Page 16 of A Curse So Vile

She wasn’t used to giving herself pep talks, but having three people so reliant on her was not something she found agreeable. It raised the stakes, giving her responsibilities she never asked for.

She released the arrow, and the shadow dissipated, abating the threat ever so slightly.

For once, Dorthea wasn’t glaring. She was clutching Fiona’s tiny form, trying her best to keep the child’s fear at bay.

Brenna’s heart sank.

Fiona would never make it to the Den. She knew this before ever leaving Cole’s tiny cottage, but she kept insisting they’d make it, driving them harder and harder into the night.

She’d wanted time to formulate a plan and was even able to convince herself of the folly for a time, but Dorthea had been right all along.

She pulled another arrow, drew her bow again, aimed, and let loose. The arrow hit its mark, then embedded into a tree behind it, flashing a burst of white light before unleashing a tendril of smoke.

CREAK!

The wagon jolted, throwing Brenna forward over the front lip of the wagon. Luckily, due to her quick reflexes, she landed without issue.

She looked up to see what spooked the horse and found a fallen tree spanning the length of the road.

There’s no way we’re going to get around that…

Cole jumped down from the cart, ax in hand. A beast pressed an attack, lunging for his neck, but the Heartlander was able to make short work of it.

Brenna pulled herself up, grabbed her bow that had fallen a few feet away, and took an offensive position just as three cat-like beasts with manes of gray and eyes of gold were closing in on her.

Gnashers were what they were called. Small and nimble and known to take a wolf pup out of nowhere.

She exhaled slowly as she released the arrow, shooting the largest gnasher in the middle. The remaining two lunged forward: one at her, the other at Cole. Brenna shot another arrow from its restraint, while Cole slaughtered the third.

Just as Brenna breathed a sigh of relief, she spotted five more golden-eyed beasts approaching.

It was a common tactic of these creatures, to come in waves, but Brenna hadn’t expected there to be so many. If only she hadn’t left Icaries back at the Den.

Dorthea rose, staff in hand. Cole grabbed another ax.

The gnashers’ glowing eyes were meant to intimidate and strike fear into their prey, but Brenna felt rather fortunate for the glamor as it meant Cole and Dorthea could see their adversaries.

Wasting no time, Brenna released another arrow, and another, both finding their marks.

Their foes dropped with pathetic whimpers, but that didn’t stop the others. It emboldened them, and they rushed forward.

Dorthea jumped from the cart and whacked one on the head, then she spun her staff, turned, and whacked another.

Over a dozen sets of hungry eyes glared at them, but the three working together made short work of the creatures, and soon, the bodies were strewn across the path.

Dorthea was remarkably agile for her age, and Cole was a monster in his own right. Which Brenna was thankful for, because while she could have taken down the creatures all on her own, it would have required shifting.

Dorthea screamed, drawing her attention. A gnasher dangled from her arm. Cole rushed to her side, beating at the gray beast that had Dorthea’s arm ensnared in its jaws, while Brenna launched arrows at the new would-be attackers.

Packs of gnashers were never so thick near the Den, and as Brenna ran out of arrows, she felt her fingers grow long.

The risk of being caught by her traveling companions was great, but she hadn’t a choice.

Her legs throbbed as she stretched. A familiar rush traveled through her body, but as her chest expanded, she saw the last of the creatures fall to Cole’s ax. She paused, waiting to see if there would be another rush before changing back into her human form. Without the eyes of a Dusklander, her companions hadn’t noticed her shifting, which she was thankful for.

By the end of the assault, there were over two dozen dead gnashers scattered around the cart.

Her pants and vest were custom-made to account for such growth with seams that ended in ties that would give way when her muscles expanded.