Angelfire Read Online Free PDF Page B

pavement, rubbing my forehead.
    â€œEllie!”
    My eyes suddenly focused and I saw Will again. My vision was crisp and the world had brightened. I looked past Will, marveling at how easily I could see through the darkness, distinguishing every leaf on my neighbors’ bushes, every groove in every shingle on their roofs.
    And then I saw the monster: something vaguely resembling a huge dog covered in thick, black fur loomed over us, standing easily five feet tall at the shoulder. It lumbered over on all fours with a snout full of gnarled, vicious-looking teeth in the jaws of a heavy, oversize head. Its paws were the size of elephant’s feet and ended in talons that looked like they could tear a man in half.
    But I wasn’t afraid. A calmness washed over me, and my mind analyzed at a lightning pace. Strange memories and thoughts that didn’t belong to me flooded into my mind: facesand violence I’d seen long ago in different times. I looked up at Will, whose face sparked the clearest and fondest memory. I knew I had to fight now, but I needed my weapons.
    The beast leaped toward me, claws outstretched, and took a swipe with one of its front paws, but Will appeared between us. He grabbed the beast’s forelimb and kicked full force into its chest, sending it flying back, shattering my neighbor’s mailbox into countless little chunks of wood and brick.
    It happened so fast that I knew I shouldn’t have been able to see it, but I did. I stepped forward, watching the creature climb to its feet as it loosed a low, dangerous-sounding growl.
    I held both of my arms out and willed weapons into my open palms. The twin Khopesh swords appeared out of nothing in a flash of shimmering light. The curving silver blades glinted brightly. I glanced over at Will. I could now see intricate black tattoos twisting out from beneath his shirt all the way down his right arm to his knuckles. I remembered the beautiful symbols woven into the spiraling design, because I’d seen them before with different eyes, in another time.
    My thoughts were calm and unnervingly clear. The blades exploded into white flames at my command. Blinding light devoured the silver, and the power coursed through me. My fingers squeezed the cool, familiar helves as the scents of silver and old blood flooded my heightened senses. The swords felt right in my grasp, like hugging an old friend.
    The monster began to circle me, growling low and releasing an unearthly hiss. Its eyes were bottomless pits of blackness set deep into its deformed, terrible skull. I stared right back into those eyes without fear or hesitation.
    I moved with the creature so that it was never at my back, and in a voice that did not seem my own I challenged the beast: “Come for me.”
    The wolflike monster charged, paws and talons outstretched, massive jaws gaping. I spun out of the way just as teeth clamped down on the hood of my sweatshirt instead of my throat. The beast yanked the cotton flap, wrenching me around awkwardly, twisting, growling. Its paws clawed at my body, pulling me closer to its mouth so it could take a bite out of my face. I smashed my elbow into its nose, and it slumped back onto its haunches with a groan. Then my elbow slammed down on top of its skull and something crunched, but the monster only bit harder on my hoodie, shredding the fabric. Abruptly, it threw me to the ground, and I looked up. Will had it by the throat, his arm buried elbow deep in its thick fur, forcing the beast backward.
    â€œNow!” he roared.
    It thrashed like a giant pit bull and broke free.
    My eyes locked on my target and my mind cleared to seize the opportunity. Quicker than my heart could pound, I was on my feet and shoving my fiery sword into its soft throat and straight through the top of its skull. The creature’s legs buckled as its fur shimmered oddly before exploding inflames. It happened very quickly. Fire devoured the reaper, swallowing it in white