Page 25 of An Honored Vow

A warning pyre.

The beast flew toward it, and my heartbeat slowed along with my wing beats. I looked down, expecting to see the smaller one following me too, but its attention had been caught by something below.

Gwyn slipped along the rock face. Amber blood covered her arm. The sharp inhale from the creature sounded like thunder in the distance—it could smell her blood.

It didn’t wait to attack. Its large wings stretched as it circled to dive.

I dove first.

Its hot breath pulled at my tail feathers as it inhaled, preparing to strike.

I transformed mid-fall. The beast snapped at the flash of light and then reared back as I sent a spiral of flame toward it.

It opened its wings enough to evade the attack. The forest went silent as I fell toward the ground. I looked for Gwyn and saw that she was running.

Not away from the beast, but toward it.

It reared back and the red, pulsing glow in its chest burned brighter. But that was just what Gwyn had wanted. She leaped from the cliff’s edge, spear above her head. Her legs circled underneath her, propelling her as close to the beast as possible.

Black smoke pooled from its mouth as Gwyn hurled the spear toward the red, pulsing light. I transformed again and let my wings catch me as I watched the spear cut through the beast. Just short of its heart.

Black shadow leaked from the slice like blood in water. I didn’t have time to wonder how such a shapeless thing could bleed. I reached out for Gwyn’s leg with my talons. Her body lurched but there was no time to be gentle. The makeshift spear fell to the ground.

Thewaateyshirroared above us as I dropped Gwyn on the forest floor.

I curved through the air like a blade and the beast followed, swooping low enough to burn the tops of the trees with its smoky wings. It snapped at me, but I found the strength to keep myself just out of reach.

“Keera!” Gerarda shouted from below. I glanced and saw that she was cutting my blade free from the spear. She mimed a throw, and I knew we would only have one shot at it.

I let out a high-pitched call and lured the beast higher. Then I dove back toward the ground.

The beast snapped at me again, its hot breath burning the skin on my small legs as I stayed tucked. I plummeted to the ground and Gerarda’s frame grew larger. She kissed the hilt of the dagger, holding it by the red blade, and I transformed once more.

The beast reared at the flash of light.

Gerarda snapped her wrist.

I hit the ground. My shoulder and leg snapped as my bones broke, but I didn’t hear it. All anyone could hear for a hundred leagues was the shriek of the shadowy creature as the blade shot through its red center. Liquid shadow oozed from the wound and then the beast exploded into a cloud of black ash. My bloodred dagger sank to the ground, its job done. The woundedwaateyshirroared at the sight and flew over the trees, leaving us and our weapon behind.

Gerarda ran over to me. Amber blood coated her cheeks, but it wasn’t hers. I looked for Gwyn, but then a piercing pain shot through my body as Gerarda popped my shoulder back into place.

“Fuck!” I shouted loud enough for my lungs to ache. “What are you doing?”

Gerarda cocked her jaw to the side and pressed into my femur with unnecessary vigor. “Saving your ass, as usual.”

The pain was too much for me to roll my eyes. Gerarda grabbed my ankle and twisted. I screamed until my vision blurred.

“That was the last of them.” Gerarda held out her hand to me, assessing my newly unbroken body.

I looked at it incredulously. “You expect me to walk on a broken femur.”

Gerarda gave my leg a hard pat. I winced but it felt like pain from a bad bruise, not an open fracture. My healing gift now had incredible speed. Magic flared hot under my skin. I didn’t feel tired, yet my control was slipping, like there were too many gifts fighting inside my body for release.

“You’re the one who decided plummeting to your death was necessary.” She stood and wiped her hands on her pants. “Apparently I’m the only one with any sense.”

A shriek sounded in the distance. Gerarda and I both froze, waiting for the sound of giant wings, but it did not come. She nodded at the cave, cut into the mountain. “We can hide there until morning. You likely won’t be done yelling by then anyway.”

CHAPTERTEN

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