Page 27 of Whispers of the Void (Voidborn Chronicles #1)
CHAPTER 27
RAIZ
* * *
T he cold from the stone wall at my back seeps through the layers of clothing covering me as I wait for whatever creature that’s stalking us to pass by. I have a feeling it’s just a cave ursax. If that’s the case, I’ll be able to eliminate the threat quickly and quietly.
Soon after the hoofbeats of the kyrils fade, I pick up the clicking of claws on stone. One animal. Big. Slowly and silently, I unsheathe my sword. Any sound of a struggle will only attract interest from other predators.
I can smell it now. The foul, rank breath of a creature that doesn’t discriminate in what it chooses to consume. Ursax were the reason building underground cities proved to be such a challenge.
The glowing eyes of the beast are all I can see at first. It stops, its large maw dripping saliva as its nostrils flare. Now that it has caught my scent, there’s no use waiting against the wall.
I step out in front of it, slashing my sword with brutal force. The metallic scent of blood fills the narrow space, and the walls shake with its roar of pain. The creature’s eyes lock on me as it pounces on me.
So much for not drawing attention. I move forward, avoiding its jump and aiming for its life organ, but it swipes out a paw, its claws catching my arm. I feel the blood welling from the wound. The beast inside me rises to the surface ready to meet the challenge.
I drop my sword as my talons and fangs extend. We’re already making noise, might as well have fun with the fight. I launch onto the back of the creature and slam my talons into its flanks. It rears back onto its hind legs in an attempt to dislodge me, but I’ve locked my legs around it and my talons have hooked into its ribs.
It throws itself against the wall, smashing me between its body and the stone. Bits of rock fall around us as it swings its body in the opposite direction. My head narrowly misses a piece of rock protruding from the wall. I dig my talons deeper, satisfaction at the feel of muscle and tendons being flayed apart by my strength rolls through me like a wave of primal destruction.
As the red haze of fury settles around me, I unleash my full strength and tear its ribs from its body. Blood sprays around me as the ursax falls to the ground, its body a mess of bone and shredded flesh. My fangs ache to sink into flesh, but this being was brought down too quickly and easily.
The wound in my arm burns as the toxin from the ursax’s claws seeps into my flesh. I bend and pick up a sword, wiping it clean on a patch of fur not yet coated in blood. Hopefully the carcass will distract any predators’ attention who heard the fight.
“Are you okay?” Hyva speaks into my mind.
“ Yes, I had to kill an ursax. It got a little messier than intended.”
“Are you injured?”
“Just a scratch.” I don’t need him hovering around me when I just have to let the toxin run its course.
“From what?”
I sigh heavily. “Its claw.”
“Did it inject the toxin?”
“I don’t know. I don’t think so.”
“Liar.”
I chuckle at the annoyance dripping from his tone. Nothing gets under his skin faster than someone he cares about not letting him help them. Which I understand to a point. I mean, it drives me mad when I can’t help Neev.
“I’ll let you look at it if you don’t hover around me like a nursemaid.”
“You’ll let me treat it and say thank you, you mean. Should we stop and wait for you?”
“No. Keep going. I know where Las is having us stop for the night, if I don’t catch up before then, I’ll just meet you there. Is Neev okay?”
“She is. I think she’s sore, though. She keeps shifting her weight back and forth.”
“Ride alongside her.”
“Already am.”
“Thank you.”
The passage opens back up, and a few beams of dusky light filter into the cavernous space from holes in the rock above. I wrap my cloak tighter around myself, warding off the deeper chill from above. We’re already out of the terminix by the way the sky looks. That’s good.
Taking the kyril was the best move, even if it means a bit more work. They require more water, so we had to slightly alter the route to stay near the underground rivers, but that also means we’ll have access to several hot springs to bathe in, including at the camp tonight. Even though it’s not a direct route, it’s still quicker than taking the direct route on foot.
I move into a quick jog. Physical activity will help the toxin burn through my system quicker. It’ll also ward off the damn chill settling into my bones.
