I scream, my back bowing forward. I fall and twist just in time to land on my back, right where the walker just cut me open. I push down the pain and lift my legs just in time to kick out at its knees as it nears.
I hear a sickening crack, its bones snapping like mouldy twigs. Weak and hollow. It drops to a knee, and I take this moment to rip up my pant leg, ignoring the stitching I hear tear open, and unsheathe my dagger. Once it’s in my hand, I leap to my feet and attack. My dagger slashes at its arms, its back and finally, its neck.
I leap behind it, hold its rancid -smelling hair in my fist and slice the blade across the front of its throat. It collapses to the ground as thickblack blood oozes from the wound, staining the forest floor. I stand there, panting heavily, my back screaming in agony and tears pricking my eyes, because even though its sole reasoning for being here was to kill me, it’s the first life I’ve taken. And that isn’t lost on me.
THIRTY-SIX
Istare at the shadow walker for a long moment, before I slowly bend down, wincing as the skin stretches around my wounds. I use my dagger to slice through the leather cord holding the shard of malachite around its neck and tug the bloodied stone free, wiping the black liquid off on my thigh before shoving it into my pocket. It’s like the one Lillian gave me that’s stuffed in my other pocket, but this one’s larger and rougher. Not yet refined and shaped.
I’m limping as I make my way back through the forest, toward where Nicks will be waiting, feeling exhausted and betrayed. It takes me a long time to get back, but not far from the treeline I hear a pained groan off to my right.
I stop and look around. I’m not ready to face another one of these fucking things, but it’s not a shadow walker. It’s Marcus … and he’s hurt. Gravely. He’s slumped against a tree, his head hanging forward, dark hair damp with sweat and his entire left arm is coated in blood.Hisblood, I realise.
He cradles a shredded arm in his lap, one that looks like a walker has raked its claws through it more than once. It’s horrifying to say the least.
A flood of rage boils up inside me upon seeing him. He left me. He helped Moira take my sword and if I didn’t have a dagger hidden beneath my clothes, I would have died. There’s no way I could have beat that thing back there.
My boots crunch on dried leaves. Marcus’s head snaps up, his eyes blowing wide with fear as if whatever hurt him has come back to finish the job. When he realises it’s me, his mouth opens and his face pales. As if I’m worse than what he pictured.
‘N-octhare.’ He breathes heavily. ‘How did you—’
‘How did I get away when you stole my weapon?’ I cock my head to the side; my words are cold and bitter.
‘It was Moira’s i-idea,’ he stutters, wincing as if talking pains him. Good. I hope it does. ‘S-she told …’
‘I don’t care what she told you,’ I snap. Stalking toward him. I spot his sword in a bush nearby and stoop to snatch it up. Then I walk back to him and crouch right between his spread legs. I raise the sword and point it at his throat, pressing lightly into his skin, right where I sliced open the shadow walker.
‘You are a coward, Marcus Long. You are a rat, and I should leave you here to bleed out and die. That’s what you deserve.’
His throat bobs and I can tell by the amount of sweat pooling at his temples that he’s afraid. He should be. I could end him right here. It would be quick, somewhat painless. I could put him out of his misery.
‘P-please,’ he begs. Tears fill his eyes.
My hands start to shake, I’m so angry that I want to scream. Icouldkill him, but then I’d be just like him, just like Moira and Harley and whoever tried to poison me.
But I’m not, and fuck, if that makes me stupid, then so be it.
‘I won’t kill you, Marcus,’ I say coldly. ‘I want you to see their faces when they realise how much of a little bitch you are, that you felt so threatened by the only non-magic student here, you had to sabotage me.’
I said I wasn’t like them, but that doesn’t mean I’m not angry.
His eyes widen as I toss his sword to the ground, kick it away and haul him to his feet. He screams in protest, and Stars, he’s heavier than I thought he would be as he falls into me. He wraps his good arm over my shoulder and takes slow, jolting steps forward. Blood drips onto theforest floor beneath us the entire walk. His skin grows clammy and cold from the blood loss.
The second we breach the tree line, I spot several students standing with Nicks and the combat leaders. Their eyes widen when they notice us. I drop Marcus to the ground in a heavy thump, rolling my eyes as he cries out in pain. Jed and another combat leader rush forward to check on him, asking me what happened.
‘Ask him yourself,’ I snap, spotting Moira standing beside Cillian with a nasty smirk on her face. My blood boils.
I ignore the look I’m getting from Sebastian and charge in her direction. Her mouth opens as I close the distance between us. My fist goes flying into Moira’s face, effectively cutting off whatever bullshit she was about to spew my way. My knuckles crunch on cartilage, and oh, it’s a wonderful sound. She drops to her knees instantly, clutching her nose with both hands.
‘Nocthare!’ Nicks shouts, jogging over.
‘If you ever come near me again, Davis, I’ll cave your nose in so bad you’ll be able to smell your fucking brain!’
Nicks yanks me by the arm, whirling me around. Sebastian comes storming up beside him, his eyes wide with fury.
‘What the hell happened?’ he demands.
I wince in pain as my back strains but tell them what Moira and Marcus did. The look on Sebastian’s face as he glares down at Moira would make a grown man piss himself.
