Free Dearest Mother of Mine (Overworld Chronicles) by John Corwin Page B

a careful hand and touched it. It was petrified. I looked up at the leyworm bones. I saw bits and pieces of internal organs. The area around the carcass was blackened, as if something had exploded.
    "I estimate hundreds of bodies," Meghan said in a whisper. "Maybe more."
    "It must have overloaded," Cinder said. "Perhaps the sheer number of cherubs caused a chain reaction. The pattern appears to have started as an implosion which sucked both light and dark aether from everything, and then exploded outward after petrifying the creature and the husks within it."
    The young leyworm blinked and rumbled.
    "The leyworm that spit out the first baby was drawing so much aether from the ley line beneath this place, it was literally absorbing the entire flow," I said. "And that was for one cherub."
    "How many are left?" Elyssa asked. She blew out a breath. "If only we could light this whole place up instead of running around in the dark."
    "Perhaps there is a way to do that in the control room," Cinder said.
    I looked at the baby Bella carried then turned to the leyworm. "Why are you helping the angels?" I asked. "What do you plan to do with the babies?"
    It simply stared at me for a moment, before slithering back toward the nursery. Following the creature, I switched back to incubus sight. Tendrils of gray energy drifted from the young leyworms nearby, swirling like miniature vortexes into the outstretched hands of the babies.
    I told the others what I saw. "They're somehow converting aether into essence."
    "It's gray, so it must be neutral essence," Adam said. "Maybe that'll keep the babies from aligning with Brightlings or Darklings."
    "I don't get how these dragons know what they're doing," Shelton said. "They're a lot smarter than they look."
    The young leyworm made a low rumbling noise.
    Shelton gave it a nervous glance. "How do they know how to feed angels?"
    "They've combed theses depths for probably thousands of years," Adam said. "I'm sure they knew all about the Seraphim. Maybe they even know who originally built this place."
    At this, the leyworm's gaze flicked to me.
    "Do you know?" I asked it.
    It simply stared back.
    "Guess you'd better brush up on your language skills," Shelton said with a chuckle. "Who'd have thought it? Leyworms, the dolphins of the underground."
    The small dragon snorted.
    "I should leave the baby here, then," Bella said reluctantly. "I'm afraid of upsetting its diet." She walked to the cluster of babes and set it down. "This goes against every motherly instinct in my body."
    "I don't like it either," Meghan said, eyes locked onto the seemingly helpless bundles of joy. She looked to Adam. "Maybe we should take them. I can probably gather enough soul essence."
    The leyworm made a harsh growling noise.
    "I don't think they'll let us do that, honey," Adam replied, pulling her away from the temptation.
    I heard a noise like the roar of a lion mixed with the braying of a donkey. All heads turned toward the sound. Shelton held a white-knuckled grip on his staff.
    "What in the hell is coming now?"
    I glanced at Elyssa. "Sound familiar?"
    She nodded. "I don't think it's anything to worry about."
    "I'll be the judge of that," Shelton said.
    Bella patted him on the back. "I'm still here to protect you."
    I spotted a glowing shape approaching from the darkness. It broke into a galloping lope, coming straight for us.
    "Uh, can the leyworm help out?" Shelton said, placing himself squarely behind the reptilian creature.
    Shaggy hair hung thick from the glowing creature. Tall, thin ears flopped from the top of its feline head. A long thin tongue lolled from the side of its mouth. It made another bray-roar noise, and skidded to a stop when it neared us, stopping to rub its body against the leyworm like a cat.
    "Yolo?" I said.
    The creature trotted up to me, and sniffed. I reached out a tentative hand, and scratched behind its ear. It made a soft noise, something between a bray and a purr.
    "Wait a minute," Shelton