Page 36

The clanging of alarm bells sounds early the next morning. The floor vibrates with the pounding of feet. I scurry to the door, throwing it open, hearing commotion. Ledger rushes down the hallway, barking out orders, and I bound for him.

“What is going on?” I jog to keep up with his long strides.

“There has been a breach, and reports of Kerolu and Dire Wolves in the town center.”

My stomach drops. I picture the townspeople, all the children. “I want to help.”

“You should stay back until we get it under control. We will need you for the injured. I’ll send for you when it is safe.”

“I will come now. I will not sit idly by while your people are in danger.”

Ledger clenches his jaw. His nostrils flare as he breathes a sigh of frustration. “I expected nothing less.” He reaches into his coat and pulls out two impressive, sheathed daggers, shoving the hilts into my hands. “Protect yourself; remember your training.”

The horses are saddled and waiting for us as we exit the castle. Mia, Archie, and Orion all rush to their horses along with many castle soldiers.

I jump on Apollo with Ledger, and we race to the town center. The world blurs by us in a whirlwind of colors. When we reach town, it is mayhem.

People are screaming and running, there are carts knocked down and blood in the street. There are Kerolu and Dire Wolves everywhere. The townspeople and soldiers fight them off the best they can.

When we jump off Apollo, Ledger pauses for a moment, turning to me. “I do not want to see any of your blood spilled today.”

“Well, that makes two of us.” I push past him and run; my attention is directed at a man struggling with a nasty-looking Kerolu.

I whip out my dagger and take a breath before loosing it. To my absolute surprise, it meets its mark, sinking deep into the creature’s skull. The Kerolu drops with a thud, and I waste no time retrieving my dagger .

I open my mouth to ask the man if he is okay when his eyes widen, and he scrambles up, turning and running. I whip my head around to see a terrifying Dire Wolf charging towards me.

It is huge, its fur is mangey, and white foam drips from its jowls.

Panic laces through me as I throw my blood-slicked dagger at the running creature.

It misses, whizzing past its head. I don’t have time to reach for my powers; it’s too close.

My feet scrape against cobblestones as I try to scurry away from the pursuing beast, but there is nowhere to run.

I brace myself for impact as the enormous wolf crashes into me.

I fly backward, hitting the building behind me. My head cracks off the wood, and the hit reverberates through my skull.

My vision blurs as I grapple to find my other dagger. The creature stalks towards me, a low growl vibrating the air and making my hair stand on end.

A large rock lays on the ground next to me and I close my palm over it.

I clutch the smooth stone in my hand while inching myself to stand.

The muscles in the beast’s legs twitch as it prepares to lunge at me.

I crouch, gritting my teeth and readying myself to fight.

The beast lunges and before it makes contact, Cam materializes in front of me.

His sword pierces through the wolf’s skull.

Cam yanks his sword out of the creature’s head, and my thrown dagger floats over to me, suspended in midair. “You can thank us later,” Archie shouts from a few feet away, grinning.

“You okay?” Cam asks, and he waits for my nod before turning and getting lost in the chaos.

I swipe my dagger from the air and pull myself to my feet ignoring the pounding in my head. I take a steadying breath and try to calm my racing heart.

Ledger’s fighting off two huge Kerolu to my left. He slashes and stabs, dodging their serrated claws. His movements are lithe and agile, practiced and nimble. It is impressive to behold.

My heart leaps when another Kerolu catches Ledger in its sights. It runs at him full speed. Ledger’s back is turned to it, oblivious to the danger.

I jump into action, my feet pounding off the ground as I run. I fumble for my powers, knowing I won’t be able to make it to him on time.

My power purrs to the surface and I send it out towards the sprinting creature. It glides along its body and sinks inside.

The Kerolu’s organs are different from a human’s, unfamiliar as I search for anything that will stop it. Terror floods my veins as it nears Ledger, its claws drawn.

A scream tears from my throat a second before I find its heart. I grip the organ and squeeze, commanding my power to stop it. The creature is mid-flight when its eyes roll back, and it drops to the ground, twitching. Its chest ceases to move as death claims it.

I stumble as I reel my power back in, feeling the depletion of the action. Ledger’s eyes meet mine, his shock apparent as he realizes what I’d done. I attempt to wipe the terror from my face, giving him a slight nod. His focus returns to the Kerolu in front of him.

