Out of the corner of my eye, I notice Nuadar keeping pace a few lengths behind me and trying to stay out of sight. I grin. Good, at least I won’t get lost or stumble somewhere I’m not supposed to be.
After walking down a narrow path, I notice a much larger, fully enclosed paddock that stands on its own near the forest behind it. I feel an odd pulse of magic, which makes me slow with curiosity—and then a massive howl pierces the air. Chain links rattle and then snap as another guttural, inhuman roar nearly makes me leap out of my skin. I rear back at the sound of something huge trying to escape its cage and crashing over and over into the gates of the paddock enclosure.
“What’s in there?” I shout to the gamekeeper lurking behind me. My heart is in my throat as we both watch the reinforced gates nearly buckle beneath the force of whatever’s attacking it.
Nuadar, usually so dour, has anawfullook on his face as he beckons me toward him. “Nothing to concern you. Quickly. He’s probably scented you already.”
“What has scented me?” I whisper, as the banging grows more frenzied.
But before either of us can move, the gates buckle, one flying off its hinges, and the biggest beast I’ve ever seen prowls toward us. Towardme.
The air punches from my lungs, blood draining from my body in a rush and leaving me in a shivering, utterly useless heap. I am frozen in terror, unable to draw a single breath.Gods,whatisthat? A lion? But then my eyes see wings and a bulb-tipped tail that looks like it belongs to a scorpion. My brain stutters as I realize what it is with a strangled, petrified gasp:manticore.
A man-eater.
The monstrous beast sets me in its voracious, glowing golden sights as my legs soften to the consistency of jelly, and my trapped magic is crashing through me, trying to handle the flight-or-fight response taking over.
Stay calm, stay calm, stay calm.
Nearly the size of a warhorse but far more muscular, the creature has a wild golden mane, a lion’s face, and fangs as long as my forearms. Ropy muscles shift and contract beneath sleek reddish-gold fur with every soundless step it takes. It could be right behind me and I wouldn’t even hear it. My eyes return to the pair of gold-veined scarlet wings flaring out over its back, then move down to the wicked talons of its feet, which tap the ground with ominous clicks. What’s most mesmerizing is the scorpion’s tail flicking warningly over its hindquarters.
If my heart wasn’t trying to dive out of my body, I’d be fascinated by how chillingly beautiful the creature is.
A beautiful monster.
One that looks like it wants you for dinner.
“Nuadar? What happens now?” I whisper over my shoulder, where the gamekeeper is standing utterly still with petrified eyes. Fuck, this is bad.
“Whatever you do, donotrun, my lady.”
The formal address makes me panic. He was grumpy before, which means I’m definitely about to die. Without magic, no amount of training will save me from this thing.
It roars again, and I swear I can smell death on its breath. Fuck this. I’m not standing here like some kind of sacrificial offering.
Ignoring Nuadar’s frenzied shout, I turn and bolt.
Chapter Twenty
Running into a wide-open forest I have no familiarity with is a disastrous idea, but going back inside where other injured animals are being kept isn’t an option, either. I thank the stars that my body is in better shape than it has been from my grueling physical training with Maxur. I have no doubts that I am absolutely incapable of outrunning a manticore, but with luck, I can at least climb a tree.
It has wings, you fool.
Hide, then.
My toe catches on a root and I flail wildly, finally losing my balance and falling hard to the ground. As I scramble to my feet, I smell the blood from my scraped-open palms and stinging knees. I wince but push myself forward—my magic will heal the wounds eventually.
I hear the beast crashing through the foliage behind me, and I put on a burst of speed. I have no idea where I’m going. The canopy is thick and dense, and the smell of moist earth and decomposing vegetation is pungent. I can barely get air into my lungs, my gasps ringing too loud in my ears.
In my wake, a huge crash echoes through the undergrowth, and the new sound oftwocreatures roaring nearly makes me stumble.
Good, if something else distracts the manticore, that’s better odds for my survival. Well, except if thatsomething elsedecides to come for me...
Frantic, I look for somewhere to hide. Just ahead in the distance, I spot what looks like the gnarled roots of a tree with a small gap that I can squeeze through. Relief is sweet, but much too long in coming. I’m nearly there when a darkness devours every bit of light around me, and I nearly scream in horror, only to recognize Indira’s red scales at the very last second.
She lands in front of me, making the ground tremble.
“There’s a thing,” I babble, pointing over my shoulder. “A monster. Is Raz with you?”
