All the hair on my body stood on end when an unearthly growl came from the bag, and whatever was inside wriggled, straining against the knot.
In a rush of motion, Nelle snatched it up and bolted to the balcony.
Holy hells!
Adrenaline kicked into overdrive, pumping through my veins. I surged forward, alarm gouging at my gut.
Down below was an ocean of black, an army of staff and soldiers clad in armor, their hair tied back in knots. A swelling noise, like breakers pounding a rocky shore, as they moved through their drills with relentless precision. Amidst the sounds of grunts and swift footwork, theclackof quarterstaffs came from the training pit where Caidan and Jett were overseeingsparring sessions. Up in the courtyard, Kenton stood behind Penn to correct her form with the blunt-edged sword, while the Weapons Master called out a series of movements for the group to respond to. My sister bent like wheat in the wind as she spun with a flurry of sidekicks, the staff mirroring her movements beside her.
Nelle’s hair fluttered in the breeze as she rose on her toes to lean over the balcony railing. “Jett!”
My younger brother jerked around, lowering the end of his quarterstaff to the sand. He held a hand over his eyes, frowning and looking up. His lips parted as if he were about to shout something, but Nelle didn’t give him a chance. Whatever was in the bag struggled against the canvas, and it looked as if it was growing bigger. A tearing sound followed as talons ripped through the material.
Shit, shit,shit!
I lunged for the bag but was too late. Nelle hurled it over the balcony. “This is for you, asshole!”
The bag flew through the air and, as it descended into the training pit, the material exploded into shreds and whatever was inside erupted outward.
All I caught was a glimpse of a beast the size of Sage, with a fanged maw, curled tusks, and razored spines flaring outward like a porcupine before it twisted into movement so fast I could barely see it.
It moved like a ferocious tornado, touching down in the training pit, striking out with lethal claws, before disappearing so swiftly it caused sand to billow upward in a gigantic dust storm that hid everyone from view.
There were screams and shrieks—
Sounds of striking quarterstaffs—
An enraged, beastly roar.
“What the hells is that?” I bellowed, jabbing my finger at the pandemonium below.
Nelle leaned an elbow casually on the stone railing as she briefly peeked down below before returning her gaze to mine and blinking innocently. “It’s a brunnie.”
I raked a hand through my hair, tugging fiercely, before flinging my hand outward. “That’s not a brunnie!” Brunnie’s were harmless otherworldly creatures. Tiny and cute and shy. They spent most of their time in the undergrowth hunting grubs and raising their young in burrows beneath the trees.
“I changed its life cycle into somethingelse,” Nelle replied.
My teeth gritted together. “Define:else.”
She hitched a shoulder and spoke in her favorite go-toduhvoice. “It’s still a brunnie, Crowther, just more of a predator than a cute little critter. Bigger and meaner. And pretty bloodthirsty right now because it’s starving. It’ll stop after it takes a chunk out of someone and fills its belly with their bones,unless…”
“Unless?”
“It takes a liking to them and lays claim instead.”
“Lay claim?”
“It’s a little like a skunk.”
A loud farting sound erupted through the air—POOOOOOOOOOOF!
My brows slowly rose as I stared at Nelle, and she stared back wide-eyed.
Below us came horrified choking sounds of revulsion and dry retching.
A plume of musty air filtered upward, and it stunk like a heap of rotting garbage left out in the baking sun.
Nelle cleared her throat. “It lays a claim by marking them with its scent.”
