Neverwylde (The Rim of the World Book 4) Read Free Page B

risk.”
                “It sounds solitary,” Gaveer whispered.
                “I agree,” Fullgrath admitted. “But that doesn’t exclude the possibility that there couldn’t be more of them. And if it’s a big mother, it might be able to overcome us, even if we attack as one body.”
                “That is a risk we must take,” Massapa stated. He raised his hands in front of his face where all could see his long talons. “We must do this now, before that thing finishes its meal.”
                Kyber nodded again and gave Kelen’s arm a squeeze. “Stay here.”
                “But—”
                “Someone needs to stay with Dox,” he explained and dropped a kiss to her hair.
                Kelen looked over at where Mellori clutched Dox by the shoulder. Next to him stood Sandow.
                She gave a nod to Kyber, but said nothing. A flash of relief crossed the Seneecian’s face before he turned his back to her. She watched him move to the front of the group where Fullgrath and Cooter braced him. Directly behind him, the other Seneecians crouched in that defensive posture she recognized. With the big aliens blocking her from Kyber’s view, she moved over to one of the bundles Mellori had laid on the ground, reached inside, and extracted a blaster. The engineer stared at her, understanding what she intended to do.
                “I’ll stay here with them,” he barely whispered, hefting another blaster he’d taken from the stash.
    Kelen gave him a quick smile of thanks as she tucked the weapon behind her.
     
     * * *
     
                Kyber gave a wave of his hand. The group of men silently left the corridor and emerged into the main area. The eating noises never abated and appeared to be coming from the direction of the fire. If that was the case, the creature might be curious about the blaze. If it was sentient, it could be wondering who’d set it. Kyber hoped it was the former and not the latter. Non-intelligent creatures acted on survival instinct. They were almost predictable in their actions. An intelligent species observed, plotted, and planned. That made them much more dangerous.
                He flexed his talons. He wasn’t physically capable of taking on whatever had intruded on their encampment on his own. None of them were. They all had suffered too many injuries, and there hadn’t been enough time to heal completely. He glanced sideways at Fullgrath moving parallel to him, then over at Cooter on his left. They could no longer approach this world individually. They were stronger as one force, and always would be.
                The thing ahead moved. The smell of blood grew stronger as they neared the creature and its kill. When they reached the angle where the hallway curved, Cooter made a sign he would take point and stepped out into the middle of the corridor. He raised his rifle, aimed…and froze.
                They tensed. A handful of seconds passed and nothing happened, but Cooter’s wide-eyed look of shock and surprise kept them from advancing forward until Kyber broke rank and joined the man. One by one, the others moved out into the open to gaze upon the surreal scene happening less than a handful of meters away.
                Dark brown, almost blackish blood smeared the floor and walls, evidence of the deadly struggle which had taken place. A thin creature sat cross-legged in the middle of the carnage. Its bulbous head came to a point in front, which had to be its mouth as it jerked and tore pieces from the carcass splayed in front of it. Two rod-like appendages held more of the slain creature, while a third arm lifted a bloody chunk suspended in front of its face.
                The creature paused. Several shiny black orbs embedded in its head rolled. Some pulsed, as if focusing on the group of men standing before