Page 35 of The Silent Mountain (Under the Werewolf Crown #2)

thirty-five

The Scent of Death

*ALANA*

I pull Elio away from the window instantly. Something inside me clenches. It’s not just fear, it’s an impending doom, a feeling of anxiety that’s looming over me. As if something cold grips my heart. It’s terrifying.

Erin thinks I might be particularly sensitive to paranormal occurrences and have some sort of sixth sense for mythical beings. Maybe she is right. I don’t know that for sure, but I know that the person down there with the coat made out of bloody feathers is not someone we should take it up with.

I tug Elio with me until we have left that creepy room behind and climbed further up. “Alana,” Elio whispers. “What was that down there?”

“I don’t know, but it’s nothing good. Elio, we need to get out of here and somehow try to return to the mainland.”

“How are we going to do that?”

“Maybe we can find a boat? There are people here. I am sure they are not flying here, or we would have detected them long ago. And there is certainly no underground tunnel either.”

“That’s true,” Elio says, hope in his eyes. “You are right, let’s get away from here.”

I reach out to grab my weapon, realizing I am not carrying one. “Right, I am unarmed,” I mutter. “I certainly can’t swing my ax anymore.”

“How about a spear?” Elio asks and hands me his. “I still have my dagger, but I think you could handle a spear. Or do you prefer the dagger?”

“I’ll take the spear because I am not sure if I can shift,” I admit. “Or rather: I am not sure how Ros will cope with a part of her leg missing.”

“Does it affect her too?” Elio asks, shocked.

“Yes,” I say quietly. “Plus, a spear gives me more distance from my attackers.”

Elio hands me his spear, and I weigh it in my hand. It’s going to be difficult to wield, but it’s not too heavy. I will manage somehow. Let’s just hope I won’t need it. The person in the feather cloaks is still lingering in my mind, pushing me forward against my exhaustion and my pain. Ros has healed me partly, but it’s still a major injury I carry. It needs to be cleaned and treated properly.

And Elio is exhausted too. He shouldn’t have shifted so often. We both need to get out of here.

“Are we sure this is the path outside?” Elio asks.

“No, but it would make sense that it leads somewhere to the upper surface,” I mutter. “This weird guy and his minions certainly didn’t walk for long.”

Elio and I follow the path further ahead, both of us surprised when we finally are met with a staircase which we climb up. I try not to overthink my movements and fully rely on my right arm, but it’s hard. The stairs lead us to another room. This time, however, it is obvious that we are not underground anymore.

“An actual window,” Elio mutters. “We made it!”

“Yes, and now let’s make sure to get out of this building. But slowly, no rash movements,” I whisper. “We can’t know for sure that everyone is down there.”

Clutching my arm to my chest, I try to regain a bit of my strength. Climbing up the stairs was more difficult than I anticipated, and I am starting to feel the exhaustion again. “Let me go ahead,” Elio whispers.

I am in too much pain and too tired to argue with him, so I just let him proceed. The building we are in is made out of rustic stones, a simple structure, but it doesn’t look like anyone lives in it. They must all reside in the underground area. It only strikes me now, how lucky Elio and I were not to stumble into a group of people! Goddess, even the thought of it makes my blood freeze.

Alana, Ros links me. I am catching a weird presence here.

Probably the gathering we saw downstairs, I point out.

Maybe, she mutters, looking around anxiously. Be careful. Everything here feels off.

She is right, it’s eerie and creepy. The deserted, silent building is one thing, but one peek outside shows me that there is not a living plant outside either. Of course, we are in the middle of the ocean in a cold climate, but certain plants usually persevere, but here, even the usually sturdy bushes and trees are completely dried up. Their stumps are black, and they carry no leaves, nothing to indicate there is still life in them.

Everything here seems dead.

My thoughts wander to the person I saw down there in this coat covered in feathers and blood, and it makes a shiver go down my spine. That’s when it strikes me. He reminds me of death. Ros and I almost died once, already. Seeing that creature felt like dying again.

And right now, I am feeling the exact same sensation again!

Fuck!

Grabbing Elio’s hand, I tug him along and start running. “Alana?” he protests. “But you said we should be quiet and careful!”

“It’s too late for that!” I exclaim.

That’s what Ros was sensing!

Elio and I weren’t undetected here. I am not sure where to run to, but at this point, even swimming with the sea monsters sounds like a better option. “I will shift again,” Elio says. “I will try to carry us as far as I can!”

