The Guardian's Grimoire by Rain Oxford Read Free Book Online Page B

would have gotten me
into any psych ward in the world. “I was being creative. Where is the other
one?”
    “I don’t know. Quite possibly, it’s going for
reinforcements.” But then, as if to prove Edward wrong, it was back.
    My mind was quickly becoming clear, my body began to
return to normal, and I could feel it, waiting just out of sight. When it
didn’t come any closer, I looked at Edward for direction. “Why isn’t it
attacking?”
    “It’s probably the little one who left in order to
stay out of the stronger ones’ way. It knows it isn’t strong enough to take on
two wizards when they can kill two of its superiors. That… or it’s much wiser
and more powerful than the other two.” He looked at me and I could tell there
was a plan forming in his head that I wasn’t going to like. “When you used the
lightning, you hit the beast perfectly. You have great power and great control
for such a young wizard who’s had no training at all. And the fact that you can
still stand is impressive.”
    “No, killing two of those things with the speed of lightning, like you did, is impressive. Will I be able to get that fast?”
    “Not on my world. The gravity of Duran is greater
than Earth’s; therefore, I weigh less here, so I can move much faster.
Normally, I wouldn’t ask this to someone who knows nothing about magic, but do
you think you could control the lightning again?”
    “If it’s trying to eat my face, probably. I’m kind of
hoping you can.”
    “I did what I could on this weak world and shocked
the stupid thing. You thought about it and burned its insides out. If I
could keep it off you and keep it in relatively the same place, do you think
you can fry it? And… try not to fry me?”
    “I don’t know what I did, really, but I can try it.
If I burn your leg or arm off, you’re not gonna be mad at me, are you?” I
asked.
    “Not as long as you also get the beast.” At least he
had a sense of humor… somewhere in him.
    The rain was pouring harder now and the lightning
came more often, though it stayed in the sky. The moon was hidden by the thick
clouds, but the lightning and the light pollution from the city illuminated the
sky.
    The creature approached cautiously. I assumed it
would do something to throw us off so I was surprised when it treaded out of
the woods directly in front of us. Edward picked up his bag and handed it to
me. I shuddered as the cat’s eyes focused on it; obviously the beast knew where
the books were. I had a target pressed against my chest. When Edward took a few
steps forward, the cat started walking to the side. It was circling.
    The street light crackled, but the glow of the
city-lit sky made it all too easy to see the cat’s sparkling teeth. The instant
the street light went out, the cat sprang. It ran more like a feline than the
other two and was twice as fast. Somehow the cat seemed to appear to the sides,
like it was running from side to side, before it disappeared completely. The
ground exploded upward and the cat reappeared beside it, clearly having
stumbled over the debris.
    It kept running. Though slower than before, it was
still coming too fast to even try the lightning trick. It stumbled again, this
time stopping cold with its head and back forced down. There was no time to
question Edward. I imagined the lightning striking the cat just like I had
before… Nothing happened.
    “Kill it!” Edward demanded.
    “I’m trying!” There was a loud crack and the cat was
suddenly running again. Once again, I found myself in the mud with a monstrous
alien cat above me and just barely enough time to put one arm up to protect
myself. The ground exploded beside me as it bit my arm like the other had.
Better my arm than my throat.
    Then the cat was off me. Edward had his hands wrapped
firmly around its neck for a few seconds before the cat was on top and its
teeth were snapping mere inches from Edward’s face. Its snout was as big as his
face, and its body was