Page 144 of Where Darkness Falls

She releases a soft sigh of relief, when Danté neighs loudly, jerking our attention toward the wood line. My shadow horse stomps wildly, jerking his head up and down. “What is it, boy?” I ask. Danté whinnies in response.

“There’s someone over there,” Virgil growls. He points toward a silhouette of a shadowy figure with glowing eyes about three hundred yards away. Over in the bleak shadows is a tall figure with a dark cloak draped over its shoulders, a large bow tightly held in its grasp.

“Who are you?” I shout.

The intruder merely cocks its head to the side as if amused. My anger boils, knowing that this bloody creep is watching this unfold. I stand to my full height. “Who. Are. You?” I growl. Rather than answer, the intruder turns away, disappearing into the looming gloom.

“No!” I yell.

I move past Maeva toward the treeline.

Riordan’s eyes gleam as he comes to my side. “What are your orders, High General?” he asks.

“I need you and Virgil to stay with Maeva and the Minotaur,” I say. Then I motion for Laisren to follow me as I take off toward the woods. “It’s time to go hunting, Laisy,” I order.

“Yes, High General,” he growls, matching my speed.

“Don’t let them get away,” Maeva calls after us.

“I won’t,” I shout.

As we investigate the spot where the intruder lurked, we search for signs of footprints, or even tracks to follow, but there aren’t any. I look for signs of broken limbs or even paths made in the brush, but again, there’s nothing.

Where did he go?

I made a promise to Maeva, and I intend to keep it! The lurker won’t go unpunished for the treason they’ve committed here today.

“I hope you asked Siorai for forgiveness,” I call out into the mist-fallen woods, “because when I find you, I won’t be as merciful.”

“How cansomeone disappear in the middle of these bloody woods?” Riordan asks. “We should search again.”

Laisren rubs the back of his neck incessantly. “There’s no need to search for a ghost,” Laisren snarls. His voice is still in the lower register of his beast; however, he seems to be wrestling within himself.

This is apparently the after effect of calling forth the beast that lurks within. Emyr told me weeks ago how it affects him, and it’s why he doesn’t summon the beast often—fearing that Laisren will be lost.

Emyr and Laisren searched for the intrusive watcher for over a half hour before returning without success. Meanwhile, I’ve been waiting for Darach to awaken. However, with the same lack of accomplishment. My interaction with the Minotaur leaves me with so many questions, as well as quite a bitof confusion.

Everything within this wood is defiled by the curse, but he changed somehow. When my starlight touched him, the haze that was drowning the creature lifted, as if my starlight removed it from him, similar to drawing out the poison. There’s something strange occurring within these woods… something the lurker doesn’t want me to know.

But why?

Is the intruder somehow in league with Tiernan?

Or could it have been Siorai himself, punishing this creature for daring to speak to what I’ve yet to understand in its entirety?

The more I recall the pernicious intruder, the more I find their encounter enigmatic. Why reveal themselves, only to disappear moments later? Perhaps it’s the woods causing my mind to run rampant with fearful imaginings, but I could’ve sworn that the figure’s eyes were glowing. It could’ve been a deception, allowing the eyes to appear another shade than the liquid amber of most Galrosans.

Perhaps I’m going mad after all, because they almost looked like?—

Darach coughs, his limbs flailing wildly.

I capture one of the large creature’s hands. “Shhhh,” I whisper. “All is well, Darach.”

I speak to him until his limbs finally fall still. He opens his somber eyes unhurriedly. I smile kindly, hoping he remembers who I am after his ordeal.

“Wha-What happened?” he chokes out.

“You were shot by poison arrows,” I reply.