Page 24 of Veil of Blood and Bone

Audra and I were already doomed. Life needed to make extra sure of it, apparently. “You saved me.”

The bastard stares at me, still clutching his ax. “No, woman. You did. I just decapitated it.”

This isn’t real. I need something strong to anchor me. If I had enough energy to get to the collapsed tent where the adults wore their wrists to show they were old enough to get shitfaced, I would.

Get it together.

But how the fuck did I get it together in the first place? Where did I find the strength to do what I did? This is a far cry from any of the racked blue mats at a gym or a YMCA, with an instructor yelling pause to correct your form.

Or fighting up against any of the fake dummies.

I heave myself up to better posture and swallow down a groan.

“Helene?”

Blood leaches from my face, and my vision flickers black and white. “Audra? Shit. What are you doing here? I told you to run.”

The words string together right and hold firm. “You could have gotten crushed.”

“But I didn’t. I wasn’t going to leave you no matter what you said.”

She is not supposed to be here.

Numbness washes through me, and my focus slips off the pools of greenish blood soaking into the ground to Audra leaving twin tire marks in her wake.

My laboring heart manages to get me close to her. Fuck, she’s taking it much better than I am.

Her gaze snags on the creature and I can’t remember the steps that brought us here.

“Please tell me it’s not getting up again,” Audra asks, as calmly as asking what flavors of ice cream are on a menu.

I’m a panicky mess, rushing toward her on uncooperative legs with a stomach prepared to toss up every bite of meatball.

“Death spasm,” the Viking explains. “One last jolt of electricity. It will settle. Then begins the process of decay.”

“What is this thing? How do you know—” I pinch my nose, squeezing my eyes shut.

Please. Please let this not be real. Maybe I’ve got a stomach bug or a fever and this is all a bit of a hallucination.

But when I open my eyes, nope. A headless beast and Audra craning her head to get a better look.

“Thank you.”

That’s what people say when someone steps in to make sure your ass stays in one piece. Right?

I try again. “Thank you for decapitating it.”

Nope, repeating it doesn’t make it real, either. Although the thing kinda deserved some decapitation after what it did.

“I accept your thanks. You fought as bravely as I did.”

Is he…laughing again?

Get Audra and run.

My body still refuses to listen. Muscles can’t contract properly anymore, and my mind…fuck. It’s shutting down, the rings of black across my vision are slowly tightening, darkening everything.

I rock back onto my heels and twist my wrists until something pops. Don’t puke, Helene.