* * *
By the time I get to camp, Las has a fire going beneath a natural vent in the ceiling of the cave. The sound of the icy underground river fills the space as it flows past the rocky shore. All of the kyril are tied up with easy access to the river when they need a drink. Luckily, they can go for days without food, so we didn’t have to pack them anything. They’ll take turns lying down and resting until we saddle them back up in the morning.
Hyva glances up when he hears my footsteps approaching. He points to the spot beside him and opens his medical bag.
“You smell awful,” he says as I sit down beside him.
“Killing an ursax with your bare hands will do that.”
His lip curls in distaste. “Let me see your arm.”
I unclip my cloak and pull off my shirt. Three deep cuts cross my bicep, oozing green puss from the toxin. I glance around as Hyva begins to clean the lacerations.
“Where are Neev and Vynia?”
“In the hot springs. Neev could barely walk when she got off Nebula.” He dumps antiseptic over the wound. “I was just looking for the muscle relaxing balm to give her when you showed up. Hopefully between relaxing in the hot water and the balm her muscles won’t hold on to any stiffness.”
My arm burns as he dumps another round of antiseptics onto the cuts. I wince when he presses the sides of one of the wounds together, pushing the puss out. He takes a swab and removes the toxin. The process is repeated two more times until my arm tingles painfully from the final cream he rubs over the wounds.
“I’m not going to close them up just in case more of the puss needs to weep out.” He scoots away from me and gathers the trash, putting it into a refuse bag and rolling it up tightly. “You can get it wet, the cream I added at the end acts as a sealant.”
“Thank you.” I extend my hands toward the fire. “Was your ride here uneventful?”
“Yes. We didn’t encounter or even see signs of anything on the way here. At least not since the cave with all the bones.” He shivers in disgust.
Now that Neev isn’t here, I need to ask him about that. “Were those Zeahirian bones?”
“Yes. Some of them. I know I saw several skulls that could only be Zeahirian because of the retractable fangs.”
“Do you think it was an ursax den?”
“If it was, there had to be more than one of them living there.”
I came to the same conclusion, unfortunately. I’m just hoping that I didn’t kill a member of the pack. They won’t take kindly to it, and I definitely don’t want a pack of ursax hunting us.
I reach out mind to mind to Vynia. “Are you two okay?”
“We’re fine. Just enjoying the hot springs after a long day’s ride.”
“Stay with Neev while I get my part of camp set up. Then I want privacy with her.”
“Will do, Commander.”
I ignore her sass as I lay out my sleeping roll and grab a clean change of clothing. I need to hold my mate. To make sure she’s safe and in one piece. Grabbing a change of clothes, I head off in the direction of the springs which are tucked back in a small grotto hidden from the riverbank.
The sound of female laughter hits my ears as a welcome sound. I’ve never been happier to have Vynia play such a vital role in my crew and personal life. It would be so much more difficult for Neev if she didn’t have the female camaraderie, especially if she decides to stay permanently.
At the thought of her being mine, truly mine, heat explodes in my chest. It’s a feeling she always gives me. Everything about her makes me joyful. As we get closer and closer to answers about the Bak’hura and creep closer to a full out rebellion, I worry about how she’ll feel being front and center next to me. She enjoys my company, the novelty of a new world and our sexual compatibility, but is it too much to ask of her to be my true, full partner in a war? Especially a war she has no skin in the game for?
I don’t know.
But the thought of letting her walk away rips my insides out.
As I come around the corner, I catch a glimpse of her in the water. Steam rises around her shoulders as she speaks to Vynia with a smile on her beautiful face. If I wanted to I could eavesdrop on them, but they look happy. So I hang back, just watching as they continue to chat quietly. Neev runs her fingertips over the top of the spring and tiny, bioluminescent organisms light up, creating streaks of the greenish blue in the dark pool.
“I’m here,” I say into Vynia’s mind. “I’ll stand back to give you privacy to dress.”
“Thank you.”
Despite our society’s liberal view of nudity, Vynia has always been more discreet than most. I’ve never asked her about it, but I assume it has to do with not wanting people to see her leg. But she has shown Neev, which makes me happy. She deserves to have a friend she can confide all things in. I’m her commanding officer and brother’s best friend, even if I’m also her close friend, it’s not the same.