Horsemen's War (The Rebellion Chronicles #3) - Steve McHugh Page 0,62

moved to the water’s edge, allowing his mount to get a drink first.

A monstrous crocodile burst from the water with no warning, grabbing hold of the horse by its head and dragging it into the water as two more crocodiles tore chunks from the screaming animal. Tarron dived back from the water’s edge.

“That’s the biggest fucking croc I’ve ever seen,” Remy said in horror. “Would make some killer boots, though . . .”

He wasn’t wrong. It looked like one of those crocs in the cheap films that Mordred liked to watch. It must have been thirty feet long, and the other two were at least twenty feet in length.

“How did they survive down here for so long?” Tarron asked, clearly shaken from being so close to the attack.

“I was sure there were no crocodiles in Alexandria,” Lucifer said.

“You want to tell them that?” Remy asked.

“That wasn’t natural,” Isis said suspiciously.

The gigantic crocodile crawled out of the water onto the bank opposite us, swallowed down what appeared to be a leg of the horse, and began to change shape until it was no longer a crocodile but a man. Crystals lit up all around the cavern, bathing everyone in low levels of warm light. The man was nearly seven feet tall, with dark skin and long dark hair that was braided with jewels. He was muscular and completely naked. He crossed his huge arms over a barrel-like chest and laughed, the sound bouncing around the cavern.

“Isis,” the man shouted.

The water between us was clearer in the light, and I could see a half dozen crocodiles swimming around close to the surface.

“You brought me a feast,” the man shouted again.

“Sobek,” Isis said, not bothering to raise her voice and letting her air magic carry the words across the cavern. “I always wondered what happened to you.”

“I have made my home in Alexandria,” he said. “It’s a beautiful city, and my family and I can live in peace.”

“Are all of these crocodiles like you?” I asked.

“No,” Sobek said with a shake of his head. “These are normal crocodiles. There is a vast system of caves under here, and we can swim among them freely. Occasionally people use the tunnels to smuggle drugs and weapons, and occasionally they do not make it back out. These caves are dangerous things.”

“Because you eat them,” Lucifer snapped.

“Yes,” Sobek said with a laugh. “I prefer horse, though. It’s meatier.”

“There’s a realm gate behind you,” Isis said. “It goes to Duat.”

Sobek nodded. “There is. It needs no guardian or dwarf to operate it, but you will not get the chance to use it.”

“And why is that?” I asked.

“Because I do not want to let you through,” Sobek said matter-of-factly. “I do not work for Avalon; I do not work for Merlin or Arthur; I work for me. Gawain came through here and offered me a snack for allowing him to pass unharmed.”

“What do you want, Sobek?” Isis asked.

“Can I assume that you are off the table?” he asked with a chuckle.

“I can come over there and tell you face-to-face, if you’d like,” Isis said sweetly.

Sobek’s smile faded. “No, I think not,” he said eventually.

“Who sent you here?” I asked him. “Also, any chance we can do this talk not shouting over a cavern of crocodiles as they eat a horse?”

“As you wish,” he said, turning back into the gigantic crocodile and swimming over to us. Then he slowly walked out, his mouth wide, showing huge teeth.

“Grow up, Sobek,” Isis snapped.

Sobek turned back into his human form. “You sure do know how to spoil my fun,” he said.

“How long have you been here, and who sent you?” I asked.

“I have been here for a few centuries,” he said. “Hera told me about this place. She was untrustworthy, but in the long run, I think it worked out better for me than for her.”

“Hera’s dead,” I told him.

“Hence my thinking it worked out better for me,” Sobek said with a belly laugh. “I do not care about the realm gate, but I do care about not having to move homes when more of you come here to use it.”

“Is there a big number of people clamoring to go to Duat?” Remy asked.

“Maybe,” Sobek said thoughtfully. “There have been a lot more deaths recently.”

“How many of them were down to you?” Tarron snapped.

“Apart from the smugglers, I only kill those who threaten our way of life,” Sobek said, seemingly taking no offense to Tarron’s tone. “Also criminals, animals, anything that looks like