Page 94 of Bite of Passage
Skarde sniffed, processing the smell of fur and body odor.“Manticore.”
“They don’t exist.Just a legend.”Cade pressed himself tight against the side of the tunnel and patted all his weapons.“It’s probably a minotaur or werewolf.”
Skarde sighed as he prepared for a hellacious battle.“This is why it was too easy to get in.And minotaurs and werewolves don’t have the patience to walk.They pounce.”
Craig peeked up the tunnel.“Head of a man, body of a lion, wings of a dragon, and tail of a scorpion?The strike of a claw or tail kills and leaves no trace?You mean that manticore?”
“They have weaknesses like any other creature,” Mallory said.“They also can be female.This isn’t the type of place they typically inhabit, though.They prefer wooded areas in the open, which means it’s been imprisoned or befriended.”
“Befriended?This is VanFliet we’re talking about.He doesn’t trust anyone.”Cade lowered his voice.“At least it’s not a dragon coming our way.I prefer not to die in flames.”
Skarde shrugged.“When it comes to these odd creatures, you can’t rely on rumors.Manticores are cunning and have sharp teeth.I’d prefer a dragon to a manticore.More brains on one of these guys than a dragon.”
“You’ve fought a manticore before?”
“No.I discussed them with Serish years ago.They come from his homeland.Supposedly, they’re much easier to contend with than a sphinx or chimera.”
Cade gazed up the dark hole of the tunnel.“How can you be sure that’s what is approaching?What are you basing your guess on?Smell?”
Skarde compressed his lips.“The longer I do this job, the more I seem to simply know about these creatures.The information comes to me—including how to defeat them.I’ve figured over time my nature has adapted as I’ve killed, and now I sometimes absorb the knowledge or essence of the things I eliminate.”
“That’s not possible.”
“It doesn’t sound possible that a medicinal would live in an alternate world and then fall through a portal to this realm only to discover she’s part of a long-feared prophecy.Even less so that she would turn into a vampire when there’s been a scourge on the species preventing humans from being fully turned for over a century.”
“Right.Totally possible for the approaching enemy to be a legendary creature no one I know has ever seen,” Cade muttered.
“Wait a second.You found the girl from your prophecy?”Mallory asked.“Did you, well…you know, make her vampire?”
“He fully turned her.She’s quite something.”Cade chuckled.“She’s got Skarde twisted into all kinds of knots.Now that Petra captured her… I’m betting on him losing his motherfucking mind when we get inside.”Cade drew his sword and stepped off the wall.“Let’s kick some manticore ass.”
“Damn, I like your brother,” Craig said, following Cade’s lead.
Skarde grabbed Cade’s sword arm and slammed Craig back against the wall.“Hold.”
“The best offensive is a decisive start,” Cade said.
“Another gem from good old Dad.”He sniffed the air.“Cigar smoke?”
“It’s already celebrating its kill.”Cade wiggled to get his arm free.His body tensed to attack.
A monstrous, furry animal rounded the corner.Two cape buffalo style horns spiraled off the top of its half-lion, half-human head.The scariest part wasn’t the two dragon wings or the fact the manticore probably weighed a thousand pounds, but its scorpion tail.The poison in that might not kill them, but it would stun them, probably for days.
The manticore sat on its haunches and used its front paw like a hand to remove the cigar from its mouth.In a low, rumbly tone it said, “You guys stink.”
“A small swim in your moat wasn’t as refreshing as we thought it’d be.”Skarde chinned in the direction they’d come.
It screwed up its nose.“He said that’s how you’d come in.I thought he was nuts.It’s disgusting out there.It’s worse since Petra’s guards started disposing of the witch’s leftovers.”
“VanFliet predicted we’d come in that way?”Skarde asked.
“He expected one vampire, though.Who are you?”
“I’m Skarde.”He did a half bow, careful not to lose eye contact with the creature.He waved toward his brother.“That’s Cade.”
“Two is better than one, I suppose.But those humans with you are going to die.”The manticore returned the cigar to its mouth and took a long inhale before blowing out smoke.“I think he wished you’d have arrived sooner, before the witch got the ceremony in full swing.But…” It sighed.“You’re here.Take four rights and go up the ladder.You’ll be outside the building you’re looking for.”
“Why are you helping us?Aren’t you supposed to kill us for entering his domain?”Cade held up his sword.
