The Fiuri Realms (Shioni of Sheba Book 5) Read Free Page B

to just let us go? I’ll be your friend. I’ll kiss you on the cheek. I’ll be your slave forever.”
    The scarred, horrible face glared down at Azurelle. “Kalcha can do worse things to a person than just kill them,” he growled. “She could turn you into a hyena, or a cockroach. I think you’d make a good cockroach. Then I’d squash you and your chattering little mouth under my boot. How does that sound, Fiuri?”
    Azurelle went very quiet after that. Shioni did not blame her.
    The man stuffed them back into his bottle, grumbling sullenly under his breath. After a long wait, a huge marabou stork landed nearby and stalked over to them. The bird was a scabby-headed, long-beaked carrion eater with a mean look about its eyes. Its lank black wings flapped and then folded across its back, making it look exactly like a man wearing a long black cloak. Shioni had never seen a marabou stork so large–and not just because she was the size of a Fiuri. The bird was not natural. It was taller than Captain Tariku.
    The thief knelt quickly to untie a sack which Shioni had not previously noticed, fastened to the bird’s ankle. Clink. His payment, she thought. Quickly, he emptied the coins inside the sack into a small pouch beneath his robes, before picking up the bottle and popping it into the sack.
    “Have fun with Kalcha!” he grinned, before everything went dark.
    Shortly, the bottle tipped up, nearly throwing them against the dangerous lid. They must be airborne, Shioni thought, flying over the mountains to Kalcha’s lair. In the bottle’s faint light, Azurelle’s hand found hers. Shioni tried to be brave for Zi’s sake, but she was trembling almost as much as her friend.
    Yesterday had been the best day of her life. Today was the worst.

Chapter 3: Payment for Treachery
    W hen they Thumped Down on a hard surface, Shioni steeled herself. She had to believe that the courage in her heart had not been reduced in proportion to her newly diminished size. Nearby, a hyena yipped and cackled its eerie song. The sack twitched. Long fingers gripped the bottle and lifted it into bright candlelight. They were inside a tent, she realised. But her attention was riveted on a pair of blood-red eyes gazing at her from a distance of no more than six inches. Kalcha!
    Shioni was so frightened, not even a squeak passed her lips. The witch’s cold face studied the two Fiuri as though she had discovered a pair of loathsomely large slugs in her bottle and was thinking about tossing them into the nearest fire. Slowly, her lips curved into a ghastly smile.
    “At last,” said the witch. “I trust you had a most unpleasant journey, Azurelle of Fiuriel, and you, Princess Annakiya of West Sheba. I’m glad to see that my spell didn’t turn you into a toad or a rat, Annakiya. But I am most disappointed in your father’s recovery. Most upset. Your slave has become powerful. To defeat her, I need even greater power–power which you two are going to provide me, unfortunately for you.”
    She threw back her head and cackled loudly and long.
    Shioni, who had started to think that she had heard a dragon’s roar and lived to tell the tale, quickly decided that Kalcha’s laugh was far more chilling. The witch was insane. The redness in her eyes proclaimed for all to see that Kalcha had her power back. Shioni remembered all too well how much mischief Kalcha had caused for West Sheba. First, she had defeated the witch with an arrow dipped in Fiuri blood. Then she had defeated her apprentices at the Mesheha River bridge by magically setting army ants on them. Shioni would not be receiving any congratulations-on-your-freedom presents from Kalcha.
    Kalcha said, “I’ll squash that Shioni like a bug. Once she’s gone, the Kingdom of West Sheba will be mine for the plucking.” She licked her lips. “Killing, burning and looting. I can’t wait!”
    “Listening to you,” said Azurelle, “what I can’t wait to do is vomit.”
    Shioni stared at her