The Priestess and the Thief Kindred Tales 30 - Evangeline Anderson Page 0,51

he added. “Whoever you may be.”

“I’m the Royal Zorel Entrancer!” Elli snapped. “And I say stop shocking him!”

She grabbed for the man’s arm but just at that moment Demon reared and sounded his claxon cry again. Then, bending his head, the angry zorel blew a solid stream of fire from his nostrils right at the groom—and at Elli, since she was directly beside him.

It’s coming right at me—I’ll be burned to a crisp! Elli barely had time to think before a strong arm looped around her waist and yanked her to safety, just as the fiery jet descended.

She didn’t escape unscathed—the fierce pain of a fresh burn raced along the top of her forearm and the back of her hand. But she knew—in a rush of dizzy dread—that if she hadn’t been pulled away at that exact moment, she would have suffered a worse fate.

The only proof she needed was the Tenebrian groom, now wreathed in flames, as he screeched and screamed and ran madly about the training circle like a living torch.

“Put him out!” shouted Roke—for it was he who had grabbed Elli and whisked her away in the nick of time. “Throw water on him, someone—the water trough is just there!”

He was pointing at the large rectangular trough at the far end of the training ring, just past the gate which led to the stable yard. But the Tenebrian nobles, who had gathered to watch outside the tall wooden training fence, weren’t paying him any attention. They were staring at the screaming groom and Elli saw money changing hands—apparently the nobles were making bets on how long he would live before the flames consumed him.

“These fools are useless—I’ll have to do it myself,” Roke growled. He started to push Elli under the lowest bars of the fence, where she’d come through in the first place. “You stay out of the way. I’ll go help.”

“No!” Elli grasped at his arm urgently. “No, Roke—you mustn’t!” she exclaimed, holding him tight.

“What are you talking about? That idiot groom will die if I don’t put him out,” the big warrior growled.

“And you’ll die if you get anywhere near Demon right now,” Elli told him. “He’s in a Fury.”

“Yes, I can tell that,” Roke snapped. “But as long as I stay near the edge of the fence and keep clear of him—”

“No, you don’t understand.” Elli shook her head. “When a zorel goes into a Fury, no one and nothing can calm him down and he will kill anyone in his territory. In fact, we both need to get out for now.”

She squeezed under the fence and waited expectantly. Roke cast a last glance over his shoulder at the hapless groom, but the Tenebrian servant had fallen down by now and was only twitching. Demon was still rearing and tossing his head and now he rolled his red eyes, his gaze coming to rest on Roke, who was still in the training ring.

“Hurry!” Elli said anxiously. “He’s still mad with the Fury. You have to get out of his territory, Roke!”

As though to prove her words, Demon lowered his head and rushed towards them, black smoke billowing from his nostrils.

“Hurry!” Elli gasped again. “He’s going to flame!”

Roke seemed to believe her at last, because he squeezed under the fence—with a great more difficulty since he was so much bigger than her—and barely got out of the rampaging zorel’s way.

Finding his quarry gone, Demon screamed in rage and blew a stream of flame from his nostrils in their direction.

Elli ducked and pulled Roke’s head down at the same time. She was barely in time—she could feel the deadly heat of the huge zorel’s flames radiating against the back of her head and rippling down her spine. But thank goodness, nothing caught on fire.

“Stay down,” she muttered to Roke, hoping he would listen to her. “Just stay down—we have to wait until the Fury passes.”

The big warrior said nothing but he laid low with her until, with an angry snort, they heard the big zorel gallop away.

At last Elli dared to raise her head. She saw that Demon was galloping around and around the training ring fence, which was too high for him to jump, snorting angrily and blowing puffs of black smoke.

The Tenebrian nobles had backed a prudent distance away, all of them keeping a close eye on the huge, angry beast. Some of them also seemed to be settling up their bets for Elli saw money being exchanged. The sight made her sick