Salamaine's Curse by V. L. Burgess Read Free Book Online Page B

The slow, heavy shuffle of feet echoed overhead. It sounded as though someone—or maybe a group of people—had entered the courtroom above them. But the sounds they made weren’t normal. He heard grunts and groans, followed by staggering, stumbling footsteps. As though whoever was up there was dragging something very heavy behind them.
    Willa’s eyes widened in horror. She grabbed Mudge and pulled him protectively toward her.
    â€œWe were supposed to have time,” Porter said, panicked. “I heard the reports. They were last seen crossing Mumdai. They’re not supposed to be here yet.”
    â€œRelease me!” Keegan cried, pulling at the chain that secured his ankle. “I won’t die like this! Not ripped apart by scavengers.”
    â€œShut up!” barked Umbrey.
    â€œRelease me now or you’ll all die—all of you! You saw the map. You need me! You can’t open the book without my key!”
    Mudge tore away from Willa and ran to the outer cell wall. He grabbed the thick iron key that unlocked Keegan’s shackle and rushed back to the cell.
    Porter blocked his way.
“No.
You can’t let him go. Think of everything he’s done.”
    In that instant, Mudge looked far older than his years. He met Porter’s eyes. “I
know
what he’s done. But he’s right. The book would be useless without him.” He turned to Keegan. “If I release you, you will accompany us as our prisoner.”
    â€œFine. The key. Now.”
    â€œSwear it.”
    â€œYes, yes, I swear.
Now give me that key!”
    Mudge tossed it to him.
    Keegan caught it and freed himself. He shook off his chain, then reached for a torch and held it aloft. His eyes met Tom’s. “Marrick’s chosen,” he said, his lips curled back in a sneer. “This horror was not created by me, but by your good and brave King Salamaine. Look. Look what he has wrought.”
    Tom looked.

    The creature from the map, but much, much worse. Now there were more of them. Too many to count. Filthy, battered, and bruised, their clothing hung in tatters from their skeletal frames as they stumbled down the rough stone steps, pushing and shoving past each other to gain entrance to the basement cell. They moved with their claw-like hands stretched out in front of them, their feet lurching unevenly, monotone grunts and growls issuing from their throats.
    Odd clumps of hair sprung from their scalps. Their skin was gray and peeling, their lips rotted off to reveal blackened gums and tangled teeth. The putrid stench of rotting flesh hovered in the air around them.
    The word
zombie
flew into Tom’s brain and lodged there. But rather than provide him with the shot of adrenaline he desperately needed to jolt himself into action, the realization of what he was facing froze him in place. He couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe. His feet felt cemented to the cold stone floor.
Run! Get away, now!
    He cast a panicked glance around the room. The rush of adrenaline he’d hoped for finally came, but it was too late. The stairs, their only exit, were blocked by the creatures. There was no where to run, no other way out. They were trapped inside.

CHAPTER SIX
S CAVENGERS
    S cavengers. Zombies.
The names might not be the same, but the creatures were. As far as Tom could tell, there was no difference between them. But as they drew closer, he noted that one feature was altogether unlike the zombies he’d seen on TV and in movies,.
    Scavengers’ eyes were not vacant. They were not dull or glassy. Instead, they burned with lethal fury. Deadly rage. They might be slow and unsteady, but these were thinking, angry beings.

    He watched the scavengers stumble down the stone steps. His initial instinct, born of both fear and repulsion, was to draw back into Keegan’s cell until help arrived. Cowardly, maybe, but it would keep them alive. He shook off his terror long enough to reach for the