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Chapter 425
~Zara’s POV~
The rhythmic hum of the helicopter had long since faded into a tense silence as we flew over the dark marshlands of the Eastern Lands, heading for the Serpent Crane. Four hours in, my body ached from sitting, but my mind remained sharp.
How couldn’t it be when all I did was replay the mont of Snow’s death over and over again? And the way those words rolled out his tongue when he told he loved always made my heart ache.
Astrid still hadn’t spoken a word to since his death. We were no longer bonded, but no man had loved either of us as he did.
Sure, Snow made his own mistakes, but he was still the best man I could have asked for.
"Astrid?"
"Hm."
"Astrid, co on, talk to ."
"There’s nothing to say, Zara. I just have to project you always and bring you back to Snow in one piece."
"That’s good enough for . We are in this together."
I turned my side to look at Kaid. Never once did he show signs of tiredness as he peered into the night, taking us closer to our goal.
And then, without warning, a powerful gust of wind slamd against us, shaking the entire aircraft.
Kaid cursed under his breath, gripping the controls tightly. The chopper dipped slightly, and my stomach lurched. That wind wasn’t natural.
Suddenly, Siona’s warning echoed in my mind.
"A vast marshland filled with creatures that sense movent from miles away. You must not disturb the waters, or you will not leave it alive."
My eyes widened. "Kaid!" I grabbed his arm. "It was foolish thinking we could cover more ground using the helicopter. We need to land—ditch it before—"
A deep, bone-rattling roar erupted from below.
The sound alone sent a wave of dread washing over . It wasn’t just a roar. It was ancient, a sound that made the air tremble with sheer force.
Then, before I could react, sothing massive moved beneath us. The dark water of the marsh rippled as a massive limb—thick, black, and glistening like the tentacle of a Kraken—shot up from the depths.
It struck with terrifying speed.
The impact sent the helicopter spinning wildly, the force nearly throwing from my seat. I barely managed to grab onto the straps securing as the entire chopper lurched off course.
Kaid cursed through gritted teeth and yanked at the controls, trying to stabilise it. The ground below blurred as the helicopter plumted toward the jagged rock formations that surrounded the marsh.
"Hold on!" he yelled.
I barely had ti to process his words when another set of limbs shot up from below. Three massive tendrils—dark as shadows, moving like whips, with sunken-looking holes all around it—wrapped around the helicopter, locking it in place.
"Shit! It’s a damn Kraken." I gulped as Kaid tried pulling away, but the pressure caused the engines to sputter violently. The tal creaked and groaned under the monstrous grip.
"We have to jump!" I shouted. "Now!"
Kaid’s jaw clenched. He yanked his bag from behind his seat and tossed mine toward . "Grab it!"
I caught it just as he let go of the controls and reached for my hand. Quickly, we moved to the back of the helicopter.
"On my mark," Kaid hollered over the disturbing noise. "One...!" The helicopter shuddered as the creature tightened its grip, dragging us downward.
Then, one of its massive limbs blocked the exit.
"Damn it!" Kaid pulled his gun from his trousers at the back and fired a shot directly into the limb. The bullet struck deep, and the creature let out another deafening roar as it flinched back.
That split second was all we needed.
The chopper tilted dangerously, now free from the grip of one limb but still plumting toward the marsh. Kaid locked his fingers around mine and pulled toward the door.
"Jump!" he commanded.
With no ti to think, I took a deep breath and leapt, my body weightless as we both launched ourselves from the falling wreck.
The last thing I saw before the world blurred around was the helicopter spiralling out of control, smashing into a jagged rock formation below—and the massive, shadowy creature rising from the depths of the marsh.
"Shit!"
Just as soon as I scread internally, the helicopter exploded right in the face of the damned creature, sending it falling back into the depth it ca from.
My breath ca out in sharp, shallow pants as I clung to the rocky ledge, my fingers digging into the damp stone. My entire body ached from the jump, my adrenaline still spiking from the near-fatal crash.
Beside , Kaid was equally breathless, his muscles tense as he steadied himself on the narrow cliff. The jagged rock provided little room to manoeuvre, barely enough for the two of us to crouch without slipping.
Below us, the darkness of the marsh churned, ripples forming on the surface where the Kraken had disappeared. But I knew better. It wasn’t gone.
If there was anything I knew, it was that the Kraken was waiting for any mistake and angry.
"Do you think we’re safe?" Kaid finally muttered, his voice barely above a whisper. Still, the sound echoed.
I winced. Shit.
I imdiately held up my hand, signalling for silence. "Don’t speak," I mouthed, but it was too late. The faint echo bounced back at us, swallowed by the heavy silence that followed.
And then a deep, sharp hissing sound cut through the air above us.
My entire body went rigid. Slowly—so painfully slow—I tilted my head up.
Erging from the rocky outcrop above us, two massive serpent heads slithered into view, their scales glistening under the pale moonlight. Twin golden eyes, slitted and predatory, locked onto us, tongues flicking out as they tasted the air.
Kaid shifted beside , his body tight with barely restrained tension. "The serpent," he mouthed.
As if responding to its na, the larger of the two heads reared back slightly, nostrils flaring.
A gust of hot breath washed over us, carrying the scent of damp stone and sothing unmistakably rancid—death.
Shit. Shit. Shit.
Updat𝓮d fr𝙤m fre𝒆webnov(e)l
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