The Spook 9 - Slither's tale by Delaney Joseph Read Free Book Online

possibly be revived.
    Blood! Human blood! My father had once said that was the main source of Slither’s power.
    Quickly, I got to my feet and went over to the door where the beast’s long black coat hung. There, I stooped and picked up the sabre that had once belonged to my father and carried it back to where the creature lay. Kneeling down, I turned him over.
    My eyes swept upwards from his toes, noting with distaste the tangled forest of black fur. His mouth was open and his tongue lolled sideways over his teeth, hanging down almost as far as his left ear. The sight of him disgusted and repelled me.
    Nervously, anticipating the pain, I positioned my arm just above Slither’s mouth and, taking the sabre, made a quick cut into my flesh. The blade had been sharpened and sliced into my inner arm more deeply than I had intended. There was a sharp pain and a stinging sensation. And then my blood was falling like dark rain into the open mouth of the beast.

IT WAS MY fifth sense, that of taste, which drew me up out of that dark pit into which I had fallen. My mouth was full of warm, sweet blood.
    I choked and spluttered, but then managed to swallow, and the rich liquid slid down into my belly, restoring me to life. My olfactory sense returned next. The inviting odour of the blood of a human female filled my nostrils. She was very close and was full of the same delicious blood that, even now, was filling my mouth.
    The next sense to return was touch. It began with pins and needles in my extremities, which quickly became a fire, so that it felt as if my whole body were burning. It was then that my aural senses suddenly functioned once more and, hearing someone weeping, I opened my eyes and stared up in amazement at the figure of Nessa, who was crouching over me, tears running down her face. I saw the sabre gripped in her right hand. My mind was sluggish, and for a moment I thought she meant to strike me with it.
    I tried to bring up my arms to defend myself, but I was too weak and couldn’t even manage to roll away. But to my surprise she did not cut me. I lay there staring up at her, trying to make sense of what was happening.
    Slowly I began to understand why she was holding the sword, finally linking its sharp edge to the blood falling towards me from the deep cut on her inner arm.
    Then, as my memory returned, I recalled Nunc’s treachery . . . the bite of the water snake. I had died. Or so it had seemed. The blood was still falling into my mouth but there was less of it now. I swallowed again, then reached up, trying to seize Nessa’s arm so that I could draw it down to my mouth. I needed more blood, but moved too slowly, and with a look of disgust, she snatched her arm out of reach.
    By now the blood had done its job and I managed to roll over and rise up onto my knees, shaking myself violently like a dog so that water droplets scattered in all directions. My mind was working faster now. I was beginning to think. Beginning to realize the enormity of what Nessa had done for me.
    She had given me her blood. And that human blood had strengthened my
shakamure
magic, counteracted the effects of the snake bite and drawn me back from the edge of death. But why had she done it? And why was she here and not still locked in the cell?
    ‘My sister. Someone’s hurting my sister through there. Help her, please!’ Nessa begged, pointing to the door on the other side of the bridge. ‘You promised we’d be safe . . .’
    I heard another sound then. It was the distant whimper of a girl and it came from behind the door to Nunc’s private quarters.
    ‘She’s been taken in there!’ Nessa continued, her voice growing more frantic. ‘And where’s Bryony? Some awful women threw me in here and locked the door. I have just saved your life, so you owe me now! Help us, please!’
    I stood shakily and raised my tail. With it I sensed Nunc and knew why Susan had cried out. He was drinking her blood. I was outraged that Nunc should