Page 8 of The Dark Will Fall (Twilight Lake #5)

Rainn Shallows

Smoke turned the night sky to a wash of grey, so thick that Rainn struggled to see more than a foot in front of his nose. Every breath burned, a thousand prickles down to his lungs. The smoke was more painful than anything he had encountered in his life.

The fire was not a usual fire. It held none of the tang of a campfire or the familiar scent of the trees native to that part of the Night Court. It was acidic. Rancid.

Despite every part of his body warning him against pressing forward, Rainn and Shay Mac Eoin made their way through the forest, squinting against the smoke. Seawater-soaked rags tied to their faces, to form a barrier against the smoke—not that it did much of anything.

They moved in silence, falling back to the patterns of war and ambush.

During the height of the war, Shay and Rainn had spent many days in the trenches, in the thick of the fighting. Rainn knew all too well of the soldiers tasked with picking up stragglers.

The journey from the Dark King’s castle and their fight with the Kraken had left them battered and bruised. Maeve’s absence had left him befrit. Every so often, Rainn would eye Shay, hoping to pick up on some unspoken signal that the Nymph could sense Maeve—wherever she was.

Rainn Shallows was holding on by a thread. Hope was the only thing that kept one foot in front of the other.

The sirens had saved his life, much as they had pressed their impartial stance. He owed it to Nuada to try. The Queen of Air and Darkness had saved Maeve, after all.

The trees thinned as they reached the canyon, skidding to a stop as the forest floor turned to arid rock and thirsty sand, once a scar in the landscape, where the sirens resided. Belisama’s Cradle was filled with flames that licked the sky. Smoke obscured the entire canyon from view.

Squinting, he searched the sky for the sirens, but couldn’t see through the smoke. The roar of the flames made it hard to hear himself think.

A harsh, muffled shout broke through, the golden wings of a siren circling.

Arden. The Siren Queen’s youngest son.

The smoke was too thick for the usually graceful siren, but he managed to drop safely to the ledge, his skin coated in soot. Arden wiped his eyes as he struggled to focus on Rainn and Shay, swaying with exhaustion.

“Run.” The siren pleaded, his voice raspy from the smoke. “Save yourselves.”

“What happened?” Shay demanded.

“A beast.” Arden pressed his hand to his chest. “It spat acid, fire, and acid .”

Rainn reached into his pack, pulling the water skein. He didn’t have much fabric left, not even a spare shirt or rag.

Shay, sensing his dilemma, pulled the shirt off his back and handed it to Rainn. The Selkie soaked it with the last of his water, feeling a mournful pang for his future thirst. Arden wrapped the wet rag around his face, breathing easier.

“Take Maeve and go.” Arden pointed to the trees. “This beast is one of Balor’s charges. Maeve Cruinn cannot fall into the Deep-Gods' hands.”

“Maeve is gone.” Shay’s jaw was hard as he met the sirens' panicked gaze.

“Dead?” Arden stumbled back.

Shay shook his head. “We don’t know.”

“How can we help?” Rainn pleaded. Anything to change the subject and admit that he didn’t know if Maeve was dead.

Arden regarded the Selkie as if for the first time. “The fire has trapped all but a few of the sirens in the caves. It won’t be long before the smoke chokes them. We must move the beast away from the canyon, so that the others can escape.”

Rainn craned his neck, eying the smoky chasm. Unable to see the rocks below.

“The beast is at the entrance to the stronghold,” Arden answered the unspoken question.

“It spat flame?” Shay pressed.

Arden nodded. “Some kind of fluid. It melted the rocks. They began to smoke before growing so hot...”

Shay rubbed his chin, muttering to himself. “Can’t go through the mouth, like Maeve did.” He murmured. “Have to find another way.”

“How big is the thing?” Rainn asked.

“Half the size of the canyon, easily.” Arden pushed his hair out of his eyes. “Can’t lure it out if we don’t know what it wants. Can’t kill it if we can’t get close.”

“The size of the Kraken?” Shay turned to Rainn, giving him a knowing look.

Rainn put the pieces together. “That Beast isn’t pleased with us.”

“The Kraken doesn’t have to be pleased with us to protect its territory.” Shay got a glint in his eye.

