Queen of the Fae (Dragon's Gift The Dark Fae #3) - Linsey Hall Page 0,49
handle above me and peered at the goats who milled around, chomping on grass. Occasionally they’d blast the green stalks with their fire, maybe to give it a little crunch. Every now and again, one would look at us, red eyes flaming.
“Mari, look up.” Aeri’s voice turned my attention to the sky.
Red clouds swept through the air, which was beginning to turn toward dusk.
“That’s not a sunset.” Horror formed a pit in my stomach.
“The sky is on fire,” Aeri said.
She was right. The red clouds were made of flame.
Devrim turned around, pointing at the clouds as he spoke. “And that is why you don’t want to fly.”
“Then double thanks for the ride.” I gripped the handle above my head tighter, hoping this ride ended soon. I’d rather face down a bunch of endangered lions than hang out in the back of this bumpy thing much longer.
We were about halfway toward the mountain when Devrim turned around to meet our eyes. “Get ready.”
“For what?” Tarron asked.
“The speed.”
“This isn’t fast?” Shock lanced me. I was familiar with speed. I’d bought my mustang for it. I was no slouch. But… “Aren’t we going fast enough?”
“Not for Angry Ahabi.” He pointed to a cluster of goats off to our right and a bit forward.
A huge goat in front stared at us, red eyes flaming. She was twice the size of the others, and her posse had to be made up of two hundred other goats.
“Angry Ahabi was once mine. No longer. She has forged off on her own.”
Angry Ahabi shrieked, a great baa that sent a shiver down my spine. Then she charged, her head low to the ground and smoke blowing from her nose. The others followed, headed straight for us. The ground trembled with the force of their footfalls, the horde of them moving so fast that they would surely intercept us.
My heart jumped into my throat.
This was not what I had been expecting. Being frightened by goats was so not in my wheelhouse.
But Angry Ahabi was a big bitch, and she plowed ahead with the force of a locomotive. Flames burst from her nostrils, blackening the wool on her chest. She didn't so much as slow. Her minions kept up, so many of them that they could trample us to death.
“Shit, shit, shit.” Aeri, who was closest to the goats, unbuckled her seat belt and stood on the seat.
“Hold on!” Devrim yanked on the steering wheel and turned hard left, veering away from the horde.
Tarron stood, his magic rising on the air. The field began to smell of autumn, and he thrust out his hands, throwing a huge blast of water at the goats.
Angry Ahabi’s flame doused, and she howled, a baa that it sounded like it came from the depths of hell. She plowed forward, picking up speed.
With her head down and her feet thundering, she was likely planning to ram the front wheels of the car. She moved so fast that she could probably break an axle, then we’d end up crushed under their hooves.
Ah, shit.
Devrim was a great driver, fast and sure. He swerved and accelerated, keeping just out of range of Angry Ahabi, who was slowed by Tarron’s jets of water but not enough to stop her. She seemed to be propelled by pure, unadulterated rage. Her minions never slowed up, either, ready to pound us into the ground under their hooves.
I unhooked my seat belt and stood. “Aeri. Let’s break open the earth. Tarron, you too.”
He nodded, not stopping the flow of water that he was using to slow the goats, who plowed through like freight trains. I cut into my finger, watching Aeri do the same. Pain sliced, then black blood welled. I used my Dragon Blood to imagine breaking the earth apart as a fissure that would separate us from the murderous goats.
Aeri’s magic surged, the sound of birdsong cutting through the dusk. Tarron’s did as well, and the earth to the right of the jeep began to crack in front of Angry Ahabi.
We created a chasm so wide they couldn’t jump it. I held my breath, hoping Angry Ahabi would stop.
I respected that angry goat. She was just protecting her turf. I didn’t want her plummeting into a pit.
She skidded to a halt in front of the chasm, her eyes alight with rage. The baa that escaped her made the hair on my arms stand on end. She eyed me with her gleaming gaze, and I waved.