Descent Read Free Page B

pressed.
    ‘Like I said, there is no way back.’
    Jack looked at Mia. ‘We’ll find a way,’ he said softly.
    ‘I would love to see you try,’ Altor interrupted.
    Mia scowled. ‘We’re prisoners then? Is that it?’
    ‘Not at all. You are free to do as you please. I just find it amusing that you neglect to listen to me and come to your own conclusions.’
    ‘We don’t even know who you are! Why should we believe anything you say? Why should we even be following you?’ Jack snapped.
    Altor stopped walking and turned to look at them.
    ‘Well, for a start, I’m all you have right now. But if that won’t do, please feel free to head off on your own. I’d love to see how you fair in the wilderness of Lapis Matyr.’ He paused a moment, then shook his head. ‘You’ve got no idea what you’re up against.’
    Something cold sliced into Mia’s heart, and she felt, for the first time in her life, the icy stab of true fear.
    Altor smiled grimly at their expressions. ‘Now stop talking, and start running.’ With that he turned and broke into a fast jog.
    Jack reached out and took Mia’s hand as they ran.
    The final slice of sun disappeared below the horizon and darkness crept over them. It was suddenly very cold out there on the plain.
    A change occurred then, something deeply instinctual and terrifying, something that Mia couldn’t even come close to naming. It was as if the air grew full of static, prickling her skin, and the sky darkened deeply in the blink of an eye. Mia faltered as she looked up and gave a cry.
    There, swarming out of the darkness, were winged creatures of shadow, infinitely terrifying, swooping down towards them where they stood unprotected on the plain.
    Altor swore loudly and drew his bow, notching an arrow to it in one fluid motion. He let it loose, and Mia watched the arrow fly into the sky and sink into one of the creatures, which vanished before their eyes. She couldn’t make out what they were—they seemed to be just shadows—but the fear they created was bewildering.
    ‘What the hell?’ Jack cried, diving to the ground and scraping his knees on the wintry grass. Mia screamed as one of the creatures flew straight at her and raked its talons through her hair. She fell to the ground beside Jack and shielded her head, her heart near to beating out of her chest.
    ‘Get behind the horse!’ Altor barked. He was firing steadily and skilfully into the swarm, killing with every arrow. Mia and Jack dragged themselves over to the grey horse and tried to take cover behind it. ‘Crawl underneath it!’ the boy shouted at them. ‘He won’t let any harm come to you.’
    Climbing underneath an enormous animal didn’t seem like a particularly good plan, but Mia did as she was told, adrenalin making it surprisingly easy to focus. She saw Altor draw his sword and slash at the beasts as they descended upon him. And so she saw something she would never, for the rest of her life, forget. He had seemed so young—too young to be so dark. But the courage, the fury inside this boy as he fought the monsters was indescribable. He moved with a deep, deadly knowledge of exactly what he needed to do, and a lack of fear that Mia herself could not even contemplate.
    Altor ducked and dived and sliced through the air, and soon all the creatures were gone and the sky was empty once more.
    ‘Quickly,’ he rasped, and they scrambled out from under the horse. ‘Run!’
    They didn’t need to be told twice.
    ‘What were those things?’ Jack shouted as they ran.
    ‘Valkyries,’ Altor snarled, his lip curling with hatred. ‘Creatures of darkness that emerge at night. We have to get to the city—there could be more on their way.’
    ‘Why were you out so close to night then?’ Mia breathed, her eyes wide.
    To which Altor threw her a reckless grin. ‘I like a bit of danger,’ he said, making her shiver once more.
    Altor seemed to think of something and he stopped. ‘Take this,’ he said, holding out