Xerachus hissed.
The mawlana and the monster sharpened, and Clara groaned, forced herself up onto her knees. Crimson dyed the Kharji's garb. Blood on snow. But more flowed from Xerachus' hide.
"Run, Clara Mandrake. Run…"
She stood, tottered. Everything shook. The mawlana's sword gleamed, silver and scarlet. Xerachus threw himself at the Kharji but the blade moved too. His belly opened. Guts stank, dangled. He crumpled.
The mawlana's chest heaved. Flecks of blood and spittle clung to her lips. The markings quickened, slowed, quickened. Her eyes fastened on Clara Mandrake.
"Allatu Akbar!"
The Kharji took a step, then staggered as though an invisible fist punched her. Something slapped down on the grass behind. The mawlana turned. Silas crouched a dozen yards away and clutched his forearm. She made a sound, twisted back to face Clara.
Clara tore her throat out. The Kharji fell, and the writing stopped at the same time as her eyes.
Xerachus' throat rumbled. She didn't know if it was a laugh or a groan.
"Go, Clara Mandrake."
She knelt. Blood oozed between fur and scales.
"Can you heal? You said…"
"Darkness…" He gazed at the sun. "Nowhere to go."
"There's one place…"
Their eyes met, and then he was gone. Clara sighed. She picked up the dagger, grabbed the mawlana's mask, and went to Silas. He flinched.
"What…? What are you?"
"I'm a monster."
"But-"
"Here." She set his knife down, held out the fabric. "Bandage that."
He stared at her, but took it and wrapped it around his arm.
"Go to Vasile Zarabanov's apothecary shop. They'll help you. It's over-"
"I've been there."
She yanked off the hood and dropped it beside him.
"That's Vasile's. And tell Rayya… Tell her I'm sorry, and I love her, and she's the best friend in the world. And tell her I'm safe. Okay?"
"Yeah."
Clara waited till he'd finished, made sure the bandage was good, then stood up.
"Wait… We could… Maybe we can…"
"Help me?" Clara turned her hand. Scales drank the sunlight.
"Yeah…"
"It's okay. I know what to do." She smiled at him. "I have to be a duck."
"Huh?"
Clara walked a few steps. Then she flew.
***
The boy twitched beneath his blankets. He murmured in his sleep, but the words meant nothing. A floorboard creaked beyond the door. Wood groaned, and footsteps padded away till the other sounds of the house swallowed them.
Perhaps she'd been wrong. But she'd linger till she knew for certain. If the boy was safe, she'd move on. If not…
Her claws tingled.
Clara Mandrake melted into the wardrobe's shadows. She drifted towards slumber, and the place Xerachus dreamt his endless dream, in the darkness of her heart.
Acknowledgements
I wrote the latter half of this novel as a Camp NaNoWriMo project during the April 2017 session. My cabin mates' dedication and productivity were a constant source of inspiration, and their banter (whether about tea, Doctor Who, the German judicial system, singing contests, or literary tattoos) made the month fly by. So, thank you to every member of The Novelland Adventurers.
If a proverbial tree falling in the woods doesn't make a sound unless there's someone around to hear it, a novel doesn't exist until another person's read it. Fortunately, I have great people in my life whom I can conscript as beta readers. Thank you to Lena Gkika, Aaron Doyle, Niki Pladson, Khadijah Amin, Laurence Viollet, and Kathleen Trembath, for reading Clara Mandrake's Monster and making it real.
Aaron Doyle illustrated many of my stories and lore blurbs during our time at 5th Planet Games, and since then he's always been someone I can go to whenever I want a great piece of art. If you bought this novel because of its cover, that's Aaron's magic at work.
And, of course, thank you to everyone who's reading this. If you've got this far without throwing the book or your electronic device across the room, we can hopefully both walk away satisfied. Feel free to ask any questions on my Goodreads author page. You can also find me on Twitter (@Ibrahim_S_Amin), though I mostly just rant about things there.
About the Author
Ibrahim S. Amin was educated at the Manchester Grammar School, the University of Newcastle, and the University of Manchester. He wallowed in education for as long as he could, earning his PhD in Classics & Ancient History. At that point he ran out of excuses and joined the real world — where he now writes to support his unhealthy takeaway addiction.
His previous books are The Monster Hunter's Handbook: The Ultimate Guide to Saving Mankind from Vampires, Zombies, Hellhounds, and Other Mythical Beasts (published in Italian as I Fratelli del Vampiro), and the graphic novel Jihad Squad.
Clara Mandrake's Monster Page 24