Drakonika (Book 1) by Andrea Závodská Read Free Book Online Page B

behind me,” said Magnus resolutely, yet his terrified voice suggested he wasn't exactly a hero.
    “ And if it kills you?” Maren whispered as her breath quickened. The only answer to this question was Magnus' bulged eyes.
    The shadowed monster narrowed its eyes with hatred. That was all they could see of it.
    “You can finish this conversation in the after-life,” it hissed coldly and Maren shivered even more, crouching behind Magnus, who looked just as horrified as she was.
    Neither Magnus nor Maren expected the monster to talk and certainly not that it would honour them with their own language! They were both shocked that they understood each word it uttered. But from what they had heard, perhaps it would have been better not to understand.
    The gleaming eyes were rising higher and higher, making it look like a huge snake measuring its prey.
    It was time to run.
    Maren didn't wait a second longer. She sped off to the first turn on the street, but when she jerked her head around she saw that Magnus wasn't making the slightest move.
    “ Magnus, come on! What are you waiting for?” Maren shrieked, but there was no answer from Magnus. She had no idea what was going on with him but she could see very well what was going on in front of him. The dark monster opened its jaws wide, making it look like a volcano gap that would explode at any moment.
    The hot air growing from the great chops reached her. Right now she was more than sure about what was going to belch out from there. But what scared her even more were the huge sharp fangs with which the monster prided itself.
    Magnus' death or salvation was a matter of seconds but Maren couldn't see how she could help him. Her mind was already preparing her to see a pile of dust in place of where Magnus was standing when she got a sudden idea. It was the only thing she could have done anyway.
    “ Fire shield!” Maren squealed from the top of her lungs and with her right hand she made a sharp move towards Magnus. It was in this very moment when a destructive flare blazed out of the monster's jaws right at Magnus, irradiating such a hot glow that even Maren had to turn away to protect her face.
    Whatever happened, there was complete silence now. Maren didn't have the courage to look over her shoulder. Her knees buckled at the dark thoughts that flew through her mind.
    “Maren? Are you all right?”
    Even though she had known him only for a few minutes, Maren would have never mistaken his voice. Hope was telling her to look around but her senses didn't see a way he could still be alive. In the end, she did turn around. And Magnus was standing there, alive. On the other hand, the monster had disappeared.
    Maren gaped at him incredulously. “H-how...? How is this possible?” she said through trembling lips. But Magnus had no time to answer. She dashed towards him and hung herself around his neck. “How could you survive?”
    “ I think it was that shield of yours that saved me. Thanks to you I didn't become a roasted banana just now,” said Magnus, smiling. What happened moments ago was utterly strange. Magnus was hit by a huge destructive flame but he didn't have a single burnt hair on him. Moreover, he felt as though the fire bath had recharged his energy.
    Maren looked incredibly happy with her success. “But where is that... creature?” she whispered, releasing Magnus and looking around in fear.
    “I don't know,” Magnus said, picking up his soaked coat from the ground. “Probably ran away, seeing your mighty spell,” joked Magnus lightly, but Maren gave him the strict glance of a teacher.
    “ Stop it, will you? It's not funny. I really thought you turned to dust. Anyway, could we finally get out of here?!” She screamed impatiently.
    Magnus felt a little shaken up. This girl had really strong lungs!
    “Just calm down... it was you who wanted to look for adventure to get some exercise in magick in the first place and now you found one. Why are you mad at me?