Struck: (Phoebe Meadows Book 1) by Amanda Carlson Read Free Book Online Page B

I didn’t have enough room to strike her.
    She was too close.
    I had to try. I lifted Gram, but the old woman moved too fast, her hand whipping down like a cat batting at a toy on a string. Her nails landed against my neck, digging deeply as they slashed me, rending open my skin and drawing wet, sticky blood.
    I screamed, forcing Gram up between us, the pain searing me as I swung the blade upward. Instead of making its mark, it snagged on the sleeve of my wool jacket.
    I didn’t have time to be mad at my incompetence, because to my utter relief, Verdandi was suddenly flying backward, away from me. I watched in stunned silence, with my mouth hanging open, as she whizzed through the air, hitting the earthen wall like a bullet, bouncing off, and crashing onto the table.
    The wood buckled instantly, collapsing beneath her, covering her with broken pieces.
    “Not”—Junnal bellowed as it brought its sledgehammer-sized fist back around in front of its body, looking directly at me—“human.”
    I nodded dumbly, agreeing with it, as I glanced at the wood-strewn body on the floor, and then back at the giant creature. The thing had just tried to save my life by smashing Verdandi into the wall.
    It didn’t take Bragnon long to figure this out for himself.
    “You inssssolent troll!” Bragnon shrieked. “You will pay for thissss .” Then he dove for the giant’s legs. Junnal kicked out, but Bragnon found purchase and pierced his awful shark teeth into the troll’s leg, gouging at the hard flesh like a feasting piranha.
    The sounds were sickening.
    Junnal hardly seemed to notice as he reached down and grabbed Bragnon by the scruff of his rubbery neck. The little beast grinned, holding a mouthful of the giant’s bloody flesh between his incisors. Junnal roared, shook Bragnon a few times for good measure, and tossed him away like a reptilian rag doll.
    Bragnon crashed against the bookcase. The creepy jars exploded on impact like fireworks, spraying the room with glass and liquid and parts. The smell was immediately toxic.
    I covered my mouth, using the inside of my elbow, gasping and coughing as the fumes burned my lungs and tears rolled down my cheeks. The backs of my fingers grazed my neck. I pulled back my hand and saw my blood was still the color of a white glow stick, but it was fading to red as I watched.
    Verdandi was still under the table rubble, but I saw a foot twitch. She wouldn’t be out for long, and when she awoke, there would be hell to pay for all involved.
    I spun around and pounded my fist against the tree. “Please, please, open! I’m begging you!” I screamed. “Open. Pleeeeeease !”
    A loud, thunderous crash shook the ground, and I peered fearfully over my shoulder.
    Junnal now sat on the dirt floor.
    His hurt leg was covered in deep magenta blood, thick as paint. It leaked out slowly, like ketchup out of an inverted bottle.
    The giant stared straight at me.
    I eased around, swiping the blood still trickling out of my neck and rubbing it into my now tattered jacket. It left a long streak of neon pink in its wake. I was forced to lift my arm back over my mouth and nose, because the smell from the broken jars was too intense. My lungs felt like they were on fire.
    I quickly glanced over at Bragnon.
    He was out cold. The contents of the jars had spread out over his body, and now his clothing, a nondescript brown toga-like thing, was smoking. I hoped it was strong enough to eat through his hide.
    “Not. Human.” Junnal’s voice was quieter now, which meant it was at megaphone level. “Odin.”
    I froze.
    I wasn’t sure what to do.
    The giant creature shook his head, the boulder rocking back and forth. I shrank back. When he was done, his entire body listed to one side, like he was trying not to pass out after a night of hard drinking.
    The giant troll had been poisoned.
    Bragnon had bit him.
    I took a tentative step forward. This thing had tried to save my life, the least I could do was tell him