Death's Reach, page 18
part #2 of Hungry Gods Series
Or what had once been him.
He had grown several feet, a radiant and terrifying giant cloaked in the shades of the dead. From his back stretched massive dragon wings that beat with the fury of a tempest. He had succumbed to the naitkilar.
Calli took a step back and almost fell as the loose earth of the edge of grave slid away. She found it difficult to hang onto her composure facing such a nightmare, and with her own powers nearly gone.
I should have killed him. I still must.
She lunged forward, summoning every last bit of entropy and thrust a palm crackling with darkness through the monster’s robe of spirits until she met the flesh. She poured death into him.
Dorian seized her wrist, but it was too late.
He didn’t collapse. “I forgive you,” he said, “I understand now. You were only doing what you thought you must. Responsibility is a heavy weight.”
It took a second for his words to break through. She stared up into Dorian’s new eyes, with pupils that glowed with divinity. She stared at a god.
She shook her head and stammered. Her mouth was suddenly dry, and she managed to utter but one word. “How?”
“The naitkilari are spirits of synergy. But you knew this, didn’t you?”
“They kill. They destroy.”
“You locked them away, didn’t you? To prevent future gods.”
“We had to. We almost destroyed the world.”
“You did destroy the world, you just haven’t finished what you started.”
He released her wrist and she crumpled at his feet.
“I have a gift for you,” he continued, “One long overdue.”
The air shimmered about them. He stepped back as a mist rose and solidified. She found herself surrounded by a congress of ghosts. She knew them. There were faces she had not seen in a very long time.
One man in particular caught her eye. He stepped forward, a warrior in life, though his armor of dragonscales had long been abandoned. “Calli, it’s time to rest.”
“No, it’s not over.”
“The responsibility is no longer yours. I’ve waited ten thousand years to be reunited with you. Please.”
He reached out his hand. She stared at it as though it were a viper. He didn’t pull back, he only waited and stared at her with a look she had not seen in a very long time, a look akin to compassion.
She raised her own hand, staring at it as though it belonged to a stranger. She’d never trembled so, not even…
Their fingers touched.
Borvar. “I know you. I know you! How long have you waited?”
“Over ten thousand years, and I would’ve waited a hundred thousand more.” She took his hand and he helped her to her feet. She stared into a face that had been buried deep in her memory from a life that had nothing to do with being a god.
“I never wanted to leave you,” Calli said, “I had to…”
“I know. We all knew your sacrifice, what it cost you, even then.”
“What about Jaern? Brody?”
He turned his head slightly. Two spirits stepped forward. They were older than when she had left them. Neither had reached adulthood when she’d had to leave. She could see their lives clearly within them, how they’d had to adapt with her gone. They’d both grown up strong, her daughter and son.
As the ghosts closed in about her, she was unaware of her physical body collapsing, leaving her spirit free. The empty vessel of flesh and bone balanced for only a moment on the edge of the grave before sliding unceremoniously into the earth.
The spirits faded away, leaving Dorian alone on the hillside.
CHAPTER 44
Dorian stared into the grave as the sun began to set. Unlike the mortal world, the underworld did not have moons, at least not that he could see. Six feet down, the body of the former goddess of death had reached its final resting place.
It had not been empty before her. He dropped in, straddling her body. He gently lifted the corpse and set her aside. Beneath her was a chest. It was long and heavy, but he lifted it easily and set it outside of the plot. As he climbed out, the earth shifted to fill in the grave.
He ran his hand over the chest. It was made of stone, and had lasted throughout time. The goddess had hidden it here, knowing that this day would come. He didn’t know what it contained, only that it was his destiny now.
With a squeeze, the stone lock crumbled in his hands. He grabbed the lid to open it and paused.
Before him stood a young girl, barely become a woman, with curly brown hair and a sad smile that had a way of making his heart skip a beat. She glimmered with the transparent ethereal blue of a spirit.
She stepped forward and rested a hand on his shoulder. He could not feel her touch. With his new build, her hand looked small and childlike. Even kneeling, they were almost eye to eye.
If there had been any hesitation in what he would have to do, her presence dispelled it.
“I wondered how next we would meet,” Dorian said, “Though I pictured it different than this. I thought… I thought the fates would protect you, you and my family. As it turns out, we do our best with the time we have. Every moment we had was a gift. It gave me strength to know that you lived. Your death makes what I have to do a little easier.”
“You don’t have to do this,” Lara said.
“Someone has to. The goddess knew it. Though she didn’t know why, she had to pass this destiny on to someone. Now here we are. How would you counsel me?”
