David Baldacci - The Keeper

“Petra,” snapped Lackland. “What did I say about telling her stuff?”

“She’s not a beast, Lack! Does she look like a lycan to you? Use your eyes. They’re like us.” She gave me a withering look. “Well, in looks maybe. Can’t speak to how tough she is.”

I felt my face burn before glancing away. I looked in the near distance and saw confronting us a vast forest of dense, towering trees. The Withering Heath, as Astrea had called it. A place full of depression. We had barely survived the First Circle and Delph and Harry Two had been injured. We needed a place to rest and feel safe for a while, if there was such a place to be had in here.

“We need to find shelter,” I said, turning back to them.

“You’re not giving orders,” said Lackland. “And who says we want you coming with us anyway? I say we take what you got in them bags and then you can be on your way. How’s that for a plan, eh?”

Right at that moment, the ground shook under our feet.

“Bloody Hel!” cried out Petra and Delph together.

We could see the thick trees shake. And then the trees on the fringe burst apart. And there it stood.

I whirled around and looked at Lackland. “You have colossals here?”

His face was pale, but I saw determination in his green eyes.

“We got lots of things here. But they’re slow, so’s we can get away from ’em. We just have—”

“A colossal?” exclaimed Delph. I’d forgotten he had never seen one.

I had confronted one of these giants on the battlefield in the past. It had almost crushed me then. I hoped never to face another. But this colossal was only about half the size of the ones I had seen before, about thirty feet tall and broad as a cottage. Which, to my mind, was plenty huge enough!

“Lack!” screamed Petra. “Behind us.”

We all turned to see another colossal within twenty yards of us. How a creature that enormous was able to get that close without us knowing was unthinkable.

“Give me my wand!” I screamed.

“What?” said Lackland, clearly stunned by the second colossal.

“The stick. Give it to me.”

“Why, what can you do with—”

“Oh, for the love of Steeples.” I snatched my wand from his hand, turned to Delph and said, “Get them out of here.” I pointed to my right. “Toward the tree line.”

Delph grabbed our tucks and shoved them at Lackland. “Take these and get to the tree line,” he shouted. He snatched the crossbow and satchel of arrows from Petra before she could stop him.

“What the Hel are you doing?” she screamed.

“Delph,” I cried out.

“I’m not leaving you, Vega Jane,” he said in a voice that brooked no opposition.

“But,” spluttered Lackland, before Delph grabbed him by the collar and nearly threw him in the direction I’d indicated. “You heard her, now go!” Petra gazed stubbornly at Delph. “Please,” he added. “Please go.”

She paled and her stubborn expression vanished. I saw her put a hand on Delph’s shoulder. “Good luck,” she said. Then she ran after Lackland.

My teeth gnashing at what she had done, I had almost forgotten we were facing two colossals. I heard a bark and looked down. Harry Two was right next to me. I knew my canine would stay and fight with me. And die most likely.

I looked ahead and behind me. The colossals had not been waiting while we dithered. They had been moving, and despite what Lackland had said, they moved pretty fast simply because their legs were so long.

Delph called out, “Vega Jane, you take to the air. I’ll stay on the ground with Harry Two.”

“What are you going to do?” I asked breathlessly.

He held up the crossbow. “Like Thorne. Another distraction.”

I kicked off and soared into the air. I looked down and saw that Lackland and Petra had reached the tree line about a hundred yards distant. They were now crouched there watching me flying through the air with the greatest of unease because I had not one but two colossals to face. My mind went back to the great battlefield where I had seen these horrors crush large men and steeds in their hands. But I had also seen colossals defeated. All it took was strength, skill and, I imagined, a good dose of luck.

I flew as high as I could, well above the tallest trees because I knew what would happen when I did.

The mighty storm blew in because I had taken to the air. Skylight spears hit and thunder-thrusts deafened me. And then the rain started. All of this was good because the colossals were high up in the air too. And the rain and storm was blinding them, I was sure, as it was me. But not for long. My goggles were in my tuck, but I didn’t need them.

I held my wand in front of my face and said, “ Pristino. ”

Instantly my field of vision cleared.

I looked down. The colossals were within ten feet of each other, looking all around for their prey.

Then one of them cried out in pain.

Delph had just shot it in the leg with an arrow.

The next instant, Harry Two was dancing around the legs of both colossals. The second colossal saw him and started to spin around, trying to catch my far more nimble canine, and bumping into the other colossal as he did so.

My plan came together in a moment. I pointed my head and shoulders downward and raced toward the ground. Then I leveled out, swooped to my left, turned and zipped forward. Lined up directly in my sights was the back of one of the colossals.

Well, here goes, Vega.

Ten feet from the two giants, I pointed my wand, made a whipping motion and exclaimed, “ Impacto! ”

A light shot out from the tip of my wand and hit the first colossal directly in the back. He grunted from the punishing blow and fell forward. And, just as I hoped, he smacked right into the second colossal, knocking the thing off its feet. When both of them hit the ground, it was as if the heavens had opened, releasing a thunder-thrust.

When I looked down, I saw the colossal on top slowly rise. Underneath him the other colossal was lying quite dead, crushed by the sheer weight of his companion.

And then something hit me a glancing blow in the shoulder, nearly knocking me out of the air. I felt sickened when I saw what the object was.

It was the head of the dead colossal, which his brethren had ripped off his body and flung at me. Covered in the thing’s blood, I soared upward as the remaining colossal reached a great hand up and tried to snatch me out of the air. I felt a bit of my cloak being tugged, and then a piece of it was ripped off.

The colossal howled again. Delph had managed to shoot the thing in the eye. Quite a feat, considering how tall the creature was. His hand over his bloody face, he started to chase after Delph and Harry Two, who were sprinting for their lives.

The colossal reached down to a belt around its waist and pulled out the largest ax I had ever seen.

It threw the ax and the vicious weapon whirled at Delph with blinding speed. It was stunning to see something that large move that fast. Mesmerized for a moment, I regained my senses, pointed my wand and shouted, “ Embattlemento .”

The ax struck my shield spell and there was a mighty explosion. The shield held and the shattered ax fell to the ground in pieces.

The colossal seemed stunned by this development and I aimed to take advantage of his momentary confusion.

“ Jagada! ” I cried out, and made the proper motion with my wand.

The light hit the enormous creature and small wounds sprouted over his gigantic chest. But it seemed only to irritate rather than incapacitate him. I looked down at my wand. What spell would work against this thing? One spell had knocked it down. The other spell had cut it. But neither had stopped it. I didn’t want to try the Rigamorte spell. If it didn’t work, I knew I couldn’t beat the thing.