Page 38 of A Kingdom so Crimson

A growl lashed out to my side, exposing a leathery black feline animal with talons and teeth like daggers, already dripping with blood. My stomach heaved, ready to expose tonight's dinner.

I stepped back, quickly looking in my peripheral vision, only to see another one pounce out behind me. I slowly stood back up, hoping to look taller than I was.

Their jet-black bodies contrasted sharply with their milky-white eyes, suggesting blindness. Despite their stature, standing just below my shoulders, they crept with a vengeful determination on their six powerful legs—six, not four. My swallow stopped in my throat.

"Tyran," I swore under my breath.

Why would thesethingsbe so close to the town? I stopped my thoughts as a fearful spark ignited, making my mouth dry. Within an instant, two more jumped out, all four circling me like a hawk narrowing in on its prey.

Inhale.

Before thinking longer, I cried out, slashing my dagger and cutting one right in the eye before it pounced on me. Its weight crushing me as its talons tore through my flesh. I screamed out in pain, frantically slicing my dagger into anything it came in contact with.

A sticky warmth pooled on my chest, sending me into a frenzy of emotions as my arm burned in pain. I quickly saw the others stalking back and forth, watching.

My dagger made contact, as did its claws, sending us both roaring in pain. The fire within me erupted, slicing through my darkness like sharp nails. It clawed at me relentlessly until all I felt was a fiery burn.

I screamed, allowing the pain, the warmth, and the flames to consume me until I felt like stardust. Abruptly, a bright lightflashed, momentarily blinding me as a weight lifted from my chest and my fingertips burned with searing pain that was bitter cold.

My eyes snapped open to see the creatures scattered several feet away, two of them unconscious as more began to creep out of the forest line.

I went to wipe away the sticky blood coating my eyes before one caught me by the boot, dragging me towards the forest as another clamped down on my left arm. Pain engulfed me, blurring my vision as I kicked and screamed with every fiber of my being.

A frenzied fear consumed me as I slashed away, one strike after another. A deafening screech reverberated through the thicket as the creature faltered at the noise.

I wiped my eyes in time to see an arrow lodge deep into the animal's throat above me, coiling and spewing black blood onto my chest. Another arrow whizzed past, lodging into the animals on my right and left, then to the one dragging me by foot.

Some scattered away, yelping, but were only replaced by more of them. I stumbled to my feet, feeling blood running down the entirety of my being. I looked for the archer as more arrows buzzed past, lodging deep into each animal, ready to pounce. I felt weak, unable to defend myself with the small dagger that wanted to slip from the warm blood in my hand.

A tall figure emerged from the thicket of trees, swiftly releasing arrows with lethal grace. His dark brown cloak billowed at his side, the hood casting shadows over his face. The air resonated with the twang of his bowstring and the agonized cries of the beasts as they fell, one by one. With the tip of his bow, he sliced through the creatures as though they were mere butter, scattering them away until only their echoing cries were heard in the distance.

I swallowed hard as I clutched my bloodied arm, noticing he also took a deep, steadying breath. As fast as it happened, it had ended.

Awkwardly, I stood, feeling my dagger threaten to slip from my grasp. I glanced down to see my coat torn into pieces, revealing tattered remnants of my shirt beneath with a sizable gash running down my leg and pooling blood into my boots. My satchel was nowhere to be seen.

I blinked away stars, struggling to regulate my breathing and stand upright with the engulfing pain threatening to overtake me in my leg and arm.

The man seized my bloodied arm, wrenching me towards him.

"What were you thinking?!" His voice carried a roar of rage as I tried to yank my arm back in pain, but his grip was unyielding; his figure dominated over me as he examined my shaking arm. "You could have been killed!"

He bared his teeth, releasing my arm with a forceful shove, and muttered curses under his breath. He pulled back his hood and palmed his eyes as anger and loathing radiated off of him.

Stepping back, I hissed as a surge of pain splintered up my leg. His head snapped in my direction, worried about my hiss as I stood dumbstruck by his beauty. His eyes were amber, gleaming like molten gold, outshining even Calum's gentle light-golden brown gaze. They held a vibrancy, an intensity that seemed to pulse with life, drawing me in with an irresistible temptation.

Some of his shoulder-length hair was pulled back, revealing his straight and stubbled jawline and muscular neck. He stood a few feet taller than me and felt…familiar. I took another step back, forgetting my leg, and stumbled back.

He was at my side in an instant, grabbing my arm firmly. "Can you walk?" he hissed, his voice urgent.

I tried to yank my arm away, but the sudden movement made my head spin and my vision blur. "I didn't…need saving," Igasped, struggling to clear the haze of dizziness and feeling a flush of embarrassment creep across my cheeks.

Awkwardly, I began shuffling back toward Levon's estate, keenly aware of how ridiculous I must have looked. I hoped he would disappear into the trees as quickly as he had appeared.

Behind me, I heard a frustrated grunt as I wobbled. The pain in my leg and arm threatened to overwhelm me as I forced myself to keep walking. When I glanced back, I saw him striding after me, his bow slung around his chest. I stopped abruptly. "Istilldon't need saving.You can leave," I snapped.

He continued forward, stopping right in front of me. Without a word, he thrust a small jar that looked like salve into my hand. "I think you do," he growled, then swept me up into his arms, his clothes becoming stained with mine and the creature's blood. He walked forward, leaving me seething with a mix of rage and humiliation.

15

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