Wicked Curses
Some had already fallen asleep, and a few read. Two lycans, a vamp, a berserker, and a dwarf played cards at one of the tables.
Despite the constant noises of the scarogs and occasional falling book, they all relaxed a little. Sahira’s shoulders were so stiff they hurt; the hunger had started creeping in again, and all the heartbeats surrounding her were annoying, never-ending drumbeats in her ears.
If the other occupants of this building had any idea how much her mouth watered at the prospect of their blood, they’d open the door and shove her out to keep themselves safe. They’d be right to do so.
It didn’t help that she could still feel the witches and warlock staring at her. It wasn’t as consistent as it was initially, but she felt it every time their eyes landed on her.
When she snapped, she’d eat one of them first. She almost smiled at the idea but was so famished that smiling wasn’t possible.
Closing her eyes, Sahira kept her chin against her chest as she inhaled and exhaled. Those calming breaths weren’t helping as much as they should.
If they were trapped here for a week, she had no doubt she’d lose it; her thirst wouldn’t stay contained until then.
Take it one minute at a time.
But the seconds and the minutes kept getting longer; she was certain of it.
A resounding bang jerked her head up and doused her obsessive thoughts about blood as the building shook again.
More books clattered from the shelves. They created a cacophony that caused the beetles’ wings to beat faster. Their feet scratched against the surface of the building with more speed as a loud hum reverberated through the air.
Then everything went quiet again.
Pages rustled as the readers returned to their books. Cards landed on the table, but the sound of those things was much nicer than the noise the beetles created.
A few more minutes passed before a sudden shout pierced the room. The berserker jumped up, lifted the table, and flipped it over. The other occupants of the table all jumped to their feet.
“Asshole!” the berserker shouted.
In the blink of an eye, he leapt at a lycan who shifted into a wolf.
“Not here!” Gromuck bellowed as the lycan’s jaw clamped down on the berserker’s head.
Boris jumped up and ran toward the battle as the other lycans swarmed around the fight, seeking to protect their packmate. The sleeping immortals woke as anyone near the skirmish fled.
Elsa jumped to her feet, and though hunger had caused every muscle and bone in her body to ache, Sahira planted a hand on the ground and pushed herself up. She lifted her spear and held it before her as the lycan rolled and bashed the berserker into the ground.
Something flashed, and the lycan yelped as the berserker plunged a knife into the wolf’s side. The other lycans howled, and another one transformed to attack the berserker.
“No!” Boris shouted. “This willnothappen in here.”
Outside, the scent of the blood or the noise sent the scarogs into a frenzy. Their wings, feet, and bodies battered the walls and roof until they drowned out the lycan’s howls.
Freed from the lycan’s jaws, the berserker, bloody and broken, scrambled back as another wolf lunged at him. Before it could recapture him, Boris’s arm shot out. He caught the massive wolf and sent it flying into the bookcase.
Shelves splintered and fell apart; books toppled to the floor in a wave as the lycan hung suspended for a second before sliding to the ground. Boris had stopped the fight from continuing, but the berserker was going into full-on fight mode.
If he did so, he’d take them all out.
With his face turning red, the veins in his arms bulging, and the muscles in his neck standing out to resemble a fan, he was clearly going to blow. His muscles swelled until his shirt tore across his shoulders and back.
“Oh no,” Elsa murmured.
She clung to her spear, but the weapon would do little good against an enraged berserker and lycans.
“Not here,” Gromuck grunted as she stomped across the floor to the berserker. “You start fight. You go.”
Only an orc would feel comfortable storming up to a berserker and grabbing them by the neck. Gromuck plucked the man from the ground and carried him to the front door with his feet dangling over the floor.
