Page 44 of Stone Seduction
I didn’t finish my sentence, a glittering comet-like thing arced across the sky, launched from the northwest of town.
Not a comet, but a massive cluster of purple motes fresh out of Brinecrest’s mote vent.
And it started falling, its trajectory the peninsula beach.
Ah, bollocks.
ELEVEN
Asher
The cluster hit the sand with a pop, motes scattering like fireworks.
I drew my sword, my stone skin up, since I knew what came next.
Motes made monsters. A massive cluster released from the vent with enough force to shake the town meant a flurry of fucked up creatures were about to throw down.
Bring it. I could do with the extra stretch.
We flew down to the sand as the floating motes swelled, becoming jelly-like purple orbs. They bounced on the beach for several seconds in comical formation.
So weird.
As one, they burst, releasing an army of purple jelly fish with spiky legs within a thick bundle of tentacles. Reminded me of chicken legs, but pointier.
Their bell-shaped tops throbbed, three sets of rapidly blinking white eyes in each one.
“Gargoyles will fall!” they cried, their collective voices a foghorn.
Gods, my poor ears.
The jellyfish sprang into action, lumbering in an awkward charge and falling into each other as they ran, the design of those legs not thought out properly.
Ha! Take that, knobheads!
Dane and I threw ourselves into an aggressive dance. Blades twirled, slicing off legs, the green energy of our protection gleaming across our bodies.
Man, I loved me some monster slaying.
I cleaved a couple of jellyfish in half, their screams and melting corpses filling me with happiness. I laughed, getting a tad cocky.
Until one landed a tentacle on my chest.
By. The. Gods. The sting burned, a series of aggressive jolts in my body forced me to my knees.
Fuck! My limbs spasmed out of control, pain flaring in my veins, my bones, making my mouth clamp shut.
“Asher!” Dane boomed.
My organs slowed. An oozing coldness slithered across my skin, slipping inside.
What happened? Monsters weren’t supposed to be able to touch me. Even a chimera had to put some serious force behind its fire to take me out. An awkward jellyfish on legs shouldn’t have the power to take me out with one touch. Unless they were evolved monsters, having discovered a new method of bypassing gargoyle magic.
Oh. Shit.
Dane fell over me, crushing me under his weight. His body thrashed, the same poison taking him down.
Gods, he was one heavy gargoyle.
