Total pages in book: 51
Estimated words: 47749 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 239(@200wpm)___ 191(@250wpm)___ 159(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 47749 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 239(@200wpm)___ 191(@250wpm)___ 159(@300wpm)
And then the Crone made her appearance. The last and largest of Griesha Prime’s natural satellites was huge, nearly filling the skylight of the Guard Room. Her light was deep red and it shown down like a spotlight, seeming to bathe the giant who was manacled to the Stasis Wheel in blood.
“No! Let me go! Let me goarghhhh! Arrrggghh!”
Rax’s voice was noticeably deeper now—and his words were turning into unintelligible growls, Breenah thought with a shiver. His formerly smooth chest had sprouted a thick mat of wiry black curls that looked almost like fur. The hair on his head had grown longer too—it was no longer shaved close to his skull. Instead, it was becoming a wild black tangle around his face. And his eyes…
His eyes aren’t blue anymore, Breenah thought. They’ve turned golden! Golden and wild!
She was almost to the release button now, but she no longer knew if she should press it or not. Rax was changing right in front of her eyes as his Beast came out—just as he had warned. But for now, at least, he was still safely manacled to the Stasis Wheel. If she let him go, would he cut a swath of carnage through the assembled women?
But it was clear she wasn’t the only one who saw what was going on—most of the women in the room had noticed the changes in the big Kindred. There was uneasy murmuring running through the crowd and the women standing nearest the front were beginning to shuffle backwards.
“Look at him!” It was Meendy’s voice, ringing over the chanting and drumming. “Look at the giant—there’s something wrong with him! He’s changing!”
“Nonsense!” Mistress Work-worthy snapped. “Silence yourself—this is a sacred ceremony!”
“But just look—he’s trying to get loose!” someone else shouted.
Sure enough, the new, wild Rax was snarling and jerking against the Magno-manacles. Had he gotten even bigger, Breenah wondered? It seemed like he might have grown at least a foot. His head was definitely closer to the top of the Stasis Wheel and the clothing he wore was beginning to look too small for him.
Goddess, as though he wasn’t big enough already! Breenah thought dismally. What could she do? What should she do in this situation? She was close enough to press the release button now, but if she freed Rax’s Beast, he would surely go on a rampage—she could see the mindless fury in those golden eyes as he yanked on the Magno-manacles and roared for release.
And still the Council of Superiors seemed determined to continue with their ceremony.
Mistress Work-worthy was chanting the words of sacrifice while Mistress Pain-worthy approached the Stasis Wheel. She had put away her prod and in its place she held a long, glittering knife. The light of the Crone shone on it, making the sharp silver blade look like it had been dipped in blood.
No! Breenah wanted to shout—but her vocal chords felt as though they had been paralyzed by panic. No, don’t get any closer! Run away from him—the Beast is about to get loose!
Just as she thought this, Mistress Pain-worthy—wearing a sadistic smile on her thin lips—stepped forward and stabbed Rax’s Beast in the side with the long knife. It wasn’t meant to be a killing blow—just a wound to madden him.
Unfortunately, it did its job a little too well.
With a low, enraged roar, the Beast that had been Rax ripped the right Magno-manacle off of the Stasis Wheel. He swung his fist and the heavy metal manacle, now that it was free of the magnetic field that had held it closed, fell off and landed with an audible clunk at the feet of the stunned Superior.
“Watch out! He’s breaking lose! He’s getting free! We have to get out of here!”
It was Meendy’s voice again and Breenah was glad the bully could say the words that were frozen in her own throat. They had an immediate effect on the crowd—nobody was listening as Mistress Work-worthy called for order. Instead, there was a stampede for the Guard Room door that led back into the Compound.
“Stop it! Stay where you are! Be still, I say!” the Superior was screaming at the top of her voice. But then a wave of desperate women pushed into her and her head bobbed and went down as she fell beneath the feet of the crowd.
With a roar, Rax’s Beast tore the other Magno-manacle loose from the Stasis Wheel and shook it free of his massive fist. The heavy manacle went flying and hit Mistress Pain-giver—who had been advancing on the Beast with her knife—right in the head. Her eyes crossed and she, too, dropped to the ground to be trampled by the crowd.
Breenah shrank back into the corner, trying to keep free of the madness. Luckily, there was no one behind her to push her forward, so she was in no danger of being trampled herself. The women of the Compound were no longer orderly and quiet—they had become a fear-maddened mob and they couldn’t get out of the Guard Room fast enough.