Albert's heart lurched.
His body pitched forward violently toward the well.
Beside him, the big cat's fur exploded on end. Hayes let out an involuntary roar, pupils blown wide, and instinctively lunged with a paw to grab him.
At the last second, Albert slammed his shoe against the stone rim of the well and braced himself hard against the edge. He hadn't expected such a violent reaction from the leech—
But then again, if someone were trying to rip out your lifeline, wouldn't you fight back?
He immediately abandoned the attempt. The silk strand snapped from his palm, severing the connection to the leech. Several people grabbed him at once and hauled him backward.
The scarred man frowned. "We'll have to go down. Doesn't look like there's another way."
If they attacked together, their odds would be much better. No matter how vicious the leech was, it couldn't possibly eat all of them.
No one objected.
