The Soul Eaters (The Thin Hex Line Book 1) by Gwyndolyn Russell (100 best novels of all time .txt) 📗

cloak had gotten twisted up, keeping him from turning around fully. More rubble collapsed from the ceiling, completely blocking the way back.

“Fen?!” I hurried back to him.

He growled and pulled, trying to twist around.

His cloak was stuck under the rubble.

“Fuck. Fuck. Take it off!” I said, reaching up to his shoulders to unclasp the cloak. I found nothing there. The cloak was attached through the different layers of his armor. His wingarms bent backwards and scratched at the debris, but there was too much weight even for him to lift.

I did the only thing I could think off. I cradled the artifact against my thighs and chest and used my knife to cut into his cloak. The moment I stabbed it through, not only did I see black blood ooze out, but Fenris uttered a hiss of pain.

“Fuckin’ Christ.” I exhaled. “It’s part of you?!”

“Go!” Fenris snarled, using one of his wingarms to push me away.

“Fuck you!” I snapped at him. “Shut the fuck up.” I glared and stabbed the knife down. “It’s gonna hurt, but it has to be done.”

I cut away the furry cloak until Fenris was freed. The tunnel was collapsing around us. The shaking only got worse. I got the sense we were being followed. Somehow the creatures we woke up knew where we were and were waiting to bust right through to us.

Fenris kept pulling on himself and I kept cutting until finally, he ripped the last bit of fur away. Back up to my feet, I ran ahead with Fenris right behind me.

“Jack! Fen!” Reaper called from the entrance.

I had never been happier to see a light at the end of a tunnel before. The brilliant blue hue was blinding. It was our only solace as the cave around us came down. I ended up right into the rushing water of the ocean. Sliding across the wet basalt until splashing into the sea foam.

Fenris used its wingarms to brace itself over the water and climb part way up the basalt cliff. He reached down to help me out of the water and even pushed me up above him.

Yaaranam was up at the top, pulling her father up over the edge. She held her hand out for Reaper, waiting for him to grab it. Mjolnir was up there as well, helping Vactubstein away from the cliff to safety.

We were free. We fucking made it. I gave a winded cheer as I climbed up the basalt. Getting down was the easy part. Getting back up this stuff? It was practically impossible. The sea water made it too slippery to grip anything. I have no idea how Reaper and Vactubstein made it up. If it wasn’t for Fenris I would’ve been back in the water a hundred times. Every step I took, I slipped back two more.

The sky must have been clouding over. The ground around me darkened. I couldn’t even see Fenris’ shadow anymore. Rushing water was overtaken by the sound of water pouring down. I figured it was over all the pillars.

“God save us all…” I heard Reaper gasp.

Then I was up in the air, yanked right from the basalt. Fenris had picked me up with a wing arm and chucked me like a baseball up towards the top of the cliff. I kept the artifact against my chest with one hand while kicking my feet and other arm. I don’t know if it helped me catch air, or move me forward through it. All I knew is, I was well over the ground and I did not want to take that impact at the full force I knew the gravity of the planet was going to make me. I hollered all the while as if it would help me do anything at all.

Then I stopped.

Midair.

The openness around me caged in by way of bones, bigger than me, conical with needle sharp points. A searing pain rushed up from my thigh straight to my heart. I couldn’t get my free arm to budge in the slightest, pinched between two of the dozens of bones. Something scraped over the top of my helmet, keeling my head backwards. I could hear the sound of nails scratching metal. Where I came to rest was wet and squishy. I sunk into the moist surface as it rolled against my back.

I had a bird’s eye view of everything below. Everyone was much smaller than I remembered. I could see some sort of blue serpent the size of a battle cruiser, attacking them. The sight of its cone shaped teeth made me think of the ones surrounding me.

I was in the mouth of one of them.

Fucking Christ. I was in its mouth! I screamed for help. I could have maybe stabbed it, but that meant letting go of the crystal. Now that I had it, my body wouldn’t even let me let it go.

Fenris was holding the fangs of the other serpent, pulling its head down against the basalt pillars. His wingarms braced it against the stone.

The creature was just like a snake. Covered in blue scales with an endless body that delved deep into the ocean. It was decorated with malleable fins and whiskers. Horns stretched out from the top of its head. Four soulless orbs on either side of its head for eyes that glowed a brilliant white. At first, it didn’t even look like an eos. Its body was perfect. Lacked any scars, or marks of combat. As more of its body rose out of the water as it struggled against Fenris’ grasp, metal armor poked out. Even the little bit I got to see was larger than one of the trucks.

So, this was the end for me. Right back to where we started. I thought that maybe telling the story would ease the pain of passing away, but it didn’t. My heart is still pounding, ready to explode at any second. All of my thoughts are jumbled up and bouncing off the walls like a kid on