Free The Trials Of Ashbarn ( Book 5) by Jeff Gunzel Page B

said Nima.
    Jade winced at her insensitivity . Jacob only stared at her, his light blue eyes blank.
    “If you were to actually find her again, you would not recognize the beast before you. And more importantly, she would not recognize you either. More likely than not, she would tear you limb from limb in a state of animalistic rage. Is that your brilliant plan, Jacob?” Nima said.
    His expression never changed, yet his eyes began to moisten. “I see,” he said, voice cracking. “So it is best to abandon our friends when they need us most. Very well, I won’t ask for your help.” He picked up his staff and headed towards the door. He looked back at her. “May the gods smile on you. Pray you’re never in need of a friend.” He left quietly.
    Jade moved swiftly towards the door. “Let him go,” said Nima. “Sooner or later he’ll see reason. And let’s hope it’s sooner rather than later.”
    Jade stopped in her tracks, her hand still reached out towards the door. She turned back slowly, her eyes unable to mask her anger. “How dare you speak to him like that?” she hissed. “You know his heart is broken, yet he still pushes on. He clings to hope by a thread.”
    “He clings to a fool’s hope,” said Nima, her voice even and cold. “Jacob grasps at a dream, and like a dream, it will slip through his fingers like smoke.”
    “That is how you show support for your friends?”
    “ He doesn’t need support, or coddling, or any other sense of false comfort used to soften reality. He needs to be told the truth, and that is exactly what I did. The sooner he accepts it, the sooner he can move on.”
    Jade moved in close, their face s nearly touching. “What if it were Amoshi out there? What if everyone told you he could not be saved? Would you accept that reality? Would you sit here and do nothing?”
    Nima’s mouth worked wordlessly for a moment. Jade’s stare penetrate d right through her soul. “B-But it’s not the same,” she mumbled. No longer able to bear those accusing eyes, she looked away.
    “ What if it were Eric, or me? Tell me, Nima, whose life do you value higher? Which of your friends is worth saving and who is to be sacrificed?”
    “That’s not fair,” Nima croaked. She was clearly shaken by Jade’s accusations. “No one has ever returned to their former selves once the seed takes hold. No one! You question my reasoning without understanding the nature of the problem. I feel for Jacob—for all of you. But all the efforts in the world can never bring back the dead, no matter how much you wish it so.”
    Jad e sighed, her angry glare melting away. “No part of this journey has been fair, but we didn’t get this far by giving up.” She glanced back at the door where Jacob had left. “No matter what you say, I will support his ambition.” 

Chapter 5
    The putrid stench of rancid water and reptile waste hung heavy in the dense, foggy air. A thick, greasy film coated the brownish-green water. Rings of red and blue emanated out from the center. Subtle waves slightly disrupted the surface film while dark shadows moved back and forth beneath the filth.
    A tiny bubble broke the surface, followed by another. Slowly, a black snake’s head rose up through the filmy surface. The cobra’s red tongue flickered about, probing the air suspiciously. Its black hood fanned out angrily, hissing displeasure.
    The snake froze when a pair of soft hands rose up from the filth and caressed its thick, scaly body. Moving up the snake’s body, the hands gripped the creature’s hood, holding it fast. The snake hissed again, baring white fangs dripping with venom.
    Morita’s head slowly emerged from the murky water, her bright red hair slicked back. Saturated with greasy muck, it clung tightly to her neck and shoulders. Her body broke through the surface, her impossibly long tongue riding up the belly of the snake as she emerged. She savored every delectable inch, relishing each individual scale before