“That axe is pure iron. Where would Savine find such a thing?” Rue asked.
Avery had no idea as she held tight to the dagger in her left hand and reached for the axe near the door with her right. It was long and slender, double-sided, just like the Pulaski she used on the trail. Avery lifted the axe and felt its weight in her hands. It felt right, fitting even, but she still wasn’t sure if she was capable of using it in a battle.
As Avery stepped outside the tent, she saw that a full moon illuminated the dark sky. and occasional lightning strikes burst above the mountainside. But what stole her breath were the arrows flying and a pack of enormous wolves barreling down on them from the surrounding woods.
There was nothing normal about the wolves racing toward the encampment. They were as large as ponies, with fangs the size of Avery’s hand. She screamed as one looked at her with amber eyes and rushed toward the tent. Rue stepped in front of her, and she made quick work of the first wolf, grunting with effort as she pierced her sword into the wolf’s side.
To her horror, Avery saw two more wolves move to attack. One wolf was on her in an instant. Claws tore through her clothes, and Avery knew this was going to be her end. Suddenly, the wolf on top of her went still, flopping on top of her. Avery gasped for air, but felt unharmed. Garnel’s face looked down at Avery, blood gleaming on his sword. He lifted the wolf up off Avery like it was light as a puppy as he tossed the carcass to the ground.
“Get up! Quickly!” he shouted. Garnel reached his hands down to support Avery. She grabbed onto his hands, and he pulled her up.
She felt light as a feather as Garnel pulled her up to her feet.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“I think so. What are you doing here? I thought you were fighting farther away.”
“The initial attack was just a distraction. We’re overrun with—”
Before Garnel finished his words, the whirr of arrows came whistling through the air. Avery covered her head again. Why did she keep doing that? Her hands would not keep an arrow from spearing through her.
Garnel’s body slammed against Avery, and they both fell to the ground. It was like being hit by a small car.
Hot, red blood streamed down onto her as she lay trapped under Garnel.
“Garnel!” she shouted, but he didn’t respond. Avery pulled herself out from under his body.
“Rue! Help me!” Avery shouted. Rue was beside her in an instant, covered in blood from the wolves she’d slayed.
“The general!” Rue yelled out as she helped Avery roll Garnel onto his back.
The enemy had shot him through his stomach with a black-coated arrow. Avery tried to stifle the panic in her chest, but she let out a desperate scream. The continued sounds of combat were all around her. If she was going to survive this, she had to calm down. She had to keep her panic at bay and help save Kyla’s mate.
Chapter twenty-three
Avery
“Cover me, Rue!” Avery said as she assessed Garnel’s injury.
Rue nodded and stood, ready to take on any attackers.
He’d risked his life to get that wolf off her, and he may be dead at this moment. She felt for a pulse and found it was already so shallow. His breathing sounded ragged, but he wasn’t dead yet. The wound looked terrible. Already, black ooze was spreading.
Avery needed medical supplies if she had a chance at saving Garnel. She stood and ran to the tent where her first aid kit sat in her backpack.
“The arrow isn’t iron, but the wound is grave,” Rue replied as Avery made it back to Garnel.
She took off her backpack and pulled out her small first aid kit. She grabbed the gauze and tried to staunch the bleeding by wrapping the gauze around the arrow. The black ooze on the arrow smelled of wet leaves and dirty water.
Garnel’s breathing became more shallow as the wound continued to bleed. “Don’t die on me!” Avery said.
His breathing stopped, and Avery couldn’t find any sort of pulse. The only thing she could do was give Garnel CPR and hope that she could get him breathing again. As she breathed into Garnel’s mouth, she kept her eyes closed tight, counting breaths and concentrating onGarnel’s life. “Breathe! Just breathe!” she whispered as she administered chest compressions, avoiding the arrow in his gut. “Come back, Garnel. Don’t leave us,” Avery said.
As she spoke the words, a light began running down Avery’s arms and into Garnel’s chest. She gave him two more chest compressions as light streamed into his chest. She felt her skin tingle as power streamed through somewhere deep within her, somewhere primal and raw. Was this Garnel’s essence saving him, or was she somehow doing this?
Garnel gasped for breath and tried to sit up. “Lay down, Garnel. You have been shot by an arrow. I just gave you CPR. Just keep breathing. Help will be here soon.”
Garnel looked at her with pain-stricken eyes. He opened his mouth to speak, but only the wheezing of his breath came out. “Rest. I’ve applied gauze to the wound, and we’ll get it out soon. It’s coated in a sticky black substance, and I’m afraid to remove it on my own without causing you more damage.” As she mentioned the black coating, Garnel’s eyes widened with fear. “I’ll stay with you. I’m here.” Avery took his hand and held it. It was cold as ice, and Garnel continued to look at her with terror in his eyes.
