Grinning, I lift to my feet and dust myself off. Kenzie and I start walking again, and I’m still thinking about the large bruise I probably have on my ass, when Kenzie abruptly stops, standing deathly still.
“What is it?” I ask, frowning as the color drains from her face.
When she doesn’t immediately answer, I follow her gaze to the trees in front of us, and an icy sensation rolls through me. A short distance away, a mess of limbs and blood, and furred flesh is scattered amongst the trees. An arm hangs from a tree branch on our right, and torn clothing is speared on another branchclose by. Some of the limbs are distinctly human, and I guess they must be from some of the students who entered this jungle before us, but the orange furred, flesh looks startlingly familiar.
“Foxret,” I murmur under my breath, when I finally realize what it’s from.
Kenzie frowns, turning to me. “What are foxrets?”
Before I can answer, Ian’s laughter cuts through the trees, and there’s an abrasive wailing sound followed by screams and more laughter.
For a moment, Kenzie and I don’t move. We both stare at each other, contemplating what we should do next. The smart decision would probably be to head in a different direction, away from where Ian is, but a feminine voice cries out, and before I realize what I’m doing, I’m running toward the noise.
We pass more foxret remains as we move further into the forest, and it’s not long until we’re bursting into a small clearing. Ian’s group is there, along with a number of other students. They’re circling a strange creature that has a huge, spined frill behind its neck. Thick leathery skin covers the creature’s massive reptilian body, and it stands on four legs, with threecurved, red talons on each foot. Its muscular, spiked tail flicks back and forth, showing the creature’s agitation.
One of the students lets out a war cry, running toward the beast with his sword, and the creature’s long black tongue suddenly flicks out from its elongated snout, wrapping around the student and pulling them into its jaws. Its fangs sink into their flesh, killing the student instantly, then it tosses them into the trees. The corpse tangles in the vines and hangs there, blood spilling onto the ferns below.
Applause fills the air, and I look up, horrified to find the image before me is also being projected high into the air above us, the black and white images formed by the queen’s shadows.
“You found the nasken,”Raith whispers in my ear, and while it’s too hard to make out from here, I’m guessing the projection must show me in the image as well.“Remember what I told you earlier. Go for the spot behind its frill,”my mate tells me.
I’ve barely processed what he has said, when Ian shouts, rousing the other students. “Come on! It’s just one stupid creature!”
Ian shoots out his shadows, curling them around one of the creature’s feet, but the nasken whips its head around. He only just manages to dodge away from its tongue, but the sudden movement has Ian loosening his shadow binds, and the nasken easily frees itself.
I open my mouth, and I’m about to tell the others about the nasken’s weakness, when the creature turns its head, and it stares straight at me. The words die in my throat, and for a moment, I wonder if the creature is going to talk to me like the foxrets and nemins did.
Seconds pass, and while it doesn’t say anything, there’s a curious glint in the creature’s eyes as it peers at me. It takes a step in my direction, but before it can move closer, a student tries to take advantage of the distraction. They attack the nasken from behind, but the student’s sword glances off its thick skin, and the nasken whips its head around, clamping its jaws around the student’s torso. I wince as the nasken bites down, and the student lets out a gurgling, rasping sound that I’m sure I’ll replay in my nightmares.
“Behind it’s frill,” I rasp, my throat dry as I say the words. “There’s a weak spot.”
“How the fuck would you know that?” Ian snarls, dodging the nasken as it tosses its next victim and then snaps at him.
Unlike Ian, a few of the other students don’t question me. “You heard her!” one of the students barks at the others around him. “Target the area behind its frill.” They move in closer,forming a tight unit, and it’s not long until one of the students manages to drive their sword into the vulnerable flesh along its neck. Realizing I was right, Ian pushes the student out of the way, taking control of their sword, and pushing the blade in deeper.
The creature lets out a wailing noise as the weapon buries deep, and the nasken tosses Ian from its back. Its anguished cry cuts to my core, and I wince, my heart feeling heavy. Everything in me is telling me that this is wrong, even if the creature was trying to kill us. We’re supposed to be defending the realms, not killing the creatures within them, no matter what the queen enjoys for entertainment.
As the nasken jerks in pain, its legs buckle, and its darkening eyes focus on me.
“Sorry buddy,”I say as I move closer, the words slipping from my lips as my eyes blur with tears.“It sucks it ended like this for you.”It’s only when I notice Kenzie gaping at me, that I realize I’ve spoken in a series of strange clicking and growling noises.
“Careful, mate,”Thane warns me.“The queen is watching and being able to speak the language of a zenali is not a common power.”
I should probably listen to him, but I’m not going to let the nasken die alone.
The creature snorts, the air from its nostrils stirring the dirt before its face, and it tilts its head to the side, still staring at me.“You speak, mistress,”it growls.
“Yeah, it’s a whole thing,”I reply.“Not that it’ll help now. Did you have to kill so many people?”
The creature chuffs.“Is that not why I was put here? To shed blood?”
I shift uneasily.“Well yeah, I guess so, but if you’d just hidden in the jungle until dawn…”
The creature’s coarse laughter silences me.“I am not one to hide from prey.”
I plant my hands on my hips.“See, it’s thinking like that, which got you into this mess. Calling humans words like ‘prey’.”
The creature chuckles, its eyes starting to droop.“All are prey,”it mumbles.“Except you, mistress. I can sense you are…something else.”
