Page 46

Marin

“Run. Now!” Gavin barked, pushing me backward as the creature burst from the swamp, landing with a wet slap in the mud.

It was massive, rust-colored, and muscular.

Its hulking body rippled with sinew as writhing tentacles curled around its sightless head.

Suction-like cups were attached to the creature’s limbs, poised to drag us under.

A tentacle lashed out. Gavin dodged the limb, swinging his blade. The creature shrieked, ooze dripping from its wounded tentacle. Two more attacked, faster. Harder. One struck Gavin in his chest, hurtling him backward.

I charged the monster, my dagger raised.

“Marin, stay back!” Gavin’s voice was raw, nearly a snarl. He rolled to his feet, his glare pinning me in place. Was he crazy? That thing had at least ten arms.

Another tentacle snapped through the air. Gavin’s eyes flashed me a warning before he severed it.

Okay, nine arms.

But that was still too many.

One of the nine whipped close to his face, Gavin ducked, slashing upward, slicing through the limb. The creature lurched, spraying mud and debris in his eyes. Nearly blinded, he blocked another blow, raising his blade as he tried to step toward me.

But the next strike went low.

A tentacle slammed into his legs, ripping him off his feet. He hit the ground hard, skidding backward through the mud as another tentacle coiled around his torso. His sword slipped from his grip.

“Gavin!”

He twisted, thrashing, but the limb only tightened.

“Go! Run—” His voice cut off, strangled.

The tentacle squeezed his chest. His fingers clawed uselessly at the slick, muscled limb. His wild gaze met mine, pleading. Run! Back arching in a spasm, he opened his mouth in a silent gasp.

It was killing him!

My dagger felt useless. Panic shook my hands as I slashed it against a swinging tentacle. Ooze spurted from the wound but did nothing else. The monster dragged itself and Gavin out of my reach.

“No!” I ran after it, slashing again. My heart thundered in my ears. Another limb with slimy suction cups coiled around Gavin’s feet.

Sucking— on something.

A flash of bright orange sap caught my eye. The resin covered the tops and undersides of Gavin’s boots. He must have stepped in it while carrying me.

Is the monster holding its prey still to lick Gavin’s boots?

Gavin’s eyes slid shut. His head slumped to the side.

No. No. No!

My frantic gaze searched the bog. There! A gnarled tree rose out of the ground, bright orange sap leaking from a hole in its bark .

I didn’t know if I was right or imagining things. It didn’t matter. If Gavin wasn’t leaving this place, neither was I.

Racing to the tree, I dragged my dagger through the wood until more sap swelled to the surface. I smeared the thick substance over my palms. Then with a hoarse cry, I lunged for the monster, wrapping my hands around one of its tentacles.

It slid through my grip.

The tentacle around Gavin tightened, just for a second. Then the scent hit. The monster shuddered. Its massive form swiveled in the mud. It dropped Gavin. The coil around his body loosened, then lashed toward me. I stumbled backward as the monster charged.

Was Gavin still alive? I couldn’t tell. The monster hauled its bulk forward, limbs writhing. Fear blurred my vision as I ran, boots skidding through the thick mud.

A thicket of twisted branches loomed ahead. There was a narrow opening between them. Barely wide enough to fit through. If I got stuck, I was bog monster bait.

I dove for the cage of branches, my mind blank with terror as I threw myself forward.

The creature’s tentacle brushed my shoulder blade, and a slimy suction cup skimmed my neck.

I choked back a scream and the shudder that nearly sent me to my knees.

Then I was squeezing through the gap, wrenching my body and tearing my clothes.

A branch snagged my hair. Pain tore through my scalp. I was stuck! The ground trembled with the creature’s charge, a second away from slamming into me. Panic clawed inside my chest as I yanked my hair free, leaving strands behind as I tumbled into the mud on the other side.

I rolled onto my back. The monster slashed through the thicket, its limbs caught in the cage of wood. It let out a shriek, tentacles slipping through and thrashing inches from my face.

The trees groaned. Branches splintered with the monster’s force.

It wouldn’t hold. Snapping. Crunching.

My boots dug into the muck, sliding without traction as I struggled to run, only making it to my knees.

The cage shattered. My scream caught in my throat as the creature surged free.

Steel flashed in a single brutal arc. Gavin’s sword sank into the monster’s slick hide. He ripped the blade out, then stabbed it again. The creature jerked. Its limbs seized, then fell still.

I collapsed onto my back, chest heaving, staring at what was left of the grotesque creature.

