Page 42 of From Frost to Flame

“I’ll finish him, and then we’re getting out of here,” Castor said through gritted teeth.

Julian and Mora jumped into action. Mora’s electricity zapped one of the statues’ arms, blowing it to bits. Ink spilled from it like it was a living wound. Julian’s winds shoved it off Castor so he could get to his feet and tackle the stone creature.

Lex watched them fight for a second, then heard Silas's thunderous growl in the distance.

He turned and sprinted off into the bushes. He didn’t need the compass to guide him; the pull in his chest led him toward Silas and the roars of the beast.

The branches to his left rustled. He expected it to be the others on his tail. Instead, a stone sword shot from the dark and bashed him right on the spine, sending him tumbling forward. A shockwave of pain radiated through his body. His scream came out choked and rasped as he fought to catch his breath.

A harpy with feathered arms and a permanent snarl stomped toward him. The cracks along its carved abdomen expanded as it lifted its blade. Its eyes locked on Lex’s wrist.

He scrambled to his feet, dodging its blow. Thorns scratched at his face as chopped branches toppled onto him. Still, he wasn’t deterred. He stumbled through the pain for Silas. Getting back to Silas and making sure he was alive took over his mind. It drowned out his family calling for him, Castor’s growls, and the heavy stampede of all the waking statues converging on him to get the compass. Tripping over his feet, he crashed into the clearing where Silas battled the beast.

In the shadow of the monster, Silas looked insignificant.

I’ll grab him, and we’ll teleport out of here.

“Silas!” he called, but Silas didn’t look at him. Instead, he shifted back into his human form and picked up a rusted sword in the bony grip of a fallen fighter. Cuts and bruises on his skin healed slowly. Even so, he had that look. That glint in his eyes that Lex loathed. It was the look that reminded him that Silas was, and always would be, a warrior first.

The beast roared with so much ferocity that the overgrown garden shook, and Silas sprinted straight for its open jaws.

“Don’t!” He chased after him, but his limbs were heavy.

If he didn’t have this cursed compass on him, Lex could have caught Silas with his speed. Now drained and bruised, it was useless. He watched in horror as the lion plucked Silas up by the edge of his toga, flung him into the air, and its stony jaws slammed closed around him.

The sickening gulp that followed brought Lex’s lungs and mind to a complete stop.

Gone. He’s gone.

His heart didn’t break, it imploded.

No. I...I need him. He can’t be gone. He can’t.

The beast set its sights on Lex. Like the unstoppable killing machine it was, it charged him from across the clearing.

All of Lex’s will left his body at once. He stood still, watching the teeth coming for him. The earth under his feet rumbled as the beast prowled closer.

Then there was a loud crack as a sword shot out of the side of the beast.

Lex stared in wide-eyed disbelief as the lion tried to halt but slid forward on its uncontrolled momentum. The ink in its eyes stopped flowing and dried against its stone cheeks. The sword fluidly sliced through the stone, making its way steadily around the torso.

Julian, Mora, and Castor joined Lex by his side. They all stared up at the cracking beast in awe.

The beast reared back its head, jaws open to the sky. Then, in a silent cry, its head and front half of its body fell forward. Its hind tipped to the side. Ink spilled from the center in a cascading waterfall. The two halves hit the earth with a chaotic crash and shattered into a million shards. The moment it fell, all the warrior statues that made their way through the thorns froze in place. Thick dust, ink droplets, and rocks filled the air. The others shielded their faces, but Lex stared in disbelief.

The clouds of dust slowly dissipated and, deep in the smog, Lex spotted an opaque outline of a wolf.

His heart skipped a beat as the shadowy figure shook its fur as if trying to get water off its coat. The body curved and stretched until Silas stood tall in the wreckage.

Lex knew Julian, Mora, and Castor were speaking, but he didn’t hear them. He couldn’t process anything but Silas stumbling out of the lion’s corpse. Clutched in his hand was a black gemstone from the belly of the beast emitting white light.

Despite the ink on his cheek, a thin layer of sweat coating his skin, and dirt in his lungs, Silas still dawned a triumphant smile. There was a fire in his eyes as he looked at the stone.

Werewolves believed stardust forged certain warriors to be legends. As Silas beamed in the moonlight, high off his victory with his chest puffed, Lex was certain it was true. He loved how happy Silas looked and yete hated how willing he was to kill himself for victory.

Lex’s fingertips sparked as a torrent of conflicting emotions roiled through him. The panic that had hijacked his mind receded, but he was embarrassed by his own volatile reaction. Had he been less drained, he was sure he would have accidentally wrapped himself in a ball of blue flames.

“Cutting that one close, don’t you think?” Castor said, walking ahead and pulling his brother into a tight hug. “You gave me a scare.”

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