“We aren’t taking that unicorn’s horn. Or its pelt.”
Helios let out an irritated groan and turned back around. He wagged his dagger at Teryn. “This is why I didn’t tell you. I knew you’d be too soft.”
“We’ll take this unicorn as the princess’ pet.”
“No, we won’t. That’s only one of the three gifts. We cannot return without all three, or else our plan will mean nothing. Three gifts. Three champions. Equal effort to meet Mareleau’s demands in the cleverest, most efficient way. Do you want a chance to marry the princess or not? Is your kingdom not worth one animal’s life?”
Teryn felt his resolve weaken. He glanced at the caged unicorn, saw fear in his eyes, hunger in his gaunt form, pain where open wounds marred his hide.
“That’s all it will take,” Helios said, a placating quality to his voice. “One unicorn, and we’ll have the hide and the horn. After that, finding the pet will be easy. We can kill this one before we take its hide, if that is your wish. The horn, however…you know what must be done.”
Teryn thought about his father, his kingdom, his duties as heir. The promises he’d made. His heart ached to spare the unicorn, but when had following one’s heart ever served the greater good? His father had followed his heart and nearly brought war to the shores of Menah. Mareleau was supposedly following her heart by seeking a better match than Teryn, but her Hunt had now resulted in a massacre. Teryn’s duty was to his kingdom. Mareleau may have had no qualms with breaking their contract, but he’d promised to marry her. Promised his father he’d do what needed to be done to secure her hand.
And if it meant killing one unicorn…
He glanced at the creature again and felt his stomach drop. Grief tugged at his bones, dragged his heart over brambles and thorns. The words left his mouth before he realized what he was saying. But they were true. “It’s not worth it. It wasneverworth it.” If his promised bride was so heartless as to make such a violent request in exchange for her hand, then he wanted nothing to do with her. She’d broken her promise. Teryn would break his too.
Helios’ shoulders tensed. “So, you forfeit.”
Teryn swallowed hard, his throat dry. “I suppose I do.”
“And you, Lexington?”
No answer came.
Teryn cast a quick glance at Lex and found him still standing over Sam’s body, his face pale.
Helios moved, bringing Teryn’s attention back to him. He now held his sword in addition to the dagger. Teryn prepared to throw his spear, but Helios was quickly closing in. Instead, he held the spear out before him. If he couldn’t throw it, he’d fight with it. Helios continued his charge but was suddenly stopped by a flurry of feathers and talons. Berol scratched at his face, forcing Helios to shield his eyes. The falcon raked her talons through the man’s forearm, sending his sword clattering to the ground. Helios slashed out blindly with the dagger.
Teryn’s heart pounded as he watched Berol carve gouges in the man’s flesh. He was torn between aiding Berol’s efforts with a spear to the gut, or calling the bird back. Before he could consider what to do, he swayed on his feet.The poison, he thought with terror. He swayed again, legs trembling. Berol suddenly took off, heading straight for Teryn. He expected her to land on his shoulder, but the falcon only flapped her wings in his face, forcing Teryn back. Back. Back.
“What are you?—”
His words dissolved under the sound of trembling earth. Something enormous barreled past Teryn, directly over the place he’d just stood. He heard Lex cry out, turned to find him curled on his side, cradling his arm. When he looked back at whatever had invaded the camp, he realizedthiswas the monster. There was no other name for it. It looked as if two creatures had merged into one, born from flame, its skin raw and red. A ridge of spikes ran down its spine. Teryn scrambled back, but the monster paid him no heed. Its beady eyes were fixed on Helios. In the next moment, it was upon him. The creature opened its giant, salivating maw and closed it over Helios’ head and shoulders. Teryn couldn’t blink as Helios’ muffled screams pierced the air. Blood poured over the monster’s lips and dripped to the ground below. Helios clawed, stabbed, but the monster continued to bury its teeth deeper into his flesh. The unicorn horn blade fell to the ground, and Helios’ body went still. The monster released him, but Teryn knew he was already gone. He held his breath as the creature ran its nose over the earth, as if seeking something. It inched closer and closer to Helios’ discarded blade.
A crash sounded. Teryn’s eyes flew to the cage where the unicorn was bucking madly.
With a roar, the monster charged the cage, slamming it with its enormous front hooves. The iron bars dented but didn’t break. Still, the monster relentlessly struck the cage again and again.
Suddenly, the monster reared back with a roar. An arrow pierced its neck, and Teryn saw another had already gouged its eye. A figure emerged from the trees, bow raised, arrow nocked. The girl from the stream shot the monster again, blinding its other eye. The creature roared and wailed, trampling the lifeless bodies strewn about camp as it tried to shake the arrows free. The woman shot it again, directly between the eyes. Teryn expected the monster to falter, to slow, but it didn’t. Instead, it tore away from its attacker, crashing against tree trunks as it fled into the night.
Teryn’s chest heaved as he struggled to catch his breath. His body trembled from head to toe. Something brushed against his temple. Berol. She nipped at him as if to test that he was unharmed. “I’m fine,” he muttered, voice strained. He wasn’t sure when the falcon had landed on his shoulder. He’d been too distracted by the monster.
His eyes drifted to Helios’ maimed body, the blood all around him, the battered earth left in the monster’s wake. Movement drew his gaze, reminding him the threat wasn’t over.
The woman stormed over to him, an arrow aimed at his heart. “Why aren’t you dead?”
24
Cora tried to keep her bow steady as she confronted the prince, but her body was racked with tremors. It had been one thing to watch her carefully laid plans end in a bloodbath as Gringe, Hammond, and Sam turned on the prince and his friends. She’d waited in her tree for the fight to end, knowing she’d have to take down the victor. She hadn’t expected Teryn Alante to battle his friend over the fate of the unicorn, nor had she anticipated the Beast. As soon as it had threatened the unicorn, she had no choice but to act. Now it was gone, but she didn’t know for how long. Her arrows left it wounded. Would that be enough?
Teryn stared at her, his spear still clutched in his hand, forearm stained with blood beneath an open wound at his inner elbow. His falcon watched her with unblinking eyes, daring her to make a single move that would harm the bird’s master. Or was the prince—like Cora was to Valorre—the falcon’sfriend?
Teryn’s eyes narrowed. “You’re the one who poisoned the rum.”
“And you drank it. So why aren’t you dead?”
She expected terror from him. Or rage. Anything but the weary answer he gave. “I didn’t drink. It only touched my lips.” He gulped. “Will I die?”
