Before the Fall by Sable Grace Read Free Book Online Page A

rough.”
    â€œOkay.” She pulled her hair back into a sloppy ponytail and he couldn’t help but notice how badly her fingers trembled as she tried to work the elastic around her hair.
    Twenty minutes later, when they should have arrived in St. Augustine, they’d only traveled another ten miles. Lines of traffic forced Zach off the road they’d been traveling and onto a route he wasn’t too sure about. It was far more secluded, but looked to be pretty deserted, so he stuck with it. He had less than three hours to get Shanna to St. Augustine before Hell opened up and swallowed half the world whole. The fewer road blocks he encountered, the better.
    As they merged onto a vacant two-lane road lined with forest on one side and cow pastures on the other, the debris of broken concrete hung in the air so thick, he had to strain to see. It was like driving through thick, choking fog.
    From somewhere within the trees, an eerie howl shook the leaves. It might have been a wolf, but just as likely, it was a Lychen. He glanced at the scarred arm that had reduced him to an “in case of emergency only” member of the Order. Never in his life had he endured such pain—the paralyzing agony of the saliva in his blood, slowly stilling every organ he had until help had arrived. The thought of encountering that again would have sobered even the meanest drunk.
    He turned the radio up to help drown out his thoughts and ease the uncomfortable silence. Shanna didn’t feel like talking, and until they were off these damned dark, unlit roads, neither did Zach. He glanced at her, quietly staring out her window and into the trees, and when he next looked back at the road, he saw tail lights flashing in the distance. He slowed, suspicious of what might be causing the other driver to stop on an empty road. He eyed the van as they slowly passed, noted the dented hood pressed against the guardrail.
    â€œZach, look out!”
    He turned his gaze back to the windshield to find three large, winged creatures blocking the road. He smashed the brake, throwing the SUV into a skid around the Hatchlings and into the ditch behind them. He hit the lever to lock the vehicle into four-wheel drive, but the back wheels spun out, stuck in Florida mud.
    â€œFuck.”
    The Hatchlings were approaching, slowly, knowing their prey was trapped inside like tuna in a can.
    â€œWhat do we do?” Her eyes wide, Shanna dug her gun out of her back pocket.
    â€œWe sure as hell don’t sit here and let them take us. Grab the bag!”
    As he flung open his door, Zach pulled the sword from its sheath. He braced his feet and held the weapon in front of him. He moved to his left, away from Shanna and any survivors who might be trapped in the van, drawing the attention of the beasts. Hatchlings were born and bred in Tartarus. Spawns of the dragons and demons that resided there. If they’d crawled out of the only place they’d ever known, they wouldn’t stop until they’d fed or were dead.
    â€œZach? No!”
    Not breaking eye contact with the demons, he held out his hand to stop her from moving.
    The largest of the three sized up Shanna, but its grunted command and nod were directed at Zach. The three soared high in the air, dipped low over Shanna, then dropped to the ground a couple feet in front of Zach. He didn’t have time to size them up before they circled him, blocking any direct path to safety he might have had.
    He was sorely outnumbered, but if they wanted to play, he’d play.
    Zach drew back his sword and attacked.

 
    Chapter Eight
    9:25 p.m.
    2 hours and 35 minutes before the fall . . .
    Z ach swung the sword at the Hatchling closest to him. The big beast dodged, grabbed Zach by the shirt, and threw him into the disabled van. Shanna’s breath locked in her throat as she reached for her gun, but before she could free it from her waistband, Zach was on his feet again. He sliced the