Page 49 of A Curse So Vile

“I don’t know why you’re traveling with the Dusklander, or why she turned the girl companion. But that ends now.”

“Are you of the Den?”

The man snickered, his red eyes lighting in fury. “The Den is an abomination, as are its people.”

“And what does that make you?”

“Glorious perfection.”

Of course, he would say that.

“What do you want?”

“To speak with the Dusklander, Brenna.”

“Then go up there and get her yourself.”

“The message won’t be the same coming from me. She’ll be too angry. Too combative.”

“I have a feeling she’ll come to reject anything you have to say to her.”

“Oh, that’s where you’re wrong, for she’s a lot more like me than she is you. She’s a Dusklander with ancient blood so powerful, whole towns of people worship her line.” His lips grinned around his impossibly big teeth. “Just as they will your sister.”

Cole’s gaze hardened. “What is it you want, foul beast?”

“When Brenna wakes, she’ll already know what she’ll find downstairs. For now, we’ve kept our carnage to the inn. Tell her that if she doesn’t come with us, we’ll slaughter every man, woman, and child in this town and you can kiss your sister goodbye.”

“If you so much as touch my—”

“Cole!” Fiona’s small voice cried.

He spun around and found Fiona standing at the foot of the stairs with three monstrous men at her back.

“You’ll do what?” Julian said mockingly.

There was no way he could win against these beasts. He had to do as they said, or his sister would pay the price.

“Fine, I’ll get her for you, but I swear on everything sacred in this world, if you harm one hair on my sister’s head—”

The beast snickered. “Don’t go making promises you can’t keep. Run along, now. I’m waiting.”

15

BRENNA

BRENNA

The scent of prey was thick in the air.

Glorious fields of butchery.

Brenna had never felt so alive. So potent.

“How does this make you feel?”a familiar voice said.

She turned to see Icaries in his ethereal form.

The link between a Denithian and their wolf siblings was unlike anything Brenna knew of in the world, and when they dreamed, they spoke in ways they couldn’t in the flesh.