Chapter 32 #5
“Peony!” Temnavi was suddenly there, grabbing her wrists and pulling her up.
She was surprised by how strong the boy was, considering he was so young. Or maybe that was her own adrenaline giving her the power to lift herself up and over the edge.
The barrier was still in place. The domini on the other side were trying to find a way around.
“Come on!” Temnavi urged, trying to get her to stand.
Her shredded calves protested the movement. Blood rushed down her ankles, over her feet, making her steps slick as Temnavi pulled her along.
The scratching returned behind her.
“Run!” She ordered the boy, pushing against his back.
He didn't listen, setting his jaw as he helped her hobble along.
They couldn't go anywhere. That energy barrier was keeping her trapped in this little section of the platform as surely as it kept the other domini from coming to her aid.
Another hissing roar was her only warning before pain burst along her scalp. He had grabbed her by the hair and jerked her back. He started to drag her away.
“No!” Temnavi roared with all his childish might, running for the ratchi. His little fingers, clawless and helpless, curled in the air.
He grabbed onto the male's leg, biting him viciously. Peony was surprised to see blue blood actually welling up where Temnavi's little fangs ripped through the scales. Having tried to bite her captors before, she knew how thick their hide was.
The ratchi yelled pain, bringing his fist down on the kid's head.
“Stop!” Peony yelled, trying to grab for his wrist. Her scalp screamed as she pulled against his hold.
Temnavi whimpered but remained latched on, digging his fangs in deeper, all three of his purple eyes glowing with anger and determination.
The ratchi grabbed him by the back of the neck, squeezing until the youngling's jaw released. He threw him away with a growl of anger.
Temnavi's body bounced once and rolled away. But he was up again, face smeared with blue blood, looking like a feral little beast. He charged.
“No!” Peony cried, fear for the tiny thing rising in her throat like bile.
The ratchi lifted his claws, ready to bring them down on the boy.
Peony turned, ignoring the agony of the pressure on her skull.
With a roar of her own, she jammed two fingers straight down into the hole Temnavi had made with his fangs.
Deep into the meat of the ratchi's leg. Warm blood sprayed against her hand as she dug into his flesh, ripping at the weakened edges, digging through the muscle.
The ratchi roared in agony, throwing her away from him.
She flew as far as Temnavi had in the wrong direction. Her head hit the energy barrier and the electrical shock raced through her body like she had touched a live wire. She collapsed to the ground, her forehead striking something oddly hollow that cracked under the force and left her dizzy.
Temnavi's tiny, ferocious war cry cut through the fog like a knife.
Groaning, shaking, she pushed herself up just in time to see the young boy dodge a strike from the ratchi's huge claws.
He was going to kill a child!
An innocent boy!
Peony wasn't sure where she found the strength to get up on her knees. A tiny sting of pain turned her eyes down to her finger.
For a second, she was confused by the broken pottery that spread out beside her hand. She distantly remembered cracking her head on something. She thought it was the ground.
No, it had been the clay cup that Temnavi had dropped. It lay in shards now. Sharp shards.
She didn't think. She grabbed the biggest one. She barely even felt it digging into her palm as she pushed herself to her feet and sprinted towards the massive, reptilian monster. He had grabbed Temnavi by the hair and was forcing his head back, exposing his throat.
Peony screamed, more to distract him than anything.
The ratchi turned just as she leapt on his back. Her legs locked around his waist. One arm locked around his head.
The other drove the jagged clay shard down into his neck. Once. Twice.
She screamed, tears pouring down her face as she slammed it down again and again.
The ratchi released Temnavi and stumbled back.
Claws dug into the flesh of her arm, her legs, trying to rip her off.
She remained locked on, focused only on slicing through his neck.
Cutting through that thick hide. Blood coated her hand up to the wrist, making the shard slippery, especially as more of it poured out.
The ratchi began to shake. To seize.
She kept stabbing. Even when he collapsed to his knees, his body still jerking erratically.
She stabbed until he collapsed forward. Only when he was still, laying in a pool of his own blood, did she finally stop. Shaking, crying, she pushed herself up, checking for Temnavi.
The young male was sitting on his butt, looking at her, all three eyes wide.
Gasping, she stood. Her shredded legs only held her weight for a few steps before they buckled, dropping her just a few steps for him. She crawled forward, needing to see for herself that the boy was okay.
She had only just barely touched his cheek when the energy barrier finally died. Within moments, she was crowded by concerned domini who were reaching for her and Temnavi both, but she couldn't focus on them.
She didn't remember much what happened after that.