Raven Girl

Chapter 20

Nadine groaned. Her entire body hurt. She lay still for a moment, wondering why she hadn't been devoured – and her muscles locked up as something beneath her moved.

Something had broken her fall.

Oh, gods. She dared to touch it with her hand, keeping her eyes closed and her breathing steady, although her skin crackled with fear. The substance beneath her was smooth, silky.

Life shuddered through the mass. It was the hide of a monster. A daylight horror.

Nadine's eyes snapped open – and the light winking through trees that were impossibly high up blinded her. She flipped onto her stomach, biting back a scream of pain as her right leg refused to co-operate.

She flung herself away from the black thing – well, more like she slithered off its back and hit the floor beside it, jarring her tailbone. She squeezed her eyes shut as hot tears sprang up.

Nadine stared at the creature. Had any Ravennan been so close to one? Its hide had a strange sheen to it – it reminded her of a raven's plumage, black but iridescent, with faint tones of purple, blue, green. But she realised it wasn't made of feathers, but scales.

A lizard. A giant lizard. The breath came out of her in a whine of terror. She spotted its wings protruding from its back, and saw her knife – its hilt still buried in one of them.

Carefully, trying not to disturb the beast, Nadine rose to her feet. Her injured leg shook beneath her and she put all her weight on her good one. She lunged, diving for the knife and pulling it out in one sharp burst. Sticky blood coated her hands. She reeled as the beast shuddered again.

Kill it. Kill it now. She stumbled towards where she thought its head would be, moaning as agony rippled through her leg, and lifted the knife.

One golden eye opened.

Nadine froze. Its eye was churning with light and life and fire. It lifted its head slightly, revealing an angular shape with an elegant snout. It had a long, thick neck. She wouldn't be able to sever it, but if she stabbed it repeatedly... Would her knife be able to cut through the scales? The wing had been a lucky hit – the wing was delicate.

Nadine swallowed. She could stab its eye out, or shred its wings. But it would still kill her. It stared at her unblinkingly, waiting for her decision. Why hadn't it eaten her yet?

"You attacked me," she told it. "Why shouldn't I kill you? You scarred my shoulder." She was sure it had been the same thing that had attacked her in the meadow with Gylfi.

A low rumble came out of the lizard-thing's chest. It wasn't a growl. Was it replying?

Nadine shook her head. They weren't intelligent.

Were they? Didn't they deserve to die?

The knife fell from her fingers. She couldn't kill it. Even if she tried, it would attack and rip her to shreds. But a strange feeling came over her – she didn't want to kill it. Yes, she was scared out of her wits, but its eye was strangely beautiful.

A beautiful monster.

Nadine collapsed, her heart stopping as the thing lifted its head. It brought its face towards her – she could see its rows of teeth, could smell its stinking breath.

Its mouth closed around her. Nadine screamed, but suddenly she was rising – air rushed past her – it hadn't broken her skin yet –

She hit the floor once more and suddenly it was gone. She gasped like a landed fish, fingers scrabbling the earth, wanting to feel it because she was still alive. She was still alive. Her clothes stuck to her, covered in saliva.