Fantastical (Fantasyland #3)(30)

Whoa.

I did it.

I did it!

So I decided to do it some more.

Okay, so I clearly wasn’t as gifted with a knife as was evidenced by the practiced swings and thrusts that Noctorno performed with his sword but it didn’t matter. When he was swinging right, I concentrated on anything that got close on the left. Same with his left, I went right. When he was circling his sword overhead, anything went.

The creatures shrieked, yelped, sparks flew and this happened not only from the shaft of Noctorno’s sword but the sharp blade I carried.

Jeez, I was like a real warrior princess!

Totally cool!

The problem was, there were lots of them, as many fell back, there were more charging in. This lasted a long time. It lasted so long, Salem had made it down the mountain to the road. It lasted so long, it continued down the road. It lasted so long, Salem, Noctorno and I were breathing hard, sweating and, I couldn’t speak for man or beast, but I was scared shitless.

They just wouldn’t go away.

We finally hit a village, not the one we were in for dinner, a different one, just as picturesque but not on the river and it was asleep.

The horse’s hooves clattered sharply against the cobbles and he raced us directly to the church at the other end of the village.

To the church then, no joke, straight up the church steps, then, still no joke, he reared back on his hind legs, Noctorno leaned deep into me, I reached out, dropping my knife and grabbing Salem’s mane, the horse’s powerful hooves beat down the door and then he tore inside.

Yes, the horse tore inside a church.

The vickrants disappeared in an unholy (no pun intended), loud, ear-splitting screech of shrieks.

Salem stopped dead center of the church; Noctorno dismounted instantly and just as instantly dragged me off the back of the horse.

Then his hands were on my biceps and he was shaking me.

Shaking me!

Again!

“Stop shaking me!” I shouted through my labored breathing.

“What did you do?” he barked, still shaking me.

Oh God. Was he going to blame me for this too?

“Nothing,” I answered.

“What did you do?” he thundered, still freaking shaking me.

I grabbed onto his arms and screamed, “Nothing!”

He stopped shaking me only to toss me away from him with such violence I went flying and stumbled into some pews, banging my thigh on the side of one so hard the pain beat in and radiated out instantaneously.

He advanced on me and I lifted a hand, palm out and cried, “Stay back!”

“Did you throw out the bones?” he asked, his voice quieter but no less scary.

“Wh… what?”

Then he lost it again.

“Did you throw out the bloody bones, Cora?” he raged.

I shook my head. “Yes, I… you mean when I tidied?”

“Gods!” he bellowed. “Do you want Minerva to find you?”

“No!” I yelled. “I don’t know what you’re talking about!”

He got close, my breath fled and I shrunk away, cowering, stupid, stinking, weak cowering away from his big, powerful body and his bigger, more powerful rage. I dimly heard Salem’s hooves on the wood floor of the aisle and felt him get close to us but my concentration was on Noctorno and trying, and failing, to force air into my lungs.

“You know,” he gritted between clenched teeth.

I sucked in breath, shook my head and whispered, “I keep telling you –”

He reached down and wrapped his fingers around my arm again, hauling me up and he gave me a shake that snapped my head back so hard, I saw stars.

Salem whinnied.

Noctorno’s body went still and I heard him draw in a sharp, hissing breath through his teeth.

“Stop playing that damned, bloody game,” he warned, his face close but I was still blinking away the bright lights in my eyes.

“I… I… I swear, God, I swear, I’m not.”

He shoved me away again and the small of my back hit the sharp edge of the top of a pew. I whimpered but he strode away.

He stopped at the door and looked to his horse.

“Do not let her leave.”

Salem snorted.

Noctorno turned and jogged down the steps, disappearing without looking back.

Chapter Ten

Minerva

“Get out of my way, Salem,” I commanded.

The horse snorted and shuffled across the space at the front of the church, blocking the doors with his massive body.

“Get out of my way, Salem!” I shouted and the horse snorted again, his front legs buckled like he was going to go down on his knees then he reared up and snorted again.

“I’m leaving!” I announced.

Salem whinnied what sounded like frantically.

I planted my hands on my h*ps and looked the horse in his eyes.

“You saw him!”

He blew through his lips and his mighty head swung side to side.

“He shook me! He nearly snapped my goddamned head off!”

The horse moved closer to me and butted the side of my head with his nose.

I grabbed it and pulled it down to catch his eyes again.

“I don’t care about Minerva,” I told him, my voice suddenly low and trembling. “Right now, the devil I don’t know is way, way better than the devil I do.”