And now I’ve got goo on my bare feet.Ew.
Two armored warriors sprint through the trees, raining arrows on the Deviants. The sharp crack of a spiked whip rattles the ground beneath me as it snakes around two Deviants, digs into their flesh, and flings them across like ragdolls.
I brace for the next arrow to come for my head, but strangely, not a single weapon is aimed at me. The two newcomers are entirely focused on the brainless puppets.
Is this a trick? Maybe Visha has come up with a new twisted punishment for me.
I step back into the shadows, hiding until I know more about this new threat.
One warrior twirls his twin whips until they stir up a storm.A fucking storm.What started as a rush of wind explodes into a snarling black tornado threaded with violet lightning.
What the fuck is happening?!
I’ve taken countless blows to the head over the years, so I usually blame everything weird I see on my brain damage. And this could’ve been another‘I’m hallucinating because my brain is broken’moment if the goo sticking to my feet and blood dripping down my back weren’t disgustingly real.
The ground is tainted with Deviant remains now, making it clear these strangers aren’t on the coven’s side, but they can’t be on mine either.
Two giant tornadoes spin in tight, furious circles, fast enough to make me dizzy, and sweep up the remaining Deviants before throwing them far away.
Then something strange happens… the Deviants start barfing up their black, gooey organs.
Wait… how? No, it can’t be…
There’s no way I’m creative enough to hallucinate Deviants coughing up chunks of their rotten lungs before melting into a puddle of bloody soup.
I think I’m going to be sick.
Whips. Arrows. Storms out of thin air. The only people I know with that kind of power aren’t supposed to be strolling through these Coven grounds.
Visha destroyed the Horsemen years ago, right?
More Deviants collapse with arrows buried in their necks before the wind carries them away.
The Horseman of Famine?
Something is not right here. Not everyone with a bow and arrow and twin whips is a Horseman. Arrows can be misleading, and whips could be replicated. For all I know, this is another one of Visha’s mind games.
I would’ve known who orwhatthey were instantly if my Divine wasn’t dwindling to nothing.
The two warriors, probably male judging by their builds, finish off the last Deviant guard and start scouring the shadows for more.
I could tell them I already took care of the rest, but I’d rather stand back and watch out for their next move.
Taking advantage of their distraction, I drag my spear forward in silence. Good thing they handled the Deviants for me. Now I have enough strength to defend myself if they try to ambush me.
“Nevaeh?”
My head snaps toward the man carefully approaching me like I’m a wild animal.Good.He should be scared shitless because if he touches me or my kid, I’ll eat them alive.
I step back, feeling his eyes on me, but my throbbing knee humbles me right away. I bite my tongue, tasting copper to keep myself from stumbling back from the pain.
I think the man asks me something, but the high-pitched ringing in my head drowns out everything. Wearing a mask of indifference, I cautiously lower myself to the ground without taking my eyes or spear off the two men.
It feels an awful lot like I’m submitting to them, and it bruises my ego more than my ribs. But then the thought of face-planting in front of them comes to mind. I’d rather lookmeek than take that mortifying fall.
I hate that I don’t look as terrifying as I want to, but for their sake, I hope they don’t test me. I don’t want more blood on my hands, weighing on my gentle soul.
Ha.I’d happily carve them to pieces if they so much as looked at my boy wrong.
