transparent. His eyes took on the purple gaze. Lips curled into a wicked sneer. Animallike.
The Leedhan.
Even Silvie looked unnerved by his behavior. Derias made a coughing sound that was probably a laugh. His eyes narrowed and brightened. “Then you understand the danger.”
“I concern myself not with such risks.” Johnis tightened his jaw. “I present to you a means of restoring that which has so long been denied you. The glory of the sons of our Great One, our lord Teeleh, shall at last be made complete again. These trappings which now bind you shall no longer hinder. What say you, mighty guardian?”
Johnis would know better. The entity had to be lying. Shataiki could never regain “glory,” assuming they’d ever had any.
The bat drooled over the fruit. He wanted it, badly, but something was holding him back. Only one choice would allow them to find out. Was it base to ask Elyon to bestow wisdom upon a Shataiki?
“You think me so easily swayed?” Derias stroked his chin with a claw. His gaze flicked from the fruit to the sacrificed bird to Johnis. “Begone!”
“We have an agreement.” Johnis’s voice was husky. Seductive.
“I am not persuaded.”
“Such is for you and you alone, my prince. Taste and see.” Johnis opened his free hand toward Silvie. She passed him the knife. He cut the fruit open, returned the knife to her, and smelled half of the fruit.
Darsal’s stomach churned.
Johnis said something so soft she couldn’t even hear his voice. She only saw his mouth move.
But the bat heard. Silence lingered.
Then Derias turned to Sucrow and took the bird from his outstretched hand. Johnis watched, blank faced, while the Shataiki tore its prey to pieces and fed. Darsal imagined Johnis was the bird, his soul ripped apart by cruel talons.
Silvie whispered to Johnis, and the bat replied.
“Such is not within reach forever,” Johnis warned.
The throng of Shataiki fluttered in the trees. Darsal grabbed for one of Marak’s knives. He pulled her hand away.
“Take and eat, most excellent of beasts.” Johnis offered the fruit to the bat one last time, his words lost in the air that clung to them.
No, Johnis, no.
Derias shrieked and took off into the air, circled high beyond the trees, and dove back down, wings folded, straight for Johnis.
Darsal grabbed Marak’s knife and whipped her arm back to throw. Marak grabbed her, pinned her down, and took the knife away.
The bat let out another roar and whooshed past Johnis’s head, knocking him down. His talons closed around the fruit, and he swerved upward again. The other Shataiki took flight, and hundreds upon hundreds joined their queen in the sky. They screeched and dove over the humans’ heads.
Marak threw himself over Darsal.
“Did he eat it?” Darsal screamed. “Did he eat it?”
“I don’t know!”
Darsal fought at first, then remembered the general wasn’t going to hurt her. He scooped her up and ran with her in a dark, hot cocoon.
“Josef!” Marak yelled. “Get down from the—”
Johnis shouted over the din. Water splashed when he jumped in and started swimming.
“What’s happening?” Darsal demanded. “What’s going on? Did they take it?”
“Yes,” Marak snarled. “They’re following us out. Josef ordered them to meet us in the sky but not to attack.”
“Then put me down!”
“They aren’t all obeying the command! I don’t want you to—”
He grunted and fell flat on his face on top of her. He fought off the Shataiki clawing them. Another bat assaulted the first, and the pair rolled away. Marak picked Darsal back up and continued his retreat.
“Sucrow! Forget that! Come on!”
“Marak!” She threw her arms around his neck.
“Hold on!” He lost his footing, and they both went flying.
Darsal fell, her head smashing against rock, with Marak’s weight slamming into her. Red and yellow stars, then darkness.
fourteen
J ohnis raced with the others back through the forest, with two million
The Leedhan.
Even Silvie looked unnerved by his behavior. Derias made a coughing sound that was probably a laugh. His eyes narrowed and brightened. “Then you understand the danger.”
“I concern myself not with such risks.” Johnis tightened his jaw. “I present to you a means of restoring that which has so long been denied you. The glory of the sons of our Great One, our lord Teeleh, shall at last be made complete again. These trappings which now bind you shall no longer hinder. What say you, mighty guardian?”
Johnis would know better. The entity had to be lying. Shataiki could never regain “glory,” assuming they’d ever had any.
The bat drooled over the fruit. He wanted it, badly, but something was holding him back. Only one choice would allow them to find out. Was it base to ask Elyon to bestow wisdom upon a Shataiki?
“You think me so easily swayed?” Derias stroked his chin with a claw. His gaze flicked from the fruit to the sacrificed bird to Johnis. “Begone!”
“We have an agreement.” Johnis’s voice was husky. Seductive.
“I am not persuaded.”
“Such is for you and you alone, my prince. Taste and see.” Johnis opened his free hand toward Silvie. She passed him the knife. He cut the fruit open, returned the knife to her, and smelled half of the fruit.
Darsal’s stomach churned.
Johnis said something so soft she couldn’t even hear his voice. She only saw his mouth move.
But the bat heard. Silence lingered.
Then Derias turned to Sucrow and took the bird from his outstretched hand. Johnis watched, blank faced, while the Shataiki tore its prey to pieces and fed. Darsal imagined Johnis was the bird, his soul ripped apart by cruel talons.
Silvie whispered to Johnis, and the bat replied.
“Such is not within reach forever,” Johnis warned.
The throng of Shataiki fluttered in the trees. Darsal grabbed for one of Marak’s knives. He pulled her hand away.
“Take and eat, most excellent of beasts.” Johnis offered the fruit to the bat one last time, his words lost in the air that clung to them.
No, Johnis, no.
Derias shrieked and took off into the air, circled high beyond the trees, and dove back down, wings folded, straight for Johnis.
Darsal grabbed Marak’s knife and whipped her arm back to throw. Marak grabbed her, pinned her down, and took the knife away.
The bat let out another roar and whooshed past Johnis’s head, knocking him down. His talons closed around the fruit, and he swerved upward again. The other Shataiki took flight, and hundreds upon hundreds joined their queen in the sky. They screeched and dove over the humans’ heads.
Marak threw himself over Darsal.
“Did he eat it?” Darsal screamed. “Did he eat it?”
“I don’t know!”
Darsal fought at first, then remembered the general wasn’t going to hurt her. He scooped her up and ran with her in a dark, hot cocoon.
“Josef!” Marak yelled. “Get down from the—”
Johnis shouted over the din. Water splashed when he jumped in and started swimming.
“What’s happening?” Darsal demanded. “What’s going on? Did they take it?”
“Yes,” Marak snarled. “They’re following us out. Josef ordered them to meet us in the sky but not to attack.”
“Then put me down!”
“They aren’t all obeying the command! I don’t want you to—”
He grunted and fell flat on his face on top of her. He fought off the Shataiki clawing them. Another bat assaulted the first, and the pair rolled away. Marak picked Darsal back up and continued his retreat.
“Sucrow! Forget that! Come on!”
“Marak!” She threw her arms around his neck.
“Hold on!” He lost his footing, and they both went flying.
Darsal fell, her head smashing against rock, with Marak’s weight slamming into her. Red and yellow stars, then darkness.
fourteen
J ohnis raced with the others back through the forest, with two million
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