“That would be the third time today that you shift. Aren’t you exhausted?”

“It’s still our best bet,” he says.

“You have a point.”

We make it out of the building, stumbling into the freezing cold air. Instead of smelling like fresh sea air, it reeks of mold and decomposition. “What’s that?” Elio gags.

I push him behind me, while staring into the darkness of the night. There, hidden by the night, I can make out several people. They look like the ones we spotted down in that hall. They are eerily quiet, just circling us. “Why do they all look the same?” Elio whispers.

“I have no idea,” I mutter. He is right. There is no distinctiveness about them, as if they aren’t individuals. They have the same height, the same body, the same clothes, and when they raise their heads, the same empty eyes look at me.

Cold sweat appears on my forehead, and my heart stutters. They have been waiting for us. They knew we were here. But for how long? Was it all just a game? Elio’s fingers cling to my arm as I try to keep my feelings in check. I can’t show him how terrified I am.

More and more birds fly over us, settling down on the trees and rocks around us. I don’t know what’s creepier: the group of silent people circling us or the birds with the dead eyes. What is even going on here?

We seem to be at a stalemate here. None of us moving, none of us daring to even breathe. I feel like this would be truly something my brother Flinn would be good at. He is a great chess player. I am not. I have no poker face, nor am I a great strategist. I am just a good fighter, but I have a handicap now, and I don’t know how to work around it yet.

While I am still struggling with my thoughts, desperately trying to find a strategy that will work for Elio and me, a weird chanting sound fills the area, sending another chill down my spine. It’s cold outside already, but the feeling this sound elicits makes me feel even colder.

Fight or run? Should we fight or run?!

We can’t run, can we? I ask Ros.

No chance, there is literally nowhere to run to. Prepare yourself for a fight.

I grab my spear tighter, noticing how Elio tenses up too. He must have seen the change in my posture. For a moment, nothing happens, then a low rumble goes through the crowd, and without further warning, they all start moving at once.

“Let’s buy some time,” I call towards Elio. “Fend them off, until I can come up with a plan to get us away from here!”

“I could shift and fly us away!”

“With the birds chasing us?”

“Shit,” Elio mutters.

I will be forever thankful that Favian made sure Elio joined the warrior training. He is so much better already, and at least can defend himself. Due to my own predicament, I am not at full power. Fuck, I am not used to fighting one-handed! That’s a skill I have never learned. Everything I did was always with both hands available.

When more and more men come pouring out of the building as if they wanted to flood us, Elio pushes me to the side. “We have no choice,” he mutters, not giving me a chance to argue before shifting to his dragon form. As if they smell blood, the birds suddenly begin flocking to him, attacking him from all sides. He is giving it his all–Favian would be so proud if he could see him. But it’s obvious he is struggling with exhaustion. I try to support him as well as I can, wielding my spear and trying to knock any attacker away who comes too close.

To my horror, Elio suddenly succumbs, his strength leaving him and forcing him to shift back. Having shifted several times today has taken a toll on his body, leaving him lying on the ground, motionless, while more and more of the men and birds start gathering around him. Soon, I can’t see anything of him anymore.

Ros, I say. We need to do it!

Yes, let me take over.

I take a step back and allow Ros to take the reins, feeling the familiar feeling of my bones elongating and changing. It hurt when I did it the first time, but now it's second nature to me. Ros’ left paw is missing, the equivalent of my hand. When she wants to attack, she stumbles, falling over.

Don’t overthink it, I say. You have hurt one of your legs before. It’s… it’s the same, right?

Ros gets up again, stumbling forward before falling over again. I am no use like this.

We are strong, Ros. We are strong. This is not the first obstacle we have to overcome, and it won’t be the last. We need to return to our mate!

Our mate…

This is the cult that took everything from him. Let’s not have them take us and Elio away too.

They hurt our mate, Ros says, a sudden glint of anger in her eyes. I could swear there is a hint of red in them, taking me by surprise. Damn these creatures. I want to send them back to the abyss they came from!

With a sudden spurt of determination, she gets up again and jumps forward, this time successfully staying upright. With an angry growl, she dashes into the group that’s surrounding Elio, jumping and biting at anyone who comes near her, pushing the crowd back and towering over Elio’s motionless form.

He doesn’t move.

I can’t feel or hear him breathe, Ros exclaims.

My heart sinks at her words. Please don’t let them take him away from us.