Fenris is moving again, unclipping a dagger from his waist and throwing it into the darkness. There’s a thud and the sound of a body hitting the ground meaning it found its mark. He raises his sword, slicing through the neck of another, the sharp smell of blood floating in the air.
I can’t seem to look away as he raises his arm and shoves his fist into one of the creature’s chest, jerking his arm back sharply. In his hand is something that drips with black blood. Oh my god. Is that its heart?
I can’t even begin to process what I just saw.
Fenris is deadly.Cutting through everything in his path.
“Princess!” Tristan yells, drawing my attention away from Fenris.
A deadling drops from the tree above, landing directly behind me. Heart pounding in my ears, I swipe at its face. The blade catches the pale skin, slicing through its hideous features, but it doesn’t slow the creature. I duck under its outstretched claws just in time, feeling the icy wind of its attack pass over my head.
Before the deadling can strike again, Tristan’s blade flashes through the air. His sword pierces its chest, driving straight into the deadling’s heart. The creature lets out a final, sickening gasp,its body convulsing for a brief moment before collapsing lifeless at my feet.
I stagger back, breathing hard. My fingers remain locked tightly around the dagger, adrenaline pumping fiercely through my body. Tristan pulls his sword from the deadling’s chest, wiping the blade clean with swift, practiced movements. I give him a shaky smile and survey the scene.
Another comes from nowhere straight at Fenris, but he pivots, grabbing it by the throat and sinking his blade into its chest before I can even draw my next breath. Then he is a foot away. Fenris’s nostrils flare as he grips my arm and roughly jerks me around. “Get back to the fucking horse.”
Anger rises, sharp and swift, and I rip my arm from his hold. “Don’t tell me what to do. I can handle myself, Fenris.”
His eyes harden further, if that’s even possible. “You’re in danger, and we need to leave now.”
“No, not without Zaria.” My anger is so consuming I can taste it on my tongue.
Tristan steps closer, his voice low. “Everly, we need to get you out of here. It’s not safe.”
“They won’t kill me.” Both men blink at my words. “Not when the Shadoweaver needs me.”
“But they can do a fucking lot of damage,” Fenris spits out.
“You don’t think I know that?!”
“Then get to the fucking horse!”Fenris steps closer, towering over me, but I stand my ground. I will not be pushed or bullied into submission. Not anymore.
Nymeria and Anika draw nearer, and Anika pushes between the two of us, but they both surprise me when they don’t growl or threaten Fenris as they normally would. They simply seemto want to defuse our fight. I see movement to the side, and a beautiful leopard breaks from the trees.
“Thank goodness.” A rush of relief makes me sag. If not for Anika still standing in front of me, I might have collapsed.
“Great! Now let’s fucking go.” Fenris steps back and pushes past us, heading in the direction of the horses.
I frown at Fenris’s retreating form. His stiff, cold demeanor is confusing. Tristan’s arm brushes lightly against my shoulder, drawing my attention. I glance up at him, searching his face for some kind of explanation.
“Is he always like this?” I ask, my voice low, though I can’t quite keep the frustration from seeping in.
Tristan shakes his head, his expression softening as he looks from Fenris to me. “Before you arrived back here, he was more pleasant. He is quiet in nature and an excellent soldier who climbed through the ranks fairly quickly.”
“Well, something has crawled up his ass,” I mutter under my breath, hoping to mask the hurt with humor.
A small, amused smile tugs at Tristan’s lips, and I can see the worry in his face easing. “Come on, Princess. We’d best get you back to the castle before Raiden has a coronary,” he teases.
“Okay.”
As we walk, thoughts of Fenris’s behavior still nag at the back of my mind. Why does it feel like there’s something simmering just beneath the surface with him—something he won’t let me see?
Chapter thirteen
Maxon
Athrobbing sensation spreads through my temples, causing my entire head, even my gums, to ache in pain. I tilt my head backward to rest against the stone wall, and attempt to swallow, my throat incredibly dry. Since that deadling found its way in here, knocking over the only source of water I had, I’ve been left high and dry. No one has come to refill it or even see if I’m alive. I have a feeling that the creature was a test, a way to assess my will to survive. There is no way they’d let a deadling take me out.
