Heirs of Prophecy - Lisa Smedman [101]
TWe've got to shift," Leifander shouted at Larajin over the roar of wind. "These spiders can climb trees. Flying is the only way we'll escape them. You go first!"
Larajin shook her head and pointed stubbornly at the spot where the man was hanging. "We can't just leave Dray. The spiders will kill him."
"He's probably already dead."
"What if he's still alive?"
"Why do you care?"
"He tried to save my life," Larajin said. "I owe the same to him."
That, Leifander could understand, even if he didn't like it.
He nodded at Larajin and said, "Then we'll make a stand."
It didn't look hopeful, however. The spiders had taken advantage of the twins' exchange of words and were making headway against the wind. Even with it howling against them, so close were they now that the stink of them filled the air, making Leifander gag.
Larajin clasped the locket around her wrist and called, "Keep your spell going. I'm going to try something."
She began to pray.
Had he the time, Leifander would have told her that it
was probably too late. His spell was already failing. The fluttering in his hand was slowing to the point where his fingers were no longer a blur, and the strength of the magical wind was starting to drop. Made bolder, the spiders forced their way closer-too close to keep them all within the blast of wind. With a triumphant chitter, one of them suddenly found itself unimpeded, and leaped forward. It bit down, grazing Leifander's forearm even as he jerked it back.
Leifander quickly shifted the aim of his spell and forced the spider back, but too late. A numbness seized his arm, and it felt as if he had banged his elbow against something hard. His fluttering hand slowed, nearly stopped, then one of Larajin's hands began to glow.
In that same moment, the air was filled with the sweet scent of blooming flowers. She grabbed for his wounded forearm, and the numbness disappeared. For a wild moment Leifander thought that negating the venom was all she intended-that it wouldn't be enough. In another instant they would be swarmed by the spiders. Already the foul things were crouching, preparing to leap.
The tressym dived from the sky, howhng a challenge. Brilliant wings flashing, it hurled itself straight at the spider closest to Leifander and Larajin-then swerved at the last moment, just out of reach. Legs bunched and the spider leaped, trying for this new prey. The tressym, however, was too swift for it. The spider fell back to the ground, venom dripping from its mouth.
The distraction was only momentary, but it was enough. Larajin's hand slid down Leifander's arm, toward his hand.
"Sune and Hanali Celanil, lend me a little of the water of Evergold-add your holy waters to my brother's storm!" she shouted.
A rush of energy flowed through Leifander and pulsed from his fingertips. His hand again blurred and seemed to fuse with Larajin's. A spray of rain erupted from their fingers.
The rain, blown horizontally by the wind, shimmered
with a golden glow. It struck the closest spider as it was preparing to leap, pitting its hairy flesh like sling stones. Chattering with rage and pain, the spider turned and tried to run but only managed a step or two before collapsing into a tangled heap of broken legs.
With the closest spider down, Leifander was able to direct his magical wind full force at the remaining three. He drove the magical rain at them, and as it struck it created sizzling pits in their flesh. The spiders cowered, trying to protect their heads by lowering them to the ground-then as one they turned and bolted. Blown by the wind at their backs, they skidded down the trail, chattering in terror as they tried to outrun the deadly rain. They made it no more than a few dozen paces, however before crumpling to the ground like the first. There they seemed to melt, like lumps of dark clay in the rain. Still the shimmering drops, blown by the relentless magic wind, drove into them.
When nothing was left but a few scraps of hair and broken bits of leg, Larajin let go of Leifander's hand, and the spells