Their large black forms stood nearly two feet larger than himself, their muscles flexing under coarse fur as they ripped and tore through their victim—a fae male with green skin and gray eyes that were eerily fixed in their direction. He was dead, of course, but his gaze was still unsettling. Haunting.
“They’re a long way from home.” Kaya whispered.
Ilias gave her a stern look, hoping she understood she needed to be quiet. She’d done a great job with silence the last few weeks and for the life of him, he couldn’t believe she chosenowto say something. But she was right. Moorbounders were not usually found here. These creatures were always located in wet, flat locations. Never this high up. He’d seen them in Fiorasia, but never anywhere near a mountain. And considering that Fiorasia was another Credulan settlement—
“Well, look what we have here!”
Their stomachs plummeted in unison, but it was Ilias who turned and came face-to-face with a Credulan warrior. Kaya ducked her head, her body unnaturally still as she felt the warrior approach. She could feel his dark eyes on her form, could feel him drawing closer. He emitted an energy that was not natural—one she never felt before. Like his mere presence interrupted the natural order of the world around them.
“My wife and I are just trying to return home.” Ilias’s words struck her, her eyes going wide as she jerked her head in his direction. But he was calm. And in seeing this, Kaya allowed her shoulders to fall, her body to loosen as she turned and slid her arm around Ilias’s waist. The captain wasted no time in draping his arm around her shoulders, tucking her close to him with such comfortability that it made something in her chest physically ache.
The elf strode towards them, his eyes roving over Kaya’s form. “Wife, you say? Quite the lucky man, you are. Newlyweds, I presume? Your bride seemsquite shy.”
I’ll show you shy.The shadows hissed.
Kaya tried shoving them down just enough so that they did not cloud her concentration, but they were latched to her—their thorns digging deep, lodging themselves there.
“She is just tired. You see, we have been traveling for quite some time now. Visiting family.” Ilias lowered his arm and her heart thundered when his hand settled on her hip, squeezing gently. Like a true lover’s touch. “And we have become lost. You wouldn’t happen to know how to return to Diadas from here, would you?”
The elf’s eyes narrowed, a shadow of a smirk on his lips that made Kaya’s shadows groan and cry out—begging to show themselves. “Diadas? Of course. You keep following this path through to the base of the mountain and then you will have reached the Credulan straight. Might I recommend you stop at the inn located there? Your bride seems to be swaying with exhaustion.”
It wasn’t exhaustion. It was a daze—her mind consumed by the overwhelming desire to end this male that fed an innocent life to his snarling beasts. It was not the beasts’ fault. They were merely a product of their master, but none could be allowed mercy. Not with the taste of fae blood still fresh on their tongues. Their craving for it would never cease.
They all need to die. Let us help you, Kaya.
Not yet.She spoke back to them.
The shadows groaned in agony, curling inside of her to the point that her knees felt as if they would bend under their strength.When?They wailed.Let us, Kaya—
Not. Yet.
Her body was like ice against him, his fingers twitching at her side. He could feel it coming—feel it building in her. Because the elf did not look at her like a wayfaring stranger, nor a young bride who was riddled with exhaustion. This male, in all of his boastful glory, looked at her as if he would make a meal out of her. Not for his beasts, but himself. Like a foreign confection placed in front of him on a pretty little platter. But Kaya was not sweet, nor was she savory. She was bitter. And her shadows bit back.
Ilias pulled her closer, the organ in her chest giving a hollowed thump as he pressed a kiss to her head. “It’s okay, my love. We will rest soon. Doesn’t that sound nice? Peaceful?Silent?” He whispered.
Silence.
The only way to quiet the whispers was to let them satiate their craving. With that thought lingering in her mind, Kaya looked up at him and smiled, pushing up onto the tips of her toes and pressed her lips to his.
More. The creature does not believe you.The shadows hissed, inching closer to the surface of her skin.
From the corner of her eye, she saw the elf smooth his hand over the silver pommel of his sword. He curled his fingers around the hilt just as Kaya deepened the kiss, her hands coming up to fist at the front of Ilias’s rain-soaked tunic. His heart pounded in response, body radiating shock and surprise. But before he had a moment to grasp what was happening, before he could instinctively place his twitching hand on the small of her back, Kaya shoved him aside.
His back collided with a rock, knocking the air from his lungs just as a thick veil of darkness enveloped him. On the other side of the veil, Kaya directed her shadows forward, slashing and whipping at the male who was now staggering away. It was no use. One tendril of shadow sliced through the air, catching the Credulan’s neck. Thick blood sprayed out of him and the sword he intended to wield clattered to the ground, his hands going up to the fatal wound. He tried grabbing at it, clawing at the warm, wet cascade of life that spilled from him as if he could fuse the opening back together.
He was done.
Kaya didn’t have the desire to watch him die. Instead, she turned to the moorbounders that were now gnashing their teeth in her direction, desperate to avenge their fallen master. A female beast leaned back onto its haunches, preparing to launch itself forward. The shadows let the beast jump, but before it could near Kaya or Ilias, she severed the beast in two.
Ilias rose to his feet, the growling of the moorbounders growing louder. He pushed against his shadowy enclosure, but could not break through. As if she could sense his desire to be freed from his confines, Kaya lowered theveil and Ilias stumbled forward—sword already raised. He began his work on one larger male, bringing the weapon down upon the beast’s neck with such power and force that the creature’s head toppled to the ground almost instantly. Although he was swift and thorough, he turned to find that Kaya was already walking back towards the fallen elf, grabbing his sword from the ground.
She lifted it easily, examining the finery of the blade before she wiped it clean with her cloak. Ilias watched her, amazed and slightly amused, as she began moving in the direction they’d been going. He hurriedly cleaned his own blade and followed her.
“What was that back there?” He asked, sidestepping, narrowly dodging spilled intestines.
Kaya gave him a look, her brow crumpled. “It’s what you wanted me to do, was it not?”
Ilias grunted. “Well, yes, but you had full control—”
