Page 52 of Wraithwound

Nothing. Everything.

“Have you ever met someone who turned but maintained control over themselves?” she asked.

“What makes you think you’ve completed the turn?” His question was cautious, careful. Almost gentle. In that moment, it was hard to think the mission he’d sworn himself to was killing wraiths who had once been human, like her.

She gave him an incredulous look, gesturing to all of herself as if to remind him of the complete transformation she’d undergone right in front of him. But when he didn’t reply, she said, “I just know.”

“No,” he said, finally answering her question. He returned to his work sorting through glass vials. “Why do you think you’ve managed to maintain control?”

How much longer would it be before Henry’s strength gave out, and they were both lost to the monster inside her?

“I have a working theory, but if I’m right, I don’t have much time left. I’m going to The Whispers come first light,” she said, determination taking root as she spoke the words out loud.

“The Whispers? What is it that you think you’ll find there?” he asked, frowning as he held up an empty vial.

“Answers, I hope.”

“We leave at first light then,” he said simply.

Lena stared at him. Sensing her gaze, he looked up. There was nothing but truth in those brilliant blue eyes.

“Why?” she asked.

“I’ve already told you. I am dutybound to repay the debt I owe you, and until then, I cannot return to my previous task, so I will accompany you on yours,” he said, as if it’d already been settled.

She didn’t necessarily want a soulbound soldier accompanying her to The Whispers, especially if the rumors were true. If it was a safe place for those who’d been infected, she’d be leading him there. She wasn’t keen on traveling with someone who misunderstood her either, who spoke to her so bluntly. But even she could admit he hadn’t been wrong. Did she really care what he thought? He didn’t know her.

On the other hand, if the other rumors about The Whispers happened to be true and it was in fact a cursed land full of evil spirits, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to have him accompany her. It would be nice to have a companion in her travels, yes, but more importantly, he’d be able to ensure that she didn’t harm anyone else if she lost control . . . or if Henry’s strength gave out.

“You can come with me on one condition . . . Make sure I don’t harm anyone else,” she said.

He nodded. “I can do that, but I’d be able to do it more effectively if we made a stop before heading to The Whispers.” Before Lena could protest, he added, “It’ll be quick, but I have to replace the potions I’ve used.”

Lena thought back to the eruptions of power that’d come from within the OverGrown Forest and caused her to flee into the fallen city. That’d been him; she was sure of it. Had he been on his way to her village before getting attacked by the beast? Lena shivered at the thought, an eerie sense of strings being woven together lingered in her mind. It was enough to get her to agree.

“All right,” she said.

Lena marveled at the dancing streaks of light illuminating the night sky. Things had been quiet, and she’d been able to get several hours of uninterrupted sleep while Cross took first watch. She’d been surprised to wake refreshed, although it might have had something to do with the fact that she was safe and not alone. Despite the warning she’d given him about the precarious situation regarding the wraith, he hadn’t attached the shackle to her ankle.

Cross had fallen asleep on his bedroll but not before issuing her a warning as well. He’d told her what tree stalkers sounded like when they vacated the trees they pretended to be a part of during daylight hours, and he assured her they wouldn’t have to worry about scales, as they preferred to crush their prey in the fields. Finally, he told her not to leave their camp, no matter what she heard past the glow of the firelight.

It was this warning that hounded her as she crept into the shadows past the light of the fire. Lena had heard a familiar chittering noise and couldn’t risk missing the eleuth, especially after Henry’s message. Cross’s horse snorted in protest like he was scolding her as she stepped into the shadows. She could have sworn the night-dark beast rolled his eyes at her too, but she couldn’t be sure.

Her eyes compensated for the lack of light almost immediately, and she was grateful for it. Placing her hand upon the rough bark of a tree to help gain stable footing, she adjusted the placement of her ankle on the slant of rock she balanced on, listening intently to gain a sense of direction for where the creature might be. A chittering noise came from a tree behind her, followed by an identical chittering noise that seemed to come from a tree farther ahead. Large boulders and shrubs protruded from the ground otherwise covered in pine needles, and she wondered whether the terrain was distorting the sound. Lena’s skin began to prickle at her shoulder, as she chanced a few more paces into the darkness.

Foolish. So foolish.

The chittering was closer now, but when she heard it again, it seemed further. The hair rose on the back of her neck, and a cold sweat began to form on her brow. It was luring her deeper into the grove of trees. Lena stopped, deciding to turn back. She’d made foolish choices in the past, but her senses were screaming at her that none of this was right. She turned to head back towards the camp when she realized she could no longer see the glow of the fire.

No. No. No.

Lena strained to hear the crackle of the logs being consumed by the fire or the huffs and snorts of the horse’s I-told-you-so, but only heavy silence greeted her. She thought about calling out for Cross, but something in her gut told her that might be the last sound she ever made. Rustling in the trees above made her blood run cold, and just as she was about to bolt, orange eyes appeared on a low branch across the way.

They disappeared just as quickly as they’d appeared. Lena narrowed her eyes, willing them to focus, to take in the intricacies of the darkness she peered through, and there perched on a low branch was the eleuth. Its eyes were now wholly black, razor-sharp teeth exposed in a silent snarl, black claws protruding from its small hands. She hesitated as she took in the transformation, but where she had expected to feel fear, she felt only a slight pull toward the creature.

The eleuth looked up into the trees, scanning the dense pines. Then, it did the strangest thing. It tossed its head in a gesture that Lena took to mean come this way. So, she did. Making sure to use the pine needles covering the ground to muffle her footsteps, she made her way over to the eleuth. As she got closer, she decided it was a truly terrifying creature, at least in this form, but still, she did not feel afraid. The eleuth raised its stripped, furry tail, slowly lifting it to her face before pushing her chin up with it. The animal used its tail to angle Lena’s face upward and slightly to the side. She didn’t have time to consider the amount of intelligence the creature displayed as her eyes focused in on the area it was directing her towards.

After what felt like an age, Lena’s eyes adjusted further. There, suspended on a branch high up in the towering pine, was a creature Lena could only describe as a horned demon. It was the size of a large bird, but this one had multiple sets of leathery wings and grey flesh that appeared to be rotting. Two large, curved horns sat upon its head above milky white eyes. Beneath that, four fangs protruded from its lipless mouth. As if sensing that Lena had spotted the horned creature in that tree, the eleuth proceeded to turn her head to three more spots in the surrounding trees.