Page 40 of Bite The Power That Feeds

“Noooo!”

I love it when they ssscream. Fang struck, ripping a hole in his flesh with his powerful bite. Blood poured to the dirt. The man was dead instantly.

Cobra kicked his assailant off him then Viper came behind and finished, slicing his blade through his neck.

The last foe fell—and then it was quiet.

Cobra had a nasty gash on his temple, but he was unharmed otherwise. Viper was untouched. And Fang looked like he wanted more bloodshed. I sheathed my blade and returned to Larisa. I went straight for her, gripping her in my arms to make sure she was okay. I looked over her wordlessly, seeing the absence of a single scratch.

“Baby.” Cobra ran to Clara and cupped her face in his hands, his fingers trapping her hair against her face. He looked her over, visibly distressed and terrified. He sprang into action and ripped the arrow out of her shoulder before he applied pressure with the gauze he pulled out of his pack. He lifted her shirt, her back to us, and wrapped the material securely over her skin. “Just a flesh wound. You’ll be alright.”

She gave a wince but didn’t complain about the pain. “Thank you for covering me, Larisa.”

“Of course,” Larisa said, Fang snaking up her body at the same time.

“Everyone okay?” Queen Clara looked around at us all.

“We’re fine,” I said. “Take a moment to rest.”

She sat on the ground, her hand still over her shoulder. “Fucking asshole…”

Cobra stood over her, watching her with a level of concern I’d never seen him express before. He kneeled down and came to her side, his hand gently moving to her uninjured shoulder. “It’s over now.”

Larisa avoided my gaze, as if she knew how angry I was. This attack could have easily ended with a much different outcome. The stakes were higher now, because her body didn’t possess a soul. I could forfeit mine, but never hers.

“You sure you’re alright?” Viper asked Clara.

She gave a nod. “I just need a minute.”

“Then let’s get to work.” He turned to walk off, exchanging a look with me as he went.

I looked at Larisa again.

Her eyes were purposely on Clara.

I decided we could have this conversation at another time and joined my brother.

* * *

“I don’t know what to make of this.” Viper had struck his sword against the stone, and all he did was scuff his own blade in the process. “These slabs are twelve feet thick. I’m not sure if my explosives will do anything.”

“We don’t know if the stones are responsible,” Cobra said. “And Clara doesn’t know either.”

I glanced at the women. They sat together, leaning against one of the pillars, Queen Clara’s arm in a sling Cobra had made out of bandages. “The pillars must be responsible. They absorb the souls and transfer them to the soil underneath, and then the water.”

“How did they even make this?” Viper asked.

Cobra shook his head. “It might be something to do with the crystals. People say they have different kinds of energy. Maybe they have different kinds of powers too.”

“What if the Ethereal replace them after we destroy them?” Viper asked.

“I think everyone who knew about them is now dead,” I said.

Cobra nodded in agreement. “Hope those explosives are enough.”

“We only have so many,” I said. “We should dig around the base of the stones to make their foundation weaker.”

Viper looked around. “There are at least twelve.”