SWNOVELS Chapter 30
SACRIFICE
CYRUS AND EDWARD WATCHED helplessly as the klappen dragged Fibian’s limp body into the forest. Only a handful of the diseased creatures remained to observe the two fugitives as they drifted out with the ebbing tide.
“Is he dead?” Edward asked, his voice wavering.
The small spider began to shiver on Cyrus’ shoulder.
“He can’t be,” Cyrus said, wiping tears from his eyes.
He looked down at the klappen blood all over his hands.
“Rorroh stabbed him through the heart, and he survived. He just can’t be dead.”
Fibian had received the chest wound rescuing Cyrus and Edward from Rorroh. Now her crazed minions were carrying the froskman away, and there was nothing Cyrus could do about it.
“What do we do now?” Edward asked, huddling into a furry ball.
Cyrus could not think straight. Fibian was supposed to take them north, to the safety of the Yeti Kingdom. But Drache had double-crossed them and led them straight to Rorroh. Why had they trusted a dragon? What choice had they had? Had Edward really killed the beast?
Now they were stranded alone in a leaky boat, off the shore of some unknown island. And Rorroh’s ship was nearby, within a secluded cove, overlooked by a looming, cliff-top castle. What would Rorroh do once the klappen got Fibian inside the castle walls?
“This can’t be happening,” Cyrus said, rubbing his damp eyes with the heels of his hands.
He fought back the urge to cry. Why had Fibian sacrificed himself? Cyrus was no legendary savior. He was just a boy. He just wanted to live in peace.
Fibian was mad. Maybe he deserved to die. If Cyrus and Edward tried to save the froskman, both would be captured and murdered. Sure, Cyrus had managed to defeat one klappen, but Fibian and Edward had helped. Cyrus had slashed the creature’s throat. There had been so much blood. Cyrus’ stomach began to roll. He forced the thought from his mind.
Rorroh would surely kill Fibian, but not before she first had her revenge. She was going to boil me alive, Cyrus thought, what will she do to Fibian? He recalled Niels’ cold body lying limp on the log. He could not lose another brother. It was all too much.
“We can’t just sit here,” Edward said, “We have to do something.”
It was like the day Virkelot caved in all over again. Was Cyrus really going to stand by while another person he cared about died? Deep anger rose in his belly. He clenched his teeth and balled his fists.
“We are going to do something,” Cyrus said, “We’re going to get Fibian.”