The boy sags in such relief that he really does fall this time.
I catch him before he hits the floor and Roland clicks his tongue, grabbing him up from me as if the child was merely a large sack of potatoes.
"What do you want from us?" Roland grunts.
"I...I..." The boy babbles incoherently for a few moments, before he finally steadies himself and manages words again.
"It's. Malevolent. It hates us. I'm sure of it. I saw pure hatred in its red eye when it looked at me. I-if it wasn't so busy escaping its rock prison then I-" He blanches.
"Breathe, kid."
The duke struggles to hold himself together, but he does his best.
"You were those who could stop the Angel's Tear. That thing will kill all of us, not just Caster Falls but...everyone. I'm sure of it. All humans will die if that thing is left alone."
The boy's voice cracks, but he seems determined to plead his case to us.
