Nala’s arrows fly towards the beast but barely scratch the hard armour. Without her Gifts, she cannot retrieve her arrows without getting closer.
Ryder moves—fast, frighteningly so. He slides across the dirt, sword clutched tight, and drives the blade into the tenari’s hind legs. The metal slices through flesh like a hot blade through wax.Thick, dark blood spills out as the severed limbs hit the ground with a heavy thud.
My stomach churns at the sight.
The creature screeches, convulses, then burrows beneath the earth in a violent rush.
Silence again.
“Everyone okay?” River calls, his voice trembling, but nobody answers. We just stare at one another, breathless, shaking, struggling to understand the magnitude of what we’re facing.
“I have no arrows left.” Nala struggles between laboured breaths.
“I’m all out of knives, too.” River adds, trying hard not to let the fear seep through his words.
I dust the grit from my knees and take a few steps toward Ryder, who’s flexing his grip on the sword, his jaw set tight.
The ground trembles again.
Something inside me clicks—like fear snapping in half, like a surge of reckless clarity taking over.
I caused this. I’m the reason we’re here, and now I must fix it.
Before I can think, I’m sprinting toward the quake, dagger in hand, driven by something primal and sharp.
It bursts from the ground, head rearing. I duck beneath its jaws and stab upward, ramming my dagger into its underbelly.
It barely reacts.
My blade is a pinprick against a fortress.
A massive leg whips across my ribs, flinging me through the air. I slam into a nearby tree so hard the world tilts sideways. My breath rips from my lungs, fracturing my vision into floating black spots.
And then the earth trembles again—closing in on me.
“Asha, no!” River wails; his voice reaches me faintly. “Over here!” he shouts, hurling stones, trying to draw its attention.
The tenari lashes its tail. River and Nala are swept off their feet and launched into a tree with terrifying force. They crumple to the ground like fallen leaves.
Another roar splits the night.
This time—it’s Ryder.
A flash of shadows streaks past me. He charges the beast with a snarl, sword raised. He plunges it into the creature’s side, burying the blade deep. The tenari reels, but its tail swings again, slamming Ryder into the same trunk that broke River and Nala’s fall.
It turns toward him.
Fuck.
I have no dagger. No sword. No strength left.
Then, my eyes catch something.
A severed leg… just a metre away.
Its claw glints like a jagged blade.
I press at the bark, hauling myself upright and staggering toward it. My fingers close around the talon. Sharp and light, it’s probably useless, but better than nothing.
