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Raevina marched toward the small crack in the wall that led outside. The younglings weren’t supposed to play up here. They knew that. They’d been warned countless times that the Chimera were growing bolder. There might have been a time when the creatures wouldn’t have dared to cross a Fae’s path, but those days were long gone.

Apprehension pricked her scalp as Raevina inched her way through the crevice and found a large lion-like body digging at something on the other side of the platform. The air whipped at its thick mane and taloned claws gripped the rocky surface to maintain its balance. Icy wind howled between the mountain peaks and she shivered against it.

The creature growled in frustration. Its bat-like wings flared and the barbed tail swished back and forth with impatience.

Another landed at its side and the creature snapped its massive jaws, a warning to its companion that whatever it hunted belonged to it and it alone.

Axel’s scream rang through the air and Raevina tightened the hold on her weapon. The Chimera pulled Axel from his hiding place and she grimaced at the sight of a long claw embedded in the boy’s leg. He screamed again, begging for someone to save him, knowing it was forbidden for the citizens of Fiadh to interact with the creatures.

Screw that.

Raevina launched from her hiding place in the wall and Cahira appeared behind her a second later. She threw Raevina her longsword, a better weapon than the small dagger she’d palmed moments ago.

Fire erupted down her arms and shadows gathered from beneath her skin, speeding across the ground toward the beasts. The one holding Axel roared, baring its fangs. The other beat its massive wings and charged, raising a paw to swipe at the nuisances daring to interrupt their meal.

Raevina detested these monstrosities. They’d killed too many warriors of late and now they had a youngling. Enough was enough.

She ducked around its claws and hit the ground, skidding beneath the beast’s underbelly before thrusting her sword straight up through the creature’s gut. It howled in pain and Ravina rolled to her right, scarcely avoiding its writhing body as it bucked and clawed at the pain lancing through its core.

The other Chimera left Axel forgotten on the bloody stone. It bared its teeth and that barbed tail curled up over its head, flicking in agitation as it reassessed the threat.

One glance from Raevina told Cahira to get the youngling to safety.

Raevina stood before the massive creatures. The two predators pinning one another in place. Their shadow loomed over her, those wings fanning wide in an aggressive display that might have frightened others.

But Raevina had buried her fear long ago.

She shifted into her falcon form and shot forward. The Chimera jolted, stepping back to separate itself from the now tiny predator barreling toward him. Raevina shifted again, yanked a knife from her belt, and plunged it into the beast’s shoulder. She shifted again, veering around the claw aiming for her and the beast roared in frustration as she appeared at its other side and plunged another blade into its side.

Cahira pulled Axel through the crevice in the mountain and peered back to study Raevina, gauging whether she’d need her second’s assistance.

The Chimera’s tail whipped out a venomous barb and aimed for her torso, but Raevina shifted again and spun, her speed carrying her to the creature’s front where she shifted back and planted another blade in the beast’s throat.

It slammed its massive head into her and Raevina’s back collided with hard rock. Breath left her. A wet strangled sound told her the Chimera wasn’t long for this world, but that didn’t stop the creature from lashing out one final time as if determined to take her with it. She rolled, but the edge of its venomous barb caught her abdomen, tearing through her leather and grazing her skin before the beast collapsed.

Its wings beat frantically as if it might fly one last time, then the Chimera fell still, its body lying mere feet from its companion.

She gulped down air, adrenaline pumping through her veins. Cahira grabbed her arm and pulled Raevina to a seated position. Her second moved the bits of shredded armor to observe the wound and hissed.

“You’re—”

Raevina clamped a hand over Cahira’s mouth and shook her head. Cahira glanced back at the faces poking through the fissure then unfastened her cloak and draped it over Raevina’s shoulders. Raevina held it tight to hide the wound and let Cahira assist her to her feet.

Raevina tried not to limp but couldn’t stop the wince that escaped as they scurried back through the crevice before any other Chimeras arrived to avenge their fallen comrades. She had yet to determine their level of intelligence. Maybe they wouldn’t even notice two of their kind gone.

Someone had already taken Axel to the infirmary. The warriors were staring, likely wondering if Raevina would receive punishment for disobeying her father’s orders.

She wouldn’t accept it and the citizens shouldn’t either. Raevina straightened and addressed the three warriors. “Seal it off.” She didn’t care what her father said anymore. They had to take action. They couldn’t afford to lose a single youngling. She wasn’t surprised when they nodded in agreement. She was of royal blood after all. Disobeying her orders meant disobeying the crown.

Cahira led her down a flight of stairs and Raevina kept outward appearances up until they were in Cahira’s room.

They closed the door and Raevina let the cloak fall to the floor. She hissed when Cahira helped remove her leathers and shirt, leaving Raevina in nothing but the wrap around her breasts.

Raevina carefully sat on the bed and Cahira retrieved a bowl of water and a towel. She seated herself beside Raevina to clean the wound and clicked her tongue. “You shouldn’t travel with this.”

Raevina cursed at the contact. The venom felt like fire as it pulsed within the wound. “I don’t have a choice.”

“Moving will slow the healing process." Cahira pulled a long clean cloth from a drawer and began wrapping the area.