The Hammer - Cor Series Book I

Chapter 13

Corvan's blood ran cold. Without a second thought, he yanked Kate to her feet and away from the hole. Eyes wide, she dropped her rock and stumbled along to crouch with him by the ring of outer boulders.

"Was that the lizard?" Kate asked.

"Yes, I need to block up that hole." Pulling the hammer from his pocket, he crept forward.

"Be careful," Kate whispered.

He chose a good-sized rock from the pile and pulled it to his chest with one hand. It slipped free, and he jumped back to save his toes from being crushed.

"I'll help." Kate bent to pick up the rock, but Corvan stopped her.

"Here," he said, holding the hammer out to her. "If the lizard comes out, point this toward it and tell it to go away."

Kate hesitated before reluctantly taking the hammer from his hand. Her face was tight with fear.

Corvan heaved the rock to his chest, stepped cautiously forward, and held the rock out as far as he could directly over the hole.

A claw appeared. Kate screamed. Corvan lost his grip, and the rock dropped. A screech of pain erupted at his feet as the rock bounced and rolled away. From below the hole, there was a scrabbling of claws and then silence.

He had to find something else to push over the entrance to the lizard's den and fast.

Corvan looked to the ruined fort. If he could cover the hole with a large board, he could stand on it while Kate found rocks to pile on top. Keeping his eyes on the hole, he picked up a wide plank, but it was too heavy and dipped down toward the hole. Corvan fell to his knees to stop its descent, but it kept falling and rapped sharply on the door.

The lizard shot out of the hole and sank one of its long claws deep into the wood. It glared at him. Its mouth, flecked with foam, muttered something. Corvan couldn't understand what it said, but a gasp from Kate told him that she heard it clearly.

The angry creature yanked its claw from the wood, took a step forward, and locked its fiery eyes on Corvan. One foreleg and claw were extended toward him, the other hung at its side. Blood was dripping from the end of a crushed paw.

It stopped and stared at him through narrow slits before the dinner bell on the back porch shattered the silence.

The lizard turned toward the house, and its eyes fell on Kate. It moved toward her. With a shaking hand, Kate lifted the hammer toward it. "Stop!" she commanded.

The creature collapsed to the ground as if she'd shot it. Covering its head with its good claw, it whined and writhed before her. Its wounded claw was dragging about in the dust. Hammer held out before her, Kate moved in closer.

"Stay away, Kate. It's a trap!" Corvan shouted.

Ignoring his warning, Kate kept her eyes focused on the lizard as she continued her advance on the injured creature. Corvan had seen animals feign death and then attack. Kate needed to back away.

The lizard stretched out prone. Kate stood directly over it and was raising the hammer high above her head. The creature lay perfectly still, as if waiting for the fatal blow. Corvan watched in horrified silence as Kate brought the hammer swiftly down and then gently touched the lizard on the back of its neck. With a low metallic groan, the black collar around its neck quivered and fell into the dirt.

The lizard rose slowly, bowed its head to Kate, and backed away. Kate bent to examine the black band, and the lizard shook its head while rattling off a string of clicks and hisses. Kate sank to her knees, and, as she picked the band up, the lizard, hissing and gesturing toward Kate with its healthy claw, ran toward Corvan. What was it saying?