Wishmaker Chapter 23: Chapter 23

Read chapter 23 of Wishmaker by Larch on NovelPedia.

Inky tendrils coiled over his limbs like slippery chains, crushing his bones until he could not muster any strength to hold on. His grip remained firm on the tooth the size of his leg, his eyes intently locked onto a crack that spread across its smooth surface, almost letting go. The blackened hands, having noticed that injuring his arms was not enough, jumped towards his knees, trying to shift his posture and break the little balance he'd established. His clothes were pulled alongside his body, dragging his feet backwards and tripping him forward, making Val let go of the cracked tooth momentarily. However, as Valentine hit his head against the solid cobble, his face snapped back towards the pearly tooth. Both arms wrapped around it in a strained embrace, not letting go despite bleeding all over. I... won't... let go! Reflected in his gaze... Was a tiny white spark that blinked in and out of his sight, glinting at the tip of his fingers. It tugged at his mind like a parasitic whisper, convincing him that the only way out... is to break it. Even if his mind ached like hell and blood loss was starting to catch up to him, he wanted to manage one last struggle. Pulling on the broken tooth, he heard it crack, smaller but more noticeable on its damaged surface. Dark lines spread across its fang in a flash; chipped fragments of calcium crumbled to the ground, tinting the beast's open maw with a bloodless stain. It cracked again; fragments of its shattered coating lodged themselves into the shadowy tongues. "You better..." He shouted to the monster, jaw clenched with strain towards the sharp tooth bending in his direction. "Get a God-damn dentist!" With a powerful shout, he pulled his entire body alongside the bent fang, ripping it out of its roots and taking hold of its shattered remains, gripping it with his hand like a crude, thin mace that reeked with rotten blood. Dark blood sprayed all over his pale face until the beast let out a spine-chilling shriek, shaking the surroundings and the other smaller black beasts inhabiting them. His blood ran cold, watching its shadows slither away like snakes around the needle-like teeth, wrapping around them in knots that blocked all light from ever reaching his momentarily blinded vision. It seemed to be trying to trap him inside, cutting off the only way out of here with its own body. Valentine's face flushed red. He looked at the thin fang in his hands, establishing his grip over it. Gritting his teeth, he swung it at the shadow like a bat, twisting his entire torso with the swing that passed through the intangible shadows. Momentarily baffled at the lack of contact, he chose a new target for his organic weapon, another tooth that unfortunately stood in the path of his strike. They collided with each other, his hands flying above his head with wide eyes. It's as hard as stone! Well, what else could he expect from a tooth? It seemed that the one he managed to pull out with brute force was just a stroke of luck. However, as stubborn as he was, Valentine could not stop. Not when he could feel blood rush through his body so clearly! The boy lunged at the creature with his body, ramming at the twisting shadows and swinging at the unbreakable teeth. He hit it again. Then again. And when his hands trembled from striking it repeatedly, he tightened his grip and hit it once more! Suddenly, at the corner of his eye, he noticed shadows gathering in a circle, forming a wall that cut him off from any light or any world outside. It was trying to trap him and end it! "No, you don't!" The tooth spun in his hands fast, aiming at the shadows with its sharpened tip that previously threatened to rip his body to shreds. How about you feel it for yourself before trying to use it on others! Like a spear, he shot it through the black mass, piercing the coiling shadows and disrupting their attempt at caging him inside. His eyes widened, barely holding onto his jaw that threatened to fall through the floor. I-How di