Page 76 of Pippa of Lauramore
There’s another cry. It’s much closer and on the other side of us.
I stop, holding up my hand so the others will stop too. There’s another shriek behind us.
“How many of them are there?” Marigold gasps.
“Only one.”
Leonora touches my shoulder, and true terror shines in her eyes. “Pippa. The cries—they aren’t coming from the ground. They’re coming from the sky.”
“I know.”
Marigold’s head jerks up, and she swivels, looking for the threat. “What is it?”
“It’s a glasseln, and it’s circling,” I answer.
“What do we do?”
I have no idea. I have no weapons, no fire…nothing.
Something dark sweeps above us and disappears into the trees. It shrieks again.
Marigold jerks and clings to Leonora. “What’s it doing?”
“Playing with us.” I look around, frantic to find something to use as a weapon. I pry a broken branch from a tree and stumble back as it breaks free.
In the distance, I hear horses. Somewhere nearby the bandits are searching for us. Perhaps the glasseln will be distracted and take after them instead.
It swoops again on silent wings, its shadowed form the only sign of its presence. I hold the branch like a club. Leonora and Marigold huddle together, back to back, as we crane our necks upward.
“There!” Marigold yells.
The dark form screeches as it swoops down. All three of us duck, and its claws only narrowly miss us.
It wouldn’t have missed if it hadn’t meant to.
It rises in front of us, turns in mid-flight, and then drops to the ground. Marigold gasps, and the beast lowers itself to a crouch. Massive feathered wings aretucked against its body, and it’s long, black tail swishes back and forth.
It’s as beautiful as it is terrifying. Long, lean, and covered with glossy black fur, it creeps forward, twitching as if it is about to pounce. Emerald green eyes shine in the darkness and appear to be lit by some unnatural light.
I scream a battle cry and wave my hands and club in the air.
“Pippa!” Leonora cries, trying to hold me back. “What are you doing?”
I break from her and run at the glasseln. It shrinks back, its ears twitching. Then it creeps forward and lets out a terrible hiss—like a perturbed stable cat but louder and much more frightening.
I hiss back, trying to make myself as large and threatening as possible. Its muscles twitch, and then it leaps into the air.
“Is it gone?” Marigold asks, her voice laced with disbelief.
“No,” I answer, frantically looking for it in the air. It’s circling again. “It’s toying with us.”
It attacks from overhead, and this time its claws rip across my shoulder. I howl in agony. Once again, it turns in mid-air. Its eyes are on mine like a challenge. It’s going for the kill, and it’s focused on me.
“Get down!” I scream, and I hold my branch up to defend myself.
It hisses and then sweeps toward me, its eyes locked on mine.
CHAPTER 19
