Page 104 of Fires of the Forsaken
The Púca’s legs flailed through the air for a second before it flipped itself back over.
The Wraith lay on the ground. Not dead but stunned.
“What the—” I started.
With another roar, the Púca planted its front hooves on the Wraith’s face and heaved itself to its feet. There was a hollowcrunchas the Wraith’s helmet (and skull) buckled beneath the weight.
“—hell was that about?” I finished.
The Púca swiveled its head toward me, ears pricked. A pointed tongue slithered between its fangs.
“Oooh,fuck.” How the heck was I supposed to kill ahorse?A hound had been one thing—they were about the size of German Shepherds. Not small, but also not massive. But Púcas? They were freakinghuge!And fast, and strong, and with those poisonous fangs…
The Púca flattened its ears and lunged.
I screamed and flung the poleaxe in front of my face, closing my eyes, waiting for the impact.
It never came.
The Púca ran past me, its eyes fixated on another Wraith.
And another Púca.
It sounded like a firework exploding off its base when the two beasts collided. And the fight wasvicious.Both Púcas rose onto their hind legs, teeth flashing. They flailed their front hooves through the air, like boxers jabbing at each other.
The Wraith riding the second Púca flopped out of the saddle. Bad news for me because as soon as the rider got to his—sorry,herfeet (this rider was a curvy woman), she charged.
The two Púcas roared as their front hooves crashed back to the ground.
The rider winged her sword through the air.
“Shit!” I dove for the ground and barely,barely,avoided being decapitated. And I screamed again when a set of dinner-plate-sized hooves brushed dangerously close to my left pinkie.
One of the Púcas had its fangs buried in the other’s neck. I couldn’t tell which horse was which; they lookedexactlythe same.
With a grunt, I rolled myself onto my back, raising my poleaxe as the Wraith brought her sword down. There was aziiingwhen the blade scraped against the shaft of my weapon. The blisters on my palms screamed and my arms struggled to absorb the impact.
Again, she tried to stab me. Again, I managed to block her in time. She moved so damn fast, I couldn’t sort my hands out quick enough to get a hit in. Not while lying on my back.
I cursed as her third blow almost took out my right eye. If I’d been a half second slower getting my arms up…
Mowow.
A colossal black shadow passed overhead. The Púca. It jumped over me, landing inches away from my legs, and bulldozed into the Wraith.
I sat up, shaking from head to toe, as the Púca dug its fangs into the Wraith’s shoulder. The other Púca lay on the ground behind me, legs twitching, blood pouring from the gaping wound under its cheek.
I turned back around as the female Wraith hit the ground, her body going rigid. Her milk-white eyes rolled in their sockets, and she made this strange gurgle/gasp sound. She was still alive, but she didn’t move.
The venom.
So this was what happened when you got bit by a Púca.
The Púca snorted, spraying boogers and blood over the Wraith’s body, and cocked its head toward me.
“Umm,” I scrambled to my feet, “you don’t wanna eat me. Honestly. I maintained a steady junk-food diet until about a month ago. My blood’ssupersugary. Bad for your teeth, y’know?”
The Púca licked its lips and took a step,two, in my direction.