“I don’t know what to tell you.”
Dorian suddenly chuckled. Lara stared at him in confusion.
“I just thought of one of the last things I said to you. Remember? You and I are going to change the world.”
“I remember.”
“And here we are.”
“Yes.”
Dorian opened the chest and the underworld trembled. Within it were the tools of the apocalypse.
Lara bowed her head and looked away.
# # #
This ends Book 2 of Hungry Gods.
Author’s Note
I hope you enjoyed reading Death’s Reach as much as I enjoyed writing it. After the fast-paced action of book 1, it was nice to slow down just a bit to let the survivors reveal a little about themselves. If I’ve killed off one of your favorites… sorry.
Now that you’ve reached the end of this book, it’s pretty obvious that there will be a third one. If they survived this book, and maybe even if they didn’t, you’ll see them in the third installment.
If by chance you missed book 1, Death Storm, the link is on the next page, along with links to all of my other books.
If you are enjoying this series, you might enjoy my other one. Spilling Blood is a modern horror series that follows Emily, a new vampire brought into the world of the undead against her will. It’s full of horror, violence, and sex, and a guaranteed page turner. Also, I try to keep the first part of Book 1 free in ebook format. Try it without risk here.
Also, could you take a few minutes and give this book a review? Reviews help others decide whether or not to take a chance on a book and especially authors they haven’t heard of. The best thing you can do to keep the books coming is to let others know about them.
Until next time,
G.S. Wright
ALSO BY G.S. WRIGHT
DEATH STORM (HUNGRY GODS BOOK 1) – A Dark Fantasy
A Dark Fantasy Zombie Apocalypse
A great evil descends upon the kingdom of Medanholm. A necromancer in the service of a fallen god leads an army of undead to extinguish all life. In the village of Briar’s End, there are few survivors. They are scattered and hopelessly outnumbered, with dwindling options for sanctuary. Hidden away within their mountain temple, the gods are oblivious to the horror on their doorstep…
...and it’s coming for them.
Death Storm is book 1 in the Hungry Gods series, a Dark Fantasy Zombie Apocalypse that brings the nightmare of Armageddon to a high fantasy world.
Available on Amazon.
BROKEN THINGS – A Science Fiction Thriller
The world has changed. People live forever, but children are a thing of the past. To meet the demands of want-to-be parents, children have been replaced with androids... very life-like androids.
Josh, a twelve-year old boy, is hit by a truck, leaving him badly damaged. Instead of paying the outrageous cost to fix him, they dump him in the wilderness.
Broken Things follows Josh and his journey to a home that doesn't want him anymore, through a setting that darkly mirrors our own. Along the way, he must face the fears of abandoned children, from the wilderness to the city streets, and the predators that dwell in both. His only salvation may rest in finding a single person that cares.
If you enjoy science fiction and suspense with many twists and turns, then you'll love Broken Things.
Available on Amazon.
APOCALYPSE WITCH – A Science Fiction Steampunk Adventure
Matilda Katrine Myra is not from nobility. Her parents have spent their savings to send her to New Terros to continue her education and in hopes of a better future. It's not the life she wants.
Everything changes when her airship is attacked by pirates. With a hasty lie told to protect another girl, Matilda finds herself abducted and thrust into a world beyond the safety of her civilized world.
Time is running out, and Matilda must find a way to escape before the pirates learn the truth of her ruse. With a mad scientist, spirits, and her own mind working against her, escaping may be the least of her worries.
Available on Amazon
SPILLING BLOOD SEASON I – A Vampire Horror Thriller
Emily Steel is a teenage girl on the verge of breaking up with her boyfriend. She doesn't think the night can get any worse.
But it's about to.
Gnasher is a sadistic vampire, and he's chosen Emily to be his bride. Before she knows it, she's swept into a secret world of bloodthirsty monsters who expect her to fit in, or have her existence extinguished... forever.
SPILLING BLOOD is a thrilling, action-packed roller coaster ride of edge-of-your seat suspense, brutal violence, and monstrous lust.
Available on Amazon
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
G.S. Wright lives in Southern Idaho, with his wife, Aimee, and their three boys. He writes Sci-Fi, Fantasy and Horror.
Connect with G.S. Wright Online:
On Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/G.S.-Wright/e/B00BACWEQA
Twitter: https://twitter.com/GarthSWright
Facebook: www.facebook.com/gswrightauthor
My Blog: gswright.com
G S Wright, Death's Reach
