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wash it away. Come to me now. Bard.:
:Yes yes, I will :
Eric began walking toward the edge of the grove, the moonlit hillside beyond. In his mind he
could sense a dark exultation, and a dreadful, anticipating hunger.
Then an image flitted across Eric's mind, of Beth Kentraine standing on the driveway, tears
wet on her cheeks. "You abandoned us, Eric ..."
He stopped, one hand resting on a low-hanging branch. "Beth "
:Come to me. Bard, come to me now :
Anger raced through him like an electric charge, erasing the haze that the creature's spell
had cast upon him. :Yeah, that's what you want, isn't it? Eric the Bard, your little midnight
snack strolling right down your throat? Well, let's try it the other way how 'bout me having
some Cajun-style blackened monster for a change?: He leaped back into the sheltering
trees, just as he felt and heard the creature's roar of hatred and frustration.
Then the grove exploded into flames around him.
Holy shit!
Eric rolled to the ground, trying to beat the fire off his jacket. Oh God I'm going to fry in here
if I don't do something quick Gasping for breath, he fumbled desperately with the clasps of
his flute case.
He shoved the pieces of the flute together, then glanced up through the burning branches,
just in time to see the winged form arcing down toward the grove for another pass.
But the creature landed instead, crashing through the flaming trees. The huge clawed hands,
the tentacled mouth dripping slime, all blindly lashing about, searching for the Bard.
Who was sprawled in the smoldering leaves, less than twenty feet away.
Oh God oh God it's trashing the Grove, trying to find me. If I run, it'll zero in on me in a few
seconds. There isn't anything else I can hide behind. And if I stay here . . .
Eric brought the flute to his lips, and played for all he was worth.
"Banish Misfortune." Oh, God, please, if there's any resident deity around here, get me out
of this!
The first notes were inaudible against the screaming fury of the monster, the trees shattering
in its wake, and the crackling of the raging flames. Then the descanting melody broke
through, stilling all to silence; even the crackling fire dimmed down to mere flickers of flame.
It's it's working, something s happening
He clambered to his feet, still playing the Irish tune, and moved toward the crouching
monster. The pale moom eyes were turned toward him, transfixed.
I'm holding it, somehow. Now what can I do with it?
If I let it go, it'll kill me, just like it killed the elves, and probably every hiker and jogger that's
been through these hills in the last few months I guess I guess I have to kill it. Now, while I'm
holding it trapped.
A memory: he and Prince Terenil in the dojo, and lightning scorching down, barely missing
him.
That wouldn't have killed me, though it sure would've been worse than sticking my finger in a
light socket. If I do that, but with everything I've got behind it I'm sorry. I wish I didn't have to
do this. He raised his hands, and called the lightning. Scream of tortured violins. The sizzling
roar shook the ground around him, followed by a reek of stinging ozone. For a moment, Eric
couldn't see, blinded by the smoke and light
:FearTerrorPAIN . . . fading, fading . . .:
When he could see again, the winged monster was lying motionless, its eyes open and
staring. Eric covered his nose and mouth with his hand, overwhelmed by the reek of burned
flesh and smoke.
Is it is it dead?
:Bard come closer :
Involuntarily, he moved forward, caught in the dying creature's gaze.
:Yes if I must to die, trapped here by a hated enemy, unable to fly from this valley and slain
by a mortal, then at least I will take you with me, into the shadows.:
Falling into darkness, falling, dying, every thing fading
NO!
Eric wrenched free of the creature's dying mind with an effort, shaking. The monster
shuddered once, and was still.
He stood there for a long moment, clutching his flute with fingers that were too numb to feel
it. I think it's really dead, now. Christ.
Eric staggered away from the huge corpse, away from the smoldering oak trees, to the
open grass. He glanced back
 to see the monster's body changing, dissolving into something else.
The wind kicked up, sending the dead ashes swirling away from the barren trees, scattering
the pile of dead leaves and ragged black plastic sheeting. The plastic crackled in the wind,
like the snap of leathery wings.
It's it's really gone. I killed it God. He managed another few steps before falling to his
knees, unable to walk, retching his guts out, trembling in every limb, and covered in ice-cold
sweat.
Oh God, oh God I've never been so scared. But it's dead, it can't come after me again, it's
dead, it's dead, it's gone, it's dead . . .
Eric stood on the top of the ridge, the wind running invisible fingers through his long hair. The
lights of the San Frenando valley glittered beckoningly before him, the winding road through
a sedate tract of houses leading down to civilization.
I'll be home soon. Only a couple more miles to go, thank God; I've never wanted to see my
apartment so much in all my life.
I'll get home, wash some of this soot and dead monster slime off of me, and then call Beth
and Kory.
Using the telephone, this time.
Christ, I feel like hell . . .
He walked past the darkened houses, down to Ventura Boulevard. Even at this hour of night,
there was still traffic on the street, cars passing him by, occasionally slowing down to look at
him.
Yeah, I probably look terrific right now. And smell great, too. Eau de fried monster. Really
lovely.
After what seemed like an eternity of trudging along the city streets, Eric finally reached his
building, and started up the stairway to his apartment.
Then, on the top stair, he hesitated.
Ria she must've known where I lived, or she could find that out, real easy. I wouldn't put it
past her to know exactly where I live, my bank account number, the sock drawer where I
keep my cash, everything. What if-
Eric, you're getting paranoid.
Yeah, but I want to stay alive, too.
He gazed at the locked door for a long moment.
Okay. Maybe I'm not going to open the door just yet. Maybe I should drop in on Beth first. I
don't think Ria would've figured out where she lives, at least not yet Especially if Beth's got
that magical shielding up around her place [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]