I bypass my sword and yank free the dagger at my thigh. Plunging the blade forward, I miss the center of the leopard’s throat and slice the side of its neck. It roars, releasing my skirt, and I run. Charged by pure adrenaline, I bolt for the shoreline. My skin prickles and the short pale hairs on my arms stand on end. It’s like an electric pulse is buzzing through me, and beneath the sizzle is something warm and dark—a familiar sensation. It draws me in like an old friend’s embrace. I haven’t felt like this since...
I push the thought away, chalking it up to my fear getting the better of me. My brain is in survival mode, racing as frantically as my feet. Trying to guard my mental state, it wants me to believe I stand a chance against the Allaji. I’m conjuring up memories from when I could hold my own against creatures like the ones stalking me. The Eporri has been a phantom piece of me for days. Sometimes I think I feel the tingling sensation it sparked when a Khiros was nearby. I reveled in those moments until I remembered it’s impossible. I’m powerless, so fucking powerless.
A raspy growl comes from behind me, followed by the slash of claws on my calf. My feet move faster, hitting the ground hard. Sticks stab through my slippers’ soft soles, every muscle burns, and each joint screams in pain. I fight to fill my lungs, but my breathing is so fast that the air is in and out before it fuels me. The edges of my vision blur, and I fight through the light-headedness. I only have seconds left before I pass out and the Allaji shreds me to ribbons.
My motions are sloppy as I drop the dagger and draw my sword. I spin around, slashing the blade in front of me. The unsuspecting cat charges forward and ducks at the last second. It swipes at my leg. A scream tears from my throat as the sharp claws tear across my calf. Before I fall to my knees, I swing my blade. It slices through the air, hitting the cat with a crack to the skull. It skitters back, but I only gained seconds to my life. Three more massive predators step out of the brush.
On trembling legs, I stand and lift my chin. The hilt of the sword digs into my palm as I clutch it before me. The blade shakes in my unsteady hold. With a deep breath of sea-salted air, I face my killers. I call on the power I no longer have, not expecting it to fill me the way it once did. No, what I need right now is the courage it gave me. Warmth spreads throughout my body, and a sure caress sweeps over the nape of my neck. I hold tight to the ghost of that power, a power which always felt like it belonged to me alone.
Cats, wolves, and bears, all have their eyes trained on me. I should run before they pounce, but I smile instead. My strength is not in a stone or a crown. If this is my final battle, I will not fall with my back to my enemy. I will look them in the eyes and fight to the death.
Eleven
KYRON
Ijump into the water, my gaze trained on the small island ahead. It’s covered in lush trees beyond the dunes and shrouded in complete darkness. As I trudge through the knee-high waves, I scan the night sky for any signs of smoke or light reflecting off the clouds, but every inch of the galaxies is crystal clear. Splashes sound around me as the soldiers in my rowboat and those in the nine others jump into the water. As we pull our boats to shore, I hold my breath, hoping the stillness will help me see the smallest of movement in the distance.
My stomach sinks when my feet meet the sand. There’s not so much as a flicker of light ahead.
“It’s too quiet,” Greer says, stepping to my side.
“Did I make a mistake?” I ask her.
She shakes her head. “Something’s not right. The only reason an entire island would be silent is if something dangerous was on the hunt.” She tilts her head toward two giant winged shadows, barely visible in the night sky. “I know that the Allaji king is here and so is Raelle.”
My general’s certainty puts some of my doubt to rest. Greer has a keen sense for these types of things. More than once, she has changed our strategy in the middle of a battle. It’s her prowess that has saved countless lives. If I’m walking our soldiers into a trap, she would be the first to notice.
I turn to the troops who have gathered in formation behind us. “Everyone split up. I want at least one Khiros in each group. Don’t think twice, take out any animal you see. Raelle is your priority. If you find her, you’re to give the signal and get her out of here. Do you understand?”
A chorus ofYes, Your Majestyjoins the crashing waves.
“Maybe it’s best if you go back to the ship and wait, Kyron,” Greer says, turning her focus to me.
“Fuck that,” I spit.
“This is dangerous. We know nothing about this island, and if something happens to you, those assholes who sit on your council will be fighting for the crown.”
“Let them have it. If Raelle is here, I’m making sure she leaves.”
Greer releases a breath that rattles her lips. She glares at the monstrous figure at the front of the line and says, “Keep your eyes on the king at all times, Cohn. If he so much as stumbles over a rock, you drag his royal ass out of here.”
“Yes, General,” Cohn says with a deep rumble.
I open my mouth to argue but stop short. A faint voice calls out from the trees.
“Raelle!”
Greer and I fall silent and lock eyes. Several beats pass, and the familiar country brogue calls out again. This time it’s followed by the wail of a wild feline.She’s here alive and roaming the island.
“Go,” I bark. “Find Ulric before he finds Raelle, and then the Allaji find them both. I expect two signals, one for him and one for her.”
“Kyron?”
The worry in Greer’s voice pierces through me and my step waivers for a second. “I know. I’ll be careful, and we’ll see each other back at the ship.”
She gives a curt nod. It’s a simple acknowledgement of my unspoken order. I expect her to remain safe as well. With that, she motions her team into the trees.
Cohn and I sprint in the direction the roar came from. Leaves flutter around us as we plow through the trees. Like our entrance has woken the forest, growls and squawks greet us. The animalistic symphony is a horrific song, singing of our possible demise. It urges us into a run toward what waits in the belly of our tropical surroundings. I pull my sword from its sheath and hack at the low-hanging branches. Fighting the urge to yell for Raelle, I tuck my lips between my teeth and bite down. I push my shadows out, hoping they will guide me to her. They have always been attracted to her, or maybe it was the Eporri. Either way, my efforts go unanswered.