“Marin.” Gavin’s voice was hoarse. He pulled me out of the mud and crushed me against him.

My arms wound around his back. He was covered in mud. We both were. A beautiful mess. Gavin was alive. I clung to him as a sob of relief wracked my body.

“Are you hurt?” He rasped against my temple.

“Stop that. Can you think about yourself for five seconds? What about you?” I pulled away, my gaze searching, hands running carefully over his ribs, needing to make sure he wasn’t injured.

He winced but didn’t stop me. I could feel his heartbeat hammering, feel the tension in his muscles, coiled, still on edge.

“No. Just bruised, I think.” He pushed the hair out of my face with muddy fingers. “Five seconds are up.”

“Then give me five more. No ten!”

He smiled faintly, then grimaced, a hiss slipping through his teeth. “Come on. Let’s go. There might be more of those things. ”

Gavin scooped up his sword, searched for the rest of our gear, and then reached for my hand. He went still when our palms met and he saw the bright orange goo.

“I saved you with sap,” I said, trying to lighten the mood. “Kind of brilliant, if you think about it.”

But his expression didn't change. His jaw ticked, fingers closing around my upper arm as he hauled me away from the creature and further down the path.

“I told you to run. More than once.”

“I heard that. But then you’d be dead, and I wouldn’t have an epic story to tell Annie when we get back.”

“It doesn’t take much to impress a nine-year-old,” he grated, keeping his gaze on our surroundings. “You shouldn’t have risked your life to save mine. That was stupid and reckless. Never do that again.”

I let out a dry laugh. “You said we were partners. That we carry each other’s weight. But you’re angry with me.”

“Yes.”

He turned fast. I took a step back. My boot snapped a branch. My shoulders struck a tree. Gavin followed, planting his hand above my head. His eyes blazed, chest heaving like the air burned in his lungs, and he couldn’t get it out quick enough.

“I’m furious,” he growled. “When it's either you or me…” He leaned in, his mouth near my ear. “I'll take the fall. Every. Damn. Time. That is my weight to carry. Mine. Do not take it from me.”

Then he pushed off the tree and stalked down the path, shoulders tight, footfalls hard against the ground.

I shivered. His words still rang in my ears, adding more cracks to the glass cage around my heart .

But I wasn’t done. I followed on his heels.

“You act like you’re the only one with something to lose!” I shouted, my voice warping in the mist. “You’re wrong. And you’re a hypocrite. You can’t stop me from deciding to help my partner. Though I guess you’re the only one who gets to throw that word around?”

His gaze snapped to mine.

I didn’t back down. I tilted my head in challenge. “Fine. Let’s call it what it is. I saved your life. Without a sword. With grit. And fear. And not a single regret.” I kept going, voice lower now. “That makes me a hero. You should worship me.”

Gavin came to a slow, uneven stop. He swallowed thickly. “What?”

“You heard me.”

His breaths were still unsteady, his body thrumming with leftover adrenaline. I’d only been teasing, hadn’t I? No. Not anymore. I wanted to push. See if I could race across those last few terrifying boards in my mind. Would the bridge snap or hold?

Emotion warred across his face. Indecision. The imaginary board creaked, tilting me toward the looming pit.

A curse slipped between his teeth. Then he reached for me, twisting my hand and tugging until I was in his arms.

My eyes widened.

The board held.

I laced my hands around his neck. The bog was silent; our breath misting in the heavy air.

“Worship you?” His voice broke low like something had cracked open inside of him. The sound scraped across my nerves, setting my skin on fire.

“Gods, Mare. ”

Gavin’s forehead dipped to mine, his fingers skimming along my jaw. His thumb brushed the corner of my mouth, and I tasted the earth, this horrible place, the ruin.

He breathed the next words like a confession.

“It’s all I think about.”

Then he tilted my chin up and kissed me.

His mouth met mine, hard at first, like he could punish me for stripping away our defenses. For demanding to be seen. But then it slowed, becoming that aching, reverent kiss I was starting to know so well. The one that was pure Gavin.

It should have been harsh, a brutal kiss in a brutal forest. But it wasn’t. His lips moved over mine, the want bleeding through. Like this wasn’t our last kiss, but the one that launched a thousand more.

When he finally pulled back, his breath was shaky, his thumb still pressed to my cheek.

“Let’s go, hero,” he said softly.

Then he threaded his muddy fingers through mine, and with the shadows deepening behind us, he led me out of the bog and into the openness of a star-lit sky.