Read Online Apocalyptic Mojo by Sam Cheever - Free Book Online Page B

that you’re like acid rain on a picnic, hunter?”
    “Not this week, witch.”
    The hounds’ huge heads jerked upward as they snarled, spraying potentially deadly spittle across the ground where they stood. A nearly constant growl throbbed in their wide, leathery chests and their massive claws flexed against the hard ground as if they anticipated ripping Draigh and Ardith into tiny pieces. Despite the noisy posturing, however, they didn’t seem eager to advance.
    Ardith held the knife in one hand, her fingers damp against its leather-wrapped hilt. “What are they waiting for?”
    “I don’t know.” Draigh’s voice rumbled against her back, reassuring despite their precarious position.
    Finally, the biggest hound threw back its head and snarled, then leapt. The massive creature covered the distance between them in two powerful bounds, its claws stretched before it.
    Draigh yelled, “Paws!” and Ardith swung her knife and removed one paw just as Draigh lifted his knife and sliced sideways, neatly severing the creature’s head.
    She heard the thunderous approach of the other two and spun, realizing she wouldn’t have time to get her knife up before the first one slammed into them. Instead she rolled, landing on her back, and shoved upward with her feet as the monster flew over her. The creature yelled from the power-infused kick and met Draigh’s knife in mid-air.
    Ardith was already on her feet. But it was too late.
    The third hound was on Draigh, its huge maw open and heading for his throat. He couldn’t complete the arc of his swing in time to slice off its head. Ardith’s hand came up and she pulsed a massive wave of power into the hound’s head. The wash of power sent the creature sideways, away from Draigh, and it hit the ground a few feet away, bouncing hard on the torn asphalt before skidding away. Draigh leapt over a bulging rip in the asphalt and sliced downward, completing the job she’d started.
    Ardith’s knees buckled. That had been close. Too damn close. “Well that was too cl—”
    Draigh sagged downward, hitting the road hard on his knees.
    Ardith ran for him, catching his head before it cracked the road too. “What’s wrong?”
    But she saw the problem all too soon. His arm had a long scratch on it, and the flesh was bubbling, oozing black rot before her eyes. He was already convulsing. “Shit.”
    Ardith did the only thing she could. She lifted her eyes to the clouds and yelled. “Sirius!”
    The sky over her head sparkled, the clouds spinning and reforming until they were shaped like a giant, golden hound. Light exploded overhead and something that looked like a meteor shot toward her from the center of the explosion.
    It hit the ground nearby with the force of a meteor, ripping the already mangled surface and sending rocky debris skyward. As usual, Sirius made sure his powerful arrival didn’t harm her, taking care to throw protective magics over her as he landed.
    The hound approached quickly, his keen silver gaze sliding immediately to the source of her concern. “Help him, old friend.”
    Terror throbbed in her breath as she watched the black rot spread through Draigh’s enormous forearm and upward, heading toward his shoulder and more vital parts of his anatomy. Her breath locked in her lungs and her heart pounded against her ribs.
    She was terrified for the big hunter. Ardith didn’t examine the source of her fear too closely.
    Sirius lowered himself down beside Draigh with a whine, his beautiful gaze lifting a question to Ardith.
    She nodded impatiently. “Yes. I’m sure.”
    Asking Sirius to heal another was a gift of immense proportion. Ardith paid a price for each healing her familiar performed. And Ardith didn’t use the gifts lightly. Not even for herself.
    The larger the healing gift, the higher the price.
    As Draigh’s huge, warrior’s body succumbed to massive shuddering, his handsome face turning gray. Ardith knew the price for this particular gift would be