Page 52 of Where Darkness Falls

Fire blazes within his pupils as light swarms in mine.

Slowly, we circle one another. He draws his sword, and flames dance along the blade. “You might be able to wield your ability with pure force, but can you maintain it?” he asks, a wicked smirk crossing his thin lips.

Drawing my ability down through my fingers, I imagine it to form and shape into twin swords. To my delight, my starlight listens and molds two ethereal blades as bright as the sun. This feels natural, even though I’ve never wielded a weapon before. “Even if I die, I’ll take you down with me,” I say, sneering at the man responsible for the pain ricocheting through my chest.

Then, I charge.

Our blades lock in a rhythmic dance. Every parry and jab of my blade sings through me like a forgotten melody. He’s stronger, more skilled than I, but I continue to parry the thrust of his blade. He swings and I duck. Surprise is written over his features, but he advances, lunging at me with the force of a wildfire. I raise my arm as his blade arcs down, the burning iron slicing through skin.

I stumble back just as his blade cuts my leg. I yelp in pain, falling to the ground. While his fire doesn’t burn me, the work of his blade definitely does. His blows rain down on me again and again. With each jab, my body grows weary as I deflect. He strikes again, but my block is weaker this time. Seeing an opening, his boot connects with my face, causing blood to spray from my mouth. My blades of starlight fade away.

No, no, no!

I try to summon my ability forth, but it’s silent.

You’ve drained your reserves,the voice says, panicking.You need to release me NOW!

No,I reply.

My momentary distraction allows for the captain to kick me once more, but this time the impact has me rolling away. The iron tang of blood coats my tongue, causing my insides to roil. His dark laugh echoes around the space as he steps closer.

I force myself onto my back, and I’m met with the leering captain standing above me. He places his foot across my neck, grinning wickedly. “You’re weak. I expected more,” he says, leaning into his weight.

My hands claw at his steel boot, but I can’t seem to remove it from my windpipe.

I squirm under the impact of the captain’s crushing weight.

It can’t end like this!

Release me,the voice demands once more.

Bright little stars twinkle in my vision when a growl reverberates around the corner—maybe a few feet away. My insides freeze as the animalistic sound echoes, louder this time. I’m not sure which I’m more terrified of at this moment: the idea that a creature from the woods is in the village, or of the captain that will reunite me with my family once more. Either way, I’m going to die.

The captain doesn’t even flinch at the horrific sound. Either he doesn’t hear what’s coming or he chooses to ignore it. “Regardless, you killed my men,” the captain continues, as the stench of rotten flesh fills the air. The ground vibrates beneath me as I struggle to pry the captain’s foot away.

This isn’t good…

Only a few creatures in the woods have that particular stench, and if my assumption is correct, I have no desire to be here when it arrives. I open my mouth to warn the brute above me, but nothing comes out. Panic surges through me as the sound of claws scraping against the cobblestone and heavy steps creep closer and closer.

The captain, bent on revenge, grins sardonically.

“The king will be disappointed by your death,” he continues, readying his sword. “But no need to trouble yourself with that detail. I’ll be rewarded as a hero for bringing him your corpse.” With that, he removes his foot from my neck, and air surges through my body.

“Any last wor?—”

His speech is cut short, as a large, hairless creature jumps over me and seizes him. The captain flails, screaming as the creature drags himthrough the square. He ignites his entire body in flames in an attempt to remove the jagged claws from his neck, but it doesn’t release him. The roar that emits from the creature raises the hair on the back of my neck. It’s deep, haunting, and the beast sounds angry. It raises the captain by the throat before viciously slamming him into the cobblestone on the other side of the fountain.

I slowly sit up as I watch it gaze at the sniveling captain. Then, with preternatural speed, it attacks. The sound of claws and teeth ripping through the captain’s flesh is sickening. Even from this side of the square, I can see the blood that sprays from his neck, and hear his shrieks echo throughout the place as a warning for all to stay away. I close my eyes and cover my ears, but even that can’t drown the horrific sounds. With one last sickening sound of ripped flesh, the captain falls silent.

The evil man is destroyed just like that, even if it wasn’t by my hand.

“Holy Celestae,” I say under my breath. The creature must’ve heard me because it swings its head in my direction. Soulless eyes bore into mine as the enormous monster skulks toward me from the other side of the square.

Maeva, you must run now,the voice demands.

I know I should, but I can’t.

I’m frozen in place, as if entranced by the creature’s deep-set, black eyes for the first time. I thought the sheer size of this beast was terrifying, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. A mouth full of sharp fangs stretches across its angular face. The width extends from the base of one ear to the other. The creature’s ears are the longest and tallest that I’ve ever seen, with long points at the top. Its skin is like bony flesh with long, gangly limbs. Its skeletal torso is supported by its limbs, stalking on all fours.