“How do you plan to draw it out?” Rainn quirked a brow. “Raw sexual magnetism?”

Shay rolled his shoulders, stretching his arms, as if readying himself for battle. “If I have to.”

Arden eyed the Nymph as if he were mad.

“Maeve defeated Charybis. The living whirlpool. A beast of legend.” Shay declared. “I saw her jump into its mouth. If Charybis belonged to Balor, perhaps Scylla, her sister beast, has been brought up from the depths as well.”

“Scylla?” Arden’s brow furrowed.

“A six-headed beast.” Shay looked down at the smoke. “With a great many teeth.”

“I only saw one head,” Arden argued.

“Then she might be hiding the others.” Shay shrugged. “All I know is, Scylla was nicknamed the ‘immortal devastation’ by the God of the Sea, himself.”

“Manannán mac Lir?” Rainn cocked his head to the side.

Shay did not answer; instead, he stepped closer to the edge. “Prepare to run.”

Rainn nudged the siren. “Shay’s about to release his magic. I’d give him a wide berth.”

“You aren’t moving.” The siren pointed out.

Rainn waggled his brows. “Selkies are immune to most magics.” He told him. “Unless you want to drop your trousers, I’d make myself scarce.”

Arden nodded once, resolute. “Try to lead the beast away from the caves.”

Shay waved a hand dismissively as Arden took to the sky.

Shay’s braids shifted, uncoiling to form a halo. He extended his arms, his magic shooting out of him like the ripples on a quiet lake's surface.

Rainn felt Shay’s magic brush over him, the gentle caress of a lover's hand. He shook it off, but even with his immunity, Rainn struggled.

The chasm shook. Each footstep rocked the very foundations of the Aos Sí.

The smoke grew thinner, but did not dispel completely.

A head emerged from the soupy smog, female, but more reptilian than fae.

Larger than anything he had ever seen, bar the Kraken.

Scylla emerged, her claws dipping into the sides of the canyon as she crawled toward them.

The skin of her belly was so thin that Rainn could see the vivid green liquid sloshing in her stomach.

Her legs were bent backward at the joint, scaled with webbed feet.

A beast that belonged in the water, her skin cracking, peeling, in the arid chasm.

Shay took off, sprinting back towards the forest. It took a moment for Rainn to gather his wits, cursing as he followed the Nymph.

He didn’t need to look back to see that Scylla was following. Her thundering footsteps drowned out all other noise, growing closer by the moment.

They ran until Rainn tasted blood on the back of his teeth. Darting through the thick forest, like rabbits being hunted. There was no straight path through the trees, and Rainn cursed the absurd plan, hoping he would live another day.

Just as he caught up to Shay, the Nymph dived down, covering his head with his arms. The wind whipped past them, and Rainn copied the Nymph without explanation. The trees surrounding them fell, coated in the same goo Rainn had seen in Scylla’s belly.

A wash of heat rolled over them, skin tight, as the trees burst into flame in less than a second.

They couldn’t afford to stop, even as the trees around them burned. Shay leaped over the fallen trees and the flames that consumed them.

Rainn didn’t dare look back, even when he felt the beast’s rancid breath on the back of his neck.

Blinded by smoke and the smell of the burning forest, they reached the cliff overlooking the Dark Sea.

Scylla followed Shay and his magic. Rainn didn’t want to think about what would happen if the monster caught him.

Nymph magic often projected a being’s greatest desire, blinding the subject with the promise of fulfilling that desire.

Shay could turn off his magic, but he couldn’t summon the Kraken, and he couldn’t disappear from view.

“We have to jump in the water.” Rainn wheezed, still running.

“Agreed,” Shay said, his eyes forward.

Neither male paused as they raced for the edge of the cliff and the endless water of the Dark Sea.

Scylla roared, blinded by rage, gaining fast. A clawed hand, larger than both males put together, gouged the ground, perilously close to nabbing them both.

They took the leap. Shay’s magic formed a heavy miasma that followed him as they dived through the air.

Rainn closed his eyes and prayed.

His prayers were answered as Scylla dove headfirst from the cliff, following them into the water.