Moaning draws my attention. I turn to see a man on the streets, blood freely flowing out of his abdomen. I sheath my dagger and dart over to him. I grab his shoulders and drag him to a few feet from the mayhem.

White light seeps from my palms without me having to call for it. I rip the man’s already tattered shirt, exposing his wound.

I find a deep gash, a part of his intestine showing. He seems in and out of consciousness as I speak to him, “It’s okay, you’re going to be okay.”

The adrenaline in my veins makes it difficult to focus, but I take a deep breath and close my eyes as my hands drift over the wound. I’m relieved when there’s no trace of venom; It must have been from one of the wolves.

I picture the wound closing, the skin knitting back together. I picture him healthy, returning to his family.

I open my eyes to a thin scar and pink, freshly healed skin. The man is unconscious as I slap his cheek. “Wake up, wake up, wake up. ”

Sounds of the ongoing fight assault my ears as the man’s eyes flutter open.

“You’re okay. You’ve got to move; go somewhere safe, please.” Awareness registers on his face as he looks down at his abdomen. His mouth falls, clearly shocked, as I grip his arm, hauling him up.

“Go, now,” I demand and turn my eyes, scanning the streets. There is a woman waving her arms. “Over here, help us!”

I can’t help myself from seeking out Ledger again in the chaos. He is slicing and stabbing at a Kerolu, dodging its sharp claws, the other he had been fighting dead at his feet. I breathe a sigh of relief, turning back to the women.

I smell it before I feel it. A musky, rotten smell fills my nostrils a second before I am slammed to the ground.

My body is engulfed by rough fur and a muscular, incredibly strong body. I see a familiar-looking curved horn just as sharp teeth puncture my shoulder. A scream rips from my throat.

The Kerolu is incredibly heavy, so much so that I can’t get my hands underneath me to grab my daggers. My head is turned to the side, my cheek smashed into the dirt beneath me.

The creature tears at the skin of my shoulder, its teeth leaving new puncture wounds in their wake. Pain lances through me. Blue blood pools on the ground beneath me, and I realize it’s from the Kerolu. It is missing both arms .

I wriggle beneath the massive creature, trying to suck in air. Realizing I won’t be able to roll the beast off me, I call on my powers.

I send the energy roiling through its body, clenching onto its lungs and throat. The creature struggles against me, short, ugly gasps leaving its mouth.

I squeeze harder, and my hair clings to my neck and shoulders. It feels like an eternity before the beast stills with a sick gurgling noise.

I flounder beneath the dead weight above me, a sense of hysteria overtaking me. The irony of seizing this Kerolu’s life only to be suffocated beneath it. A laugh bubbles in my throat, one that very well would have escaped if I could suck in an efficient breath.

Seconds later, the weight is lifted off me. The Kerolu’s body thuds on the ground next to me. I roll onto my back, gasping down air. I hear the sickening crunch of a sword and turn my head in time to see the metal yanked out of the beast’s head.

“You okay, blondie?”

“Never better.” I give myself a moment to recover before Ledger helps me to my feet. “Thank you.”

I cradle my screaming shoulder. He looks ready to throw me on his horse and send me straight back to the castle.

“I’m fine,” I assure him before he can say anything. He eyes the wound with wrathful intensity .

Someone is being carried into the alleyway and I know I need to help.

“Layla,” he growls as I back away.

“Go kill the rest of these fucking things,” I say to Ledger before sprinting over to the alley. It’s clear this is where the injured are being taken.

“Over here, please, she’s not doing well.” A man waves me over. I see a woman on her stomach, claw marks slashed gruesomely down her back. She is writhing in pain, making garbled noises.

I already know venom is working its way into her system. I kneel next to her, my skin sparking with energy, ready to undo the damage done to her.

I raise my hands over her back, bracing myself for the pain that accompanies the poison.

White light descends on her wounds. I grit my teeth as the black venom absorbs through my palms. I distract myself from the pain, picturing Ledger’s face.

The night where we spent together, his mouth on mine, that damn dimple.

My hands tremble as sweat drips down my back. The extracting of poison becomes an almost unbearable torture.

I let out a breath of relief as I sense the last bit leaving the woman’s body. The wounds on her back mend rather hastily after that.

The man who called me over grabs my hands bringing them to his bowed head. “Oh, gods, thank you. ”

There is no time to answer him as I’m pulled roughly away and thrown in front of another. The man is propped up against the stone wall, his pant leg ripped, revealing a jagged bite.