Page 10

Next to me, Zayne twitches. I’m guessing he wants to shift as well, but maybe he hasn’t quite managed to share what his beastis yet. I don’t know. In some ways, Zayne has been as secretive as I have since I got back.

I’m twitching a little myself. But I want to know more before I jump in and it’s clear these wolves have worked together numerous times. They move as though it’s a choreographed dance. As they get closer to the beast, they spread out.

It pads toward them, and I hold my breath. Part of me wants to run. But another part knows—or maybeknowis too strong a word, believes perhaps—that I’m better than they are. I have to be. I have far worse enemies to face than this.

Beside me, Killian goes stiff. “Shit,” he mutters.

There’s another bright flash of light and a second beast leaps from the still open fissure. It lands beside the first and snarls showing dirty yellow fangs. The wolves have gone still. But they are committed now.

I step forward, but Killian stops me with a hand on my arm. “Don’t get involved. They don’t need to be distracted and don’t have time to save your ass.”

I think about ignoring him, but he knows his own people. Still, he had mentioned earlier that they’d only faced one of these things at a time before. Will they be able to handle these creatures? I settle to watch.

For now.

Until I decide it’s time not to watch.

Nothing has moved.

Something occurs to me. “What happens if you kill them?” I ask.

“Same as if you kill a shadowguard,” Killian says without taking his eyes from the scene in front of him. “They just vanish. All that’s left is a little ash.”

Which makes me wonder…

But at that moment, the first of the beasts leaps toward the white wolf. The wolf dodges nimbly out of the way, striking outas the thing passes, slashing with huge paws. A gaping wound opens on its shoulders, but it doesn’t slow down at all. It whirls and leaps again, this time swiping the wolf aside, so it slams into the rock wall. Two more wolves face it. It leaps for the closest, crashing into it, teeth tearing at its shoulder. I can smell the coppery tang of blood in the air. The white wolf whimpers and struggles to her feet, clearly hurt. The last two wolves are fighting the second beast, circling, but one is already limping, the other bleeding from a slash to the face.

“Fuck this,” Killian growls. Seconds later a huge black wolf leaps into the fray, landing on the back of the closest beast. But it rears up and shakes him off, then pounces. He slithers from under it, then backs away, growling.

Watching, I know deep down that even if they win, they are going to sustain terrible injuries and not all of them will survive.

“I’m going to help,” Zayne says.

“No.”

“I have to, Amber. I can’t watch—”

“No, I’m going to help. I want to try something. Trust me, Zayne.”

He looks at me for long moments, then nods.

I tear away the material covering Nightfall and draw her. The blade gleams silver in the darkness, seeming to draw the light from the stars. I step towards the raging fight, and everything stops. As though sensing a new threat, the beasts turn, and the wolves drop back. I glance at Killian’s black wolf, and he snarls a warning. I ignore him and turn my attention to the beasts. They stare at me out of red glowing eyes. Can I see some brief glimpse of comprehension deep down? I’m not sure and I can’t care. They’ve come here to destroy, and I have to stop them.

I halt only feet away and speak the words of the summoning spell. Will it work on these as it does on the shadowguard? I’ll know soon enough.

“Through veils of darkness, spirits rend, shadows of hell, to me ascend.”

I can see the change instantly. They become less insubstantial, the shadows thickening. Without waiting, I leap toward the closest. It seems almost stunned. It shakes itself out of the stupor at the last second but it’s too late. Landing directly in front of it, I swing Nightfall in a long sweep, slicing through bone and flesh and sinew.

The beast crumples to the ground and I swing around as the second leaps for me. I’m not quite quick enough—shit I need to be better than this—and the weight slams me to the ground, my back hits hard, the breath whooshing out of me. Its huge jaws snap at my face and I only just turn in time as its fetid breath chokes the oxygen from my lungs.

Nightfall is stuck at my side, and I struggle to free the blade, getting my feet between us and pushing. Then the thing is ripped from me, and I push myself up.

By the time I’m on my feet, the black wolf is moving towards the beast.

“Back off,” I snarl.

The wolf growls.