Bloodlust - Helen Harper Page 0,99

his cloak, however. Something long and sharp and pointy, and fended them off with ease.

Then, without warning, the sky darkened and there was a rumble of thunder. Nearby trees began to shake, their leaves rustling dramatically in the sudden heavy wind. Everyone looked surprised. A bolt of lightning shot out from the clouds above, landing scant inches away from Endor.

“Again,” I whispered, “again.”

Taking the opportunity, Corrigan leapt down. There was something small and brown clutched in his hand. I fucking hoped he had some idea about how to use it. The sky boiled overhead, and ropes of harsh silver rain began to beat down mercilessly. There was another strike of lightning. Then another.

I was getting close. I pushed and pushed and pushed. The rain was making my costume wet and heavy. I shoved my wings up to the head and tried to get it off. It wouldn’t budge though. Without the traction my fingers offered, the stupid costume was stuck to me. But I was almost there, and so was the Lord Alpha.

Corrigan flung himself at Endor, swiping at him with the Palladium. A mage to the side sent out more blue flame, arcing it through the now dark sky. It hit him on the side of the face and, finally, the necromancer seemed pained. Solus, coming out of nowhere, leapt at him feet first, kicking him on the other side. We were winning.

Endor shot out more black fire, catching both Solus and Corrigan. Each of them was clearly in pain, but it didn’t stop them and they continued their attack. Then he began to mutter something. An indigo dark cloud was rising, enveloping all four of them and concealing them from sight. What it was I had no idea. With only a few feet between me and where Endor had been, I flung myself through the cloud and into the heart of it. I kicked out with my penguin feet, and rolled, trying to connect with the necromancer and knock him off balance. But whatever he was conjuring up, it was making the air difficult to breathe.

I continued rolling until I was clear of the choking haze. The rain was making it difficult to see, but I just caught a glimpse of Endor striding out from the dark haze. Where Corrigan and Solus were, I couldn’t tell. Hearing a shout from up ahead, I looked back at the mountain to where Endor was obviously heading. Someone up there was pointing out at the sides. I twisted over from where I was lying and realised what Endor had done. He’d conjured up some kind of dead army out of nowhere. We were hemmed in on every side by the shapes of rotting skeletons. Okaydokey then.

Streams of Otherworlders ran up and engaged them. The dark sky was being lit up by the force of the mages’ magic and, everywhere, shifters and faeries were getting up and close to the dead. But Endor was at the foot of the mountain and already beginning to climb. His cloud of darkness continued to hang where he’d been. I’d have to go back in and get Corrigan, Solus and the fucking Palladium.

Twisting in the other direction, I rolled myself again, this time into the cloud. I held my breath, forcing my body round and round until I hit something. It felt like a body – and it was complete inert. Every single good intention I had completely broke as a furnace of bloodfire lit inside me and roared. The penguin costume split open as I transformed. A mini hurricane spun through the cloud, forcing it to dissipate. Solus was at my feet. I scooped him with one clawed arm, and looked around for Corrigan. He was unconscious, lying face down. Roaring, I sprang forward and picked him up in my other hand. Then I looked upwards and jumped. And this time I flew.

It was beyond anything I’d experienced before. Exhilaration sipped through me and I felt as light as a feather. I didn’t have time to appreciate it, however: I had to get them to safety. In a flash, I was by the Eagle’s nest exit where I carefully laid down their inert bodies and then twisted back. A skeletal shape ran towards me but I flicked my tail round, easily catching its midsection. The thing collapsed in a pile of bones. Then I lifted up, stretching out my neck and flew back to the dark cloud.

Lying there, on its own in the driving rain,