Glory Alley and the Star Riders (The Glory Alley Series) (81 page)

“That’s not what I want,”
Glory
said
, her voice barely a whisper
.
“I just want to help my family stay together.”

The
Weinling
’s song shifted from harmonic strains to screams and thumping, like it was the lead singer of an angry heavy metal band.
It will cost you very
little;
just a bend of the knee, Glory A
lley
, and you will discover r
evenge is the sweetest taste in the universe.

“I don’t know if
I
want that kind of guilt
.
”

Guilt isn’t real, only an illusion. What is real is the fact
that
y
our brothers
and sister
despise you
and y
our father wishes you were never born
.
They’re not worth dying fo
r. T
hey
don’t even like you,
let
alone love you.

“
George
loves me!”

I will love you.

“Can you bring back the dead?”

Don’t be a fool,
nobody can do that, so
I
offer
you a piece of advice instead
—
hold onto the Elboni Stone no matter the cost
.
Then, and only then, will you gain the world.

“I don’t want the
world;
I just want my mother back
!
I want
Dad to be safe and to be a good pe
r
son again
!
I want my brothers and sister to get along
and be happy!
”

Denounce them all and turn to me.

“
I won’t
!”

So be it,
Glory
Alley
,
abandon all hope and prepare to die!

The
Weinling
’s eyes burned like two explo
ding suns
.

Glory
’s
legs felt like
anvils and she suddenly realized her
feet had sunk into the land itself and were now encased in rock
.
The
Weinling
coiled its body
to strike
.

With a great heave, Glory pulled her ankles free and jumped out of the way just before the
Weinling
’s giant head struck the place where she’d stood only a moment ago
.
Rocks shattered everywhere
.

Glory ran away from the
orange
ocean
.

The mountains
groaned
as the
Weinling
used
its
flippers
like hands
, climbing up the side of the cliff after her
.
It slithered over the rocks, getting closer and closer
.
Then propelled itself like a bouncing spring to land in front of her
.
Glory screamed
.

It lunged down at her, but she log
rolled forward, making it miss its mark
.
Letting out an angry hiss, it spewed out stones
, pelting her face and body
.

Glory ran over the crazy molten landscape, looking for a place to hide, but it was flat and lifeless far into the horizon
.
The
Weinling
’s tongue whipped to the right of her head
.

Glory
zigged to the left
.

Its tale
whipped
to the left.

She zagged to the right.

Its tale slashed at
her feet.

“Yow
ch
!
”
The tongue sliced through
the back of her calf,
knocking her to the ground, scraping her knees
. Pebbles
push
ed
into her bare hands
.
When she scrambled to her feat, s
earing pain ripped up her right leg, but she
dashed ahead.

Shouting came from behind
.

She stole a glance to see three stout shadows.

The
Wybbil
s had come
after
back
!

The
Weinling
turned around to hiss at the the
m
.
“
Star riders!
I’ve been waiting for this one a long time
. She
belongs to me!
”

“Get out of there,
Rock Collector
!”
o
ne of them
warned
.

“
I’m trying
!
But where do I go!”

“Battan!
”
Bone said
,
and with a flick of his wrist a white sword made of bone sailed through the air toward the
Weinling
,
striking it between the eyes.

Its
screech shook the land as the
Weinling
swung its massive head from side to side to dislodge the blade
.

“This
shouldn’t be happening!
” White Feather yelled in confusion
.
“The theologians say the
Weinling
only dines from the sea, not from the shore!
”

“
Perhaps
the
Weinling
doesn’t listen to theologians!” Bone said
.
“Quickly, raise
the
Nightburner
!
Raise
the
Nightburner!”

A crack appeared in the ground. Orange flames spewed from deep within it, separating Glory from the Wybbils
.
The creature slithered over the
crack, unaffected by the flames shooting out of it,
toward
Glory
with its mouth open
.
Needle
ran to the crack, taking a flying leap, barely making the jump
.
Without hesitation, he
ran between
Glory
and the
Weinling
with
the Nightburner
raised high
.

“Nonru
!
Nonru! Nonru!
”

Glory
shielded h
er
head with
fore
arms, bracing for a horrific bite
.

Seconds away from being devoured, a vision of the exquisite indigo stone filled h
er with unexpected peace.
It was so smooth and unblemished, just thinking of its perfection
made everything else fade away
.
The
rock
spoke like a gentle rain
.
Sacrifice begets gain, humility
—
glory, defeat
—
triumph, death
—life, poverty
—
treasure
.
Although she didn’t understand, th
e words filled her with peace
.
D
o not be afraid
, I am with you always.

“I am not afraid
,
” she whispered
.

Needle curled one arm around h
er
in a protective embrace
.
The Nighburner was held high in the other
.
“Nonru, you filthy serpent
!
Nonru!”

One word was on
Glory
lips as the gigantic mouth of the
Weinling
came down over h
er
and Needle
.
“
Elboni
,”
s
he whispered with reverence, steel
ing
h
ers
elf for the burn of fire and ice
.

S
he saw J
ason
’s body
inside the
serpent’s
mouth
—torn, but looking human again
.
Somehow
,
the Nightburner
preserved
Needle and herself from the
Weinling
’s bite, now they stood on
its
mushy tongue
.
Poor
Jason
hadn’t
fare
d
so well
.
H
is
limbs were
weaved around the
Weinling
’s teeth
,
torso skewered with
a
spiny
t
ooth
taller than her
entire body
.
T
hrough some gruesome miracle
,
he was still alive
.