Page 39

“One down,” Layala mumbled with a smile. Thane asked her why she did this and part of her did it for exhilaration, danger. Yes, originally it had been to hunt down Hel’s location, but she knew where he was now and yet here, she was almost giddy at the thought of the fight.

“Pale ones!” the male voice bellowed from inside. “Get in the room with Hannah and don’t open the door no matter what you hear.”

Layala stepped out from the shadows and trudged toward the remaining pale one. The black under his eyes and mouth appeared darker and more sinister in this light. A low rumble escaped his throat and he slowly backstepped in retreat.

“What’s the matter?” Layala cooed, lifting her sword. “Scared of a little she-elf?” She swung, her blade cut through the air with a whistle and clashed with the enemy’s. He pushed back, sending her stumbling a few steps. With a snarl, she threw out her hand and her vine shot up from the ground and impaled him straight through the gut and drove him onto his back into the grass, circling around him until his body could no longer be seen among the coils and thorns and black blooming lilies.

A scream rent the night air, a slice through Layala’s chest. She whipped around to face the house. There was a third she missed? The child! She sprinted down the path to the front door and found the father bleeding out in the entryway.

No.

“Help them,” he gasped, holding his hand over the gaping wound in his stomach and the obvious bite mark on his shoulder.

Shit,he would turn if she didn’t end him. Her hands shook but she leapt over the elf. Right now, she had to save the mother and child. The table was overturned, food scattered across the floor as she dashed through the living room.Hurry hurry hurry.Shoving through the door at the end of the hallway she found the room empty, with the light curtains blowing in the breeze. Her feet flew across the floor, and she jumped out the window without looking. Already outside the fenced area surrounding the property, the mother dragged the small child along beside her… but where was the pale one? A quiet rustle made Layala drop into a squat and a blade passed over her head and crashed into the house.

“Pesky little elf,” the pale one sneered, trying to pull his embedded sword free. “You ruined my supper.”

Layala shoved up, punching her blade through his belly. He roared and a wave of rotten breath spilled across her face.Ew.Holding back a gag, she shoved her weapon in further.Die, you bastard. Cold, greasy hands grabbed her face and the pale one slammed his forehead into hers.

The impact cracked loudly, and seeing stars, Layala stumbled back.Not good, not good.The world spun around her, and she lost her balance, falling onto her backside. She scrambled backward throwing out her magic, a protective shield, but she was seeing double vision and—where did the creature go?

A long shadow cast across her and she focused her power to hold her invisible shield, the same power she’d used against the dragon prince in the arena, and a fist collided a mere foot from her face, reverberating off her magic. She blew out her breath. Maker, that was close. The pale one screeched in rage and despite the pain throbbing in her head, she smiled.

The pale one stepped in front of her with an ax in both hands and swung. The impact hit like he’d struck a boulder. He hit again and again; the wrath on his already putrid face grew with each strike.

“You can’t hide in there forever!” the creature bellowed. Her sword still protruded from his gut and black blood poured down his thighs and over his ankles…Get up, get up.Keeping her magical shield intact, she slowly pushed to her knees and then rose up. The ax fell to the ground beside him with a thud and the pale one roared and screeched, clawing with his bare hands to break through now.

“Not the most intelligent thing, are you?”

She pulled the dagger from her hip and the pale one stopped.Well, that was easy.She smiled and took a step toward him. He retreated back, afraid—no, terrified. Maybe he finally realized who she was and that he was about to die. She lifted her arm, aiming the point of her dagger at his forehead. As easy as it would be to spear him with her magic, this felt more satisfying. Knife throwing was something she’d done her entire life, and she never missed her mark.

“Master,” the creature murmured, nearly stumbling.

Layala froze.Master?

Chapter13

LAYALA

Gasping, she whirled around. Hel stood not three feet from her. And although his eyes were wild with dangerous hostility, he wasn’t looking at her. “You dare touch your queen?”

The pale one took a step away, and then another. “Didn’t know,” the pale one said, bowing his head. “She killed others. Tried to kill me.”

The brush of his cloak against her arm sent chills down her body as he stomped by her. His alabaster fingers grabbed the pale one around the throat and lifted his massive body off the ground with such ease. “Then you stand there and die.” Black blood leaked from the pale one’s eyes and he let out a high-pitched shriek before he fell to the ground in a lifeless lump.

Layala gulped, and like a statue she stood there, staring at his back and the way the silvery crescent moon outlined his form perfectly. It was as if she’d watched him like this a thousand times, as if she’d memorized him the way she had her home in Briar Hollow, and yet she couldn’t recall a single thing about him.

He turned to face her. “Didn’t your mother ever tell you not to go into the woods alone at night? Oh, wait, I guess she couldn’t because you didn’t have one...” he said, and she wanted nothing more than to slap him across the face.

Bastard. He was the root cause of why she was dead, why Layala never knew her mother. “I had a mother, but she died.”

“I meant as Valeen.”

“Why are you following me? Just leave me be. I had it handled.”

“Aren’tyoulooking forme? That’s why you come out here every night, isn’t it? You want to get me alone and take advantage of me, don’t you?” He put a hand to his chest. “I’m not that kind of elf, Val. You’ll have to at least buy me dinner first.”

Layala scoffed and scrunched up her nose. The audacity.