“If I let you go, there’s another one of those things out there and it will eat you. You’re covered in its mate’s blood, making it easy for it to track you.”
She glances at my arms, and her legs and clothing and shakes her head. “That’s not blood it’s the wrong color.”
I sigh. We don’t have time for this. Other people might come up the path, and then I have no doubt that she’ll scream for help. Other people will make killing the ceffylant before it does any more damage that much harder. This is turning into a mess. “It’s not human blood.”
She rubs at a splat on her hand. “It’s dust, not blood. You covered me in dust and now…and now you’re kidnapping me?”
She’s not even convinced by her own very flawed logic.
I know we aren’t supposed to talk about monsters and fae, but I really don’t have many other options aside from leaving her to die, and I can’t do that. I can’t help but feel our paths were meant to cross today. But the remaining ceffylant is lurking and I need to find somewhere less exposed and where more humans aren’t likely to catch me in the act of hunting and killing.
These days people are afraid of men carrying swords—I have no idea why, given that for hundreds of years it was commonplace. I have seen too many changes. Once, humans used to accept that monsters are real. Now unless they can see it, sample it, and explain it, it doesn’t exist. I’ve been doing this too long, but I’m not ready to claim a woman and go home.
I lift my gaze to the sky and bite back on the building frustration. “It’s monster blood.”
She titters, high pitched and nervous. “Monster? Really?”
As predicted, she doesn’t believe me. I haul her to her feet. Humans would do well to remember there is more than just them, and some things are much bigger and badder and will bite first. “Yes. I hunt monsters. And we need to leave. Now.”
I drag her toward the tree line on the other side of the path, we’ll be able to move up hill toward the rocky outcrop which will guard out backs.
She struggles, sinking her weight and digging her heels in. “I’m not going anywhere with you.”
Her voice is getting louder. How many other humans are running and walking these paths, hearing her cries, and calling the cops? The thrill of the hunt leaves my blood. This is no longer fun and is rapidly becoming life threatening.
The ceffylant is close and I need two hands to fight. I release her and she lands on her ass again. I draw my sword. They move too fast to shoot at, but if I act as prey then it’s possible to shove the blade down their throat or take their head off.
“What are you doing?”
“Saving our lives.”
She glances around wildly, but she can’t see what I can. The ceffylant is what would happen if a horse and an ant got together and had a baby that was the size of an SUV. I hear the clicking of the mandibles before I spot it scuttling through the trees. It picks up pace when it sees us.
Looks like she’s playing the role of bait again.
I lift my sword, readying for the attack. “Stay very still.”
