The Dawnvel Druids by - (summer beach reads TXT) 📖

said the last two words slowly, savouring each one.

177

“What should we do to ‘im, boys? Beat ‘im bloody, or rip all his clothes off and send him back to the orphanage naked? That’ll be a laugh. Maybe we should stub our cigarettes out on him. Or maybe we should bury him next to his dear dead granny.”

Evan snapped.

His fist smashed into Ollie’s mouth. The bully’s head jerked back as his laughter cut off. Evan launched a second blow to the jaw, then another at his throat. Choking, Ollie staggered backwards. Evan hurled himself at him, his vision distorted red. Again and again he wreaked his vengeance on the bully who’d tortured him for months.

Abruptly hands clutched at his arms and hurled him to the ground. Evan landed a short way off. His head hit the ice hard. He tried to get up, but Ollie’s gang bundled him to the ground. Evan’s breath was crushed out of him as they kicked his stomach, back, and chest. Dizzy and disorientated, his vision no longer a vivid red but a dull blur, he was dragged back to his feet. Ollie struggled to stand in front of him, blood streaming down his face.

“You shouldn’t have done that,” he rasped through mashed lips.

Evan stared back at him in defiance, his fear of these savage bullies erased.

He wouldn’t be their victim today. He had finally fought back, and he’d keep fighting back every time they came for him. Eventually they’d learn to leave him alone. They had too.

178

Ollie’s grin was feral as his hand slipped into his pocket. His cohorts egged him on. One word screamed through Evan’s mind— knife!

He’d seen Ollie showing one to his mates last week, chortling as he slashed it through the air. Sure enough, he produced a flick-knife from his pocket.

“I’m gonna give you some scars to remember me by.”

As Ollie advanced his eyes suddenly widened in fear as he saw something over Evan’s shoulder.

Evan fell to the ground yet again as Ollie’s friends let go of him with stricken shrieks and ran as fast as they could, terror hounding their steps.

Blood trickled from Evan’s nose to stain the snow; blood so dark it was almost black.

A large shadow loomed over him.

Evan's shakes turned to violent trembles as he guessed what had horrified the others. Ollie's gang had vanished, leaving their leader to stare frozen at the thing behind Evan.

Something long, black and sharp careened into Ollie's forehead with a squelch. Ollie's mouth gaped open for a second before the black spike arced up, taking Ollie's head with it. Blood vomited from Ollie's torso as it fell convulsing to the ground.

Evan turned and came face to face with a creature from a madman’s nightmare.

179

Terror ripped through Evan's mind, consuming all thought and setting his blood afire. Horror clenched his stomach and gripped his heart. It was the stranger he’d seen before, only now it’d ripped off its garments, revealing monstrosity in its true form.

The hideous contortion of mangled limbs crouched. Its yellow slavering fangs were inches from Evan’s throat and the glare of its five green eyes was bloodcurdling.

The black spike-which had Ollie's head speared on the end like a grisly cocktail stick- was only one of eight legs. The monster was some amalgamation of giant spider and grotesque troll.

The creature pounced, one of its spikes inches from Evan's shoulder as it pinned his coat to the ground.

As Evan stared into those gigantic green eyes he saw only horror.

“You're weak, childling,” the monstrosity hissed.

Evan didn’t know how, he didn’t know why. His mind should have collapsed in madness. He should’ve been paralysed with mind numbing fear, but somehow, something erupted within him.

He felt a force, a rising tidal wave of energy that burst out of him. Faced with such absolute evil and the threat of imminent death, his power awoke. Bright emerald flames shot forth from Evan’s outstretched hands.

180

The creature roared as the fire blasted into him, throwing him back to land in a sprawl of spidery limbs. The stench of roasting flesh filled Evan’s nose as he staggered to his feet, staring at his unblemished hands in disbelief.

His hands had vibrated and pulsed when the flames shot out, but Evan hadn’t felt any heat.

The fear was there, undeniably, but so was the power surging through him.

Evan didn’t understand. Nothing like this had ever happened before, it was impossible.

Before Evan had time to work out exactly how he’d caused fire to burst from his fingertips, the monster charged.

All eight of its arms wrapped around him, thrusting Evan into its hairy, slime-ridden chest. The monster clutched tight, as if intending to crush Evan to pulp.

As Evan kicked wildly, he accidentally punted Ollie’s disembodied head. It sailed off the monster’s leg and landed on the park’s slide.

He was spun round in its arms as the creature used one of its limbs to pull out an object that’d been sheathed inside its very skin. The object glowed scarlet, transforming into a portal that swirled and crackled like lightning.

None of this could be real; Ollie's death, a giant spider monster, flames bursting from his hands. Evan would've tried to pinch himself and awake from this nightmare if he wasn't so horrified by everything around him.

The monster stepped into the portal, taking Evan with it.

181

The portal took hold and Evan was hurled into the whirling mass. The world disappeared in an instant, only to be replaced by another.

The great beast landed on solid ground, holding Evan in its two lower arms.

Screaming and thrashing, Evan tried to escape, but the creature had him locked in an iron embrace.

“I didn't realise how powerful you are,” his captor mused. “I was going to feast on you myself, but you have great sorcery. I will gift you to my queen instead. Yes,” he muttered rapidly. “Yes, yes, my lovely queen will surely forgive me if I present her with a gift meant for Lord Kurrlan.”

They stood on a narrow cliff face that jutted out above a sea of lava. Beyond the narrow ridge stood volcanic mountains and a ruined red landscape swathed in a mist of ash. Many of the volcanoes were tinged green or blue. One volcano floated high above the sea of fire, as if by magic. The sky was strewn with stars of black fire and painted a vicious magma to rival the sea below.

This wasn't Earth. This wasn't anywhere that should be, or could be, real.

Evan continued to struggle feverishly against his captor, but the demon only laughed. Roaring in pain, fury and fear, Evan aimed a punch at the beast’s head.

To his astonishment a green blaze lurched from his hand again.

The demon's laugh curdled to a yell of agony and Evan fell from his grasp to the ground.

182

As the monster staggered, Evan crawled across the ruined red earth, making for the edge of the cliff. He'd rather throw himself into the volcanic sea than be eaten alive.

He scrambled to his feet, but before he could take another step the demon plunged a black spike into Evan's stomach.