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Then, his spine snapped straight, and he said one word that sent a chill skittering down Rymedur’s spine. ‘Run.’

Snarls ripped through the air, and eyes as red as rubies glared at them through the thick mist. That was all the confirmation Rymedur needed before he snapped Areion’s reins, and they bolted deeper into the forest.

Branches grabbed at their clothes and hair as they dashed as fast as Areion could carry them. Rymedur did not look back, but he could no longer glimpse his companions. They must have raced off in a different direction, but Areion was fast. He bolted past trees, leapt over fallen, decaying trunks and barrelled through the forest at breakneck speed.

Rymedur could hear the pounding of paws against the forest ground.

They were gaining on them, and fast.

He had one arm wrapped around Areanel, who slipped in and out of consciousness. He wasn’t sure why she was not waking. Surely the jostling should have woken her, unless… she was in a worse condition than what he had originally thought.

Rymedur was hit with new determination; he needed to get her to a healer. Now!

They would survive this. They had to! He refused to let either of them die here, not when their children waited for them at home. He would do anything in his power to ensure both he and Areanel made it back. Their children would not be orphaned.

Because Rymedur knew that if he lost Areanel, there would be no coming back for him. If she went, so did he.

Areanel’s head lolled to one side against his chest, falling slightly, and as her eyes rolled back, her groans ceased.

Rymedur adjusted his grip with one hand and pulled her flush against him as he spurred Areion on. ‘Faster, Areion! Faster!’ He applied an inward pressure with his leg to signal to Areion to increase his speed.

Whatever was chasing them was on their heels; he needed to get out of the forest—or at least to higher ground. Rymedur could see a clearing up ahead; the beasts were herding them. He could just make out two figures flanking them. He made to turn, not wanting to walk into their trap, but before he could, something barrelled into them from the opposite side, knocking them off Areion.

Rymedur instinctively wrapped himself around Areanel to cushion her fall, and when they hit the ground, they rolled until Rymedur’s back hit the base of a tree. The fall knocked the breath out of him, but he was up in a flash, weapon in hand. He positioned himself between Areanel and the beasts that now stalked towards them.

The beasts seemed familiar, but Rymedur could not pinpoint where or when he’d seen them. Why had they attacked?

Hackles raised, the beasts pawed at the ground with cloven hooves. They were large, their coats as black as the night, and their eyes glowing red. Three bared their sharp fangs at Rymedur, ready to rip out his throat, and he slowly released his scythe, twirling it in his hand once before moving to block his wife from their line of sight.

Why hadn’t she woken?

No. Rymedur couldn’t risk distraction. He needed to focus so that they might both get out of this alive. The hungry look in the beasts’ eyes and their salivation told Rymedur they wanted to tear them both apart.

Commanding his shadows to peel away, some moved to Areanel’s unconscious form, and the others curled around him like snakes, ready to strike.

Rymedur swung at the beasts with his scythe. Every time they neared, he slashed at them in a wide arch, causing them to back away and reassess. With every cut, his scythe drank their blood, begging for more.

Areion reared back whinnying and kicked his hooves as a beast neared him, guarding Areanel’s right whilst Rymedur protected her from the left. Her breaths were ragged, chest stuttering with every breath. Whatever was happening to her didn’t seem natural at all.

Sprawled on the floor, Rymedur had positioned her back against the rough bark of a tree, but he knew he was running out of time. This fever wasn’t normal. It couldn’t be. He had never seen her in this condition. His shadows swirled around her in a protective bubble.

Was it the decay of the forest? Why wasn’t she moving?

His first mistake was glancing back to check on her, and not seeing her chest rise and fall as it should made him stagger. His concentration broke.

Then, he was hit on his side.

The shock of pain was like a lightning strike, and his breath was knocked out of him.

The beast’s scorpion-like tail whipped back and away, rotating in the air high above before lashing out again. Rymedur whirled, twisting his scythe in one hand, slashing as his anger rose by the minute.

Using his shadows, Rymedur managed to distract the beast. Sending his shadows out in waves, he blocked the unnatural creature’s sight. Then froze.

Rymedur looked into the ruby red eyes of the beast for a split second before his shadows obscured its gaze. It had been a dream, nothing more. Right? But the eyes that stared back with such malice were the same he had seen in sleep.

Blood red, hungry and wild.

Where were the others? Rymedur glanced into the trees, but the fog grew thick.