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.