Verena's Whistle: Varangian Descendants Book I by K. Panikian (top android ebook reader txt) 📕

I stressed that word, “I get it.” I paused. “Emotionally, I don’t want him here if all he’s doing is trying to prove to himself or to his dad that he’s a Varangian too.”

I stood and turned to Julian. “This doesn’t change anything, don’t worry. He’s a teammate and I’m a musketeer. I’ll do what needs to be done.”

JUST after lunch, we started loading up the snow machines. Zasha packed the copper pots of Greek fire in a cooler and we strapped it to the back of one of the sleds. The projector, we strapped on top.

I asked Theo if he knew how to work it and he answered, “Theoretically.”

I wore my calvary sword on my left hip and my knife in its scabbard on my right thigh. I strapped one crossbow to my back, slid some quarrels into my belt, and put the other crossbow in a backpack, with spare bolts, in the other sled.

Theo wore his shortsword on his left thigh as well and tied his sovnya to the side of his snow machine, since it was too long to strap to his back.

Julian had his spatha and long knife just like mine, and then added his pernach to a belt across his back, hilt up so he could grab it in a hurry. I looked at the flanges of the mace poking out and told him, “You’ve got to ride in the back.”

“I’ll drive him and me,” Theo said. That was fine. With the crossbow on my back, I needed to be in the rear too. I would ride behind Owen.

Owen came jogging up just then and waved his hand. “Give me five minutes, guys,” and he ran into the house.

I picked up my phone and sent a quick email to my parents, letting them know we were heading into a fight and that I loved them. I left my phone inside the entry way. I looked over and saw Theo hugging Zasha tightly, whispering to her. She was nodding and smiling but her eyes looked worried.

Owen came back out of the house, carrying his sword and a long knife. I showed him how to strap them both on without tangling the ties. He agreed to drive our sled and we all slipped our helmets on.

Julian and Owen led the way out of the garage and we were off. I looked back over my shoulder and waved to Zasha; she waved back and mouthed something that was probably “Good luck.”

WHEN we reached the creek, we pulled our snow machines to the side of the trail. We adjusted our weapons and each of us picked up a copper pot except Theo, who carried the projector instead.

It was awkward to clamber down into the streambed while wearing a sword, knife, and crossbow, and carrying a heavy pot. I checked to see how everyone else was doing and saw pained expressions all around. When we were finally all in the creek, I warned them again to try and be as quiet as possible as I led the way up the icy, slippery gully.

I tripped a couple of times and heard some cracking ice and stumbles from behind me, but finally were at the part of the ridge that led to the cave. I hunched as low as I could over my pot and inched my way up the slope. Snow slithered down my collar and into my coat. Ugh. Toward the top I got all the way onto my stomach and just pushed the pot alongside me. Finally, I poked my head over the crest, still hidden under a snowy bush, and peered at the cave.

The sun was setting and the glade was turning purple-gray and shadowy. I could see a few feet into the entrance of the cave but no movement. I turned questioning eyes to Theo, who dropped next to me, and he concentrated on the cave for a moment. Then he held up ten fingers to me.

Only ten inside. That was disappointing. Still, if we waited and tried again tomorrow, the numbers could be even worse. I pointed down at the cave and nodded. We were a go. I saw Theo pass the signal down the line.

Now we needed to move quickly, in case anything in the cave was watching outside. We had to get down the ridge to the cave entrance, dump the pots, and run back behind the ridge, out of the blast zone, before I lit the fire.

I turned my head and looked at Theo again. I mouthed, “Guard us,” to him and he waved back at me.

I rose to a crouch, pot in the crook of my arm, and beside me Theo dropped the projector in the snow and readied his sovnya. I checked to make sure Owen and Julian were ready too, and then, still moving as quietly as I could, I jumped and slid down the icy slope, breaking into a run at the bottom.

I sprinted for all I was worth, hampered by my heavy boots and the slippery snow. The cave was still a few yards ahead when I saw movement in the entrance. I skidded to stop, opened the lid of the pot, and dumped the black liquid out in front of me. Julian and Owen did the same on either side of me and the puddle of thick fluid coalesced into a rough circle in the snow.

A crimson bolt of energy shot out of the cave at us and Theo stepped forward, batting it out of the air with the bladed end of his sovnya. I turned and ran for the ridge, my arms pumping, moving faster now without the heavy copper pot. I glanced back and saw Theo backing slowly, spinning his spear in front of him, as a psoglav crept out of the cave and into the open air. It bared its iron teeth at Theo and crouched, its equine legs ready to leap forward.

I stopped and seized the crossbow from my back, loading a bolt