“Attes,” I whispered hoarsely.
The Primal flinched.
Confused, I wondered if I had yelled his name.
A low, crackling laugh slithered out from behind Attes. “Shocking, isn’t she?”
Attes spun back toward the Revenant as I finally snapped out of my stupor. I scrambled to my feet, groaning at the wave of dizziness that joined the pounding in my head.
“Kolis?” Attes barked out a short laugh that sounded like one of Casteel’s. “You look…unimpressive.” He paused. “As usual.”
“Keep telling yourself that,” he responded as I walked forward. “Just like you kept telling yourself that you’re not in—”
“Shut up,” Attes cut in, his entire posture stiffening as I skirted him.
The Revenant was still on his knees and listing to the side in an odd way that suggested something important—like maybe his back—was broken. That explained the crackling sound of his laugh.
I spared Attes a quick glance. “Thanks for…helping,” I muttered, my cheeks warming because I had needed help in the first placeandbecause I didn’t sound even remotely genuine.
Attes didn’t reply.
Kolis did. “Are you really, Sotoria? Thankful?”
My hands balled. “I told you to stop calling me that.”
“Did you hear that, Attes?” He swayed forward, the crimson aura in his eyes pulsating. “She doesn’t want to be called—”
His words ended in a grunt as his body was pulled backward by the dagger piercing his chest.
I turned to look at Attes. I hadn’t even felt him move or heard him unsheathe the dagger. He wasthatfast. “That won’t kill a Revenant.”
“I know.” He stared ahead, one side of his lips curling up to reveal…a dimple in his left cheek, just below the scar. “Still felt good to do it.”
Dragging my stare from him, I watched as the Revenant coughed up blood…and something thicker. My lip curled as I advanced.
“You need to stay back from him,” Attes advised.
I ignored that. “I’ve got this.”
“You do?” he scoffed.
The Revenant let out another burst of crunchy laughter.
My spine stiffened. “It may not have looked like it when you arrived,” I said, keeping my eyes on the Revenant, “but I do.”
“I’ll take your word for it. So, no need to keep walking—”
I rammed my knee into the Revenant’s face, knocking his head back against the tree. “That was for the headbutt.” I grabbed the hilt of the dagger and tore it free. The milky-white blade momentarily surprised me.
“Careful with that,” Attes warned as the Revenant tilted forward.
I thrust the bone dagger through the Revenant’s throat, impaling him to the tree once more. Blood sprayed across my hand.
“Gods,” muttered Attes, his voice closer. “That also won’t kill a Revenant.”
“I know.” I wiped my hand on the front of his tunic. “Still felt good.”
What sounded like a barely-there laugh came from behind me.
