Page 9 of An Honored Vow

Elaran shrugged and ran toward another soldier. I turned to Gerarda. “Guard me.”

She didn’t hesitate, turning away and scanning the field of battle. There were two dozen soldiers surrounding us still, but they were hesitant to attack.

A small root twisted around my fingers, and I felt the connection take hold of me once more. The Halflings were scurrying down the mountain, but there were more soldiers in their way.

“Elaran, go to Gwyn and Fyrel now!”

She sliced her spear through a man’s throat and ran. Gerarda struck down a brave soldier who charged. I felt a shift in the air. We needed to leave, but something was wrong. The pulsing life I had felt in my earlier connection was gone. No, not gone. Silent. As if every creature close to us had stopped breathing out of fear.

Not of the soldiers.

Not of me.

But of something much worse.

A terrifying shriek split the sky. It echoed like thunder, so loud the sound drummed in my chest. I looked up and could no longer see the stars. They were covered in a thick layer of shadow that swirled like ink in water.

The hair on my neck rose; the soldiers behind me stopped fighting, their heads craning to the sky too. I couldn’t see the creature, but I could feel it. The smell of rot and death filled the air, a putrid stench like a victor’s field at the height of day.

The wind moved in thick beats, hot and humid enough to pull the sweat from our skin. Along with the darkness had come wings.

I recognized it immediately from Lash’s fire stories. The shadowy beasts that had once hunted the Elverin. There was no mistaking the gargantuan body that spanned half the city. Its long, curved neck and even longer beak were just like the shadows Lash had painted by the fireside.

Awaateyshir.

Its body was made from darkness and smoke. It looked like a bird with a long neck and sharp talons, but its form wasn’t rigid. Instead black feathers lined the edges of its wings and back while tendrils of blackness filled its body—a red light pulsing at the center of its chest. Its long beak snapped, lined with teeth as tall as a Mortal man. It was monstrous, emerging from a nightmare rather than a wood. The beast hung in the sky, hovering over the city, terrifying the people who would be its next meal. Tendrils of shadow leaked from its frame as if it was part beast, part smoke.

Thewaateyshirreared back its long neck and its glassy black eyes settled on the line of soldiers behind me. The loose strands of my braid blew toward the beast as it sucked up the air and prepared to attack.

Gerarda’s only warning was the flash of light as I transformed. She held up her arms, braced and ready, as my talons wrapped around them, and we sailed just above the ground.

An ear-splitting sound whistled behind us. I heard the last bit of air being pulled from the men’s lungs. They were frozen in place, unable to move, unable to do anything except look at the beast.

The whistling stopped. Silence hung in the air for a moment that seemed to stretch much too long. I turned in time for Gerarda and I to witness the true power of the beast. Black flame shot from its beak, illuminated by the soldiers’ torches. Their mouths dropped open, but they had no air left to scream before they were turned to ash.

The beast sucked in the ash on its next breath, its pulsing red center glowing brighter as it swallowed its meal.

Gerarda fell from my grasp and took two soldiers down with her as she landed. I changed back to my Fae form, both blades drawn and ready to fight.

“Where’s Gwyn?” I shouted to no one in particular. “Fyrel?”

“Down the mountain,” someone shouted. I snapped toward the voice and saw Victoria, a sword quivering in her hands as she defended the opening to the hillside path. Her face was already bloodied, red stained her lips and dripped down her neck.

She swung with unskilled brutality, but it was enough to send a soldier lurching back to my waiting knife.

“Victoria, go!” I ordered. “We have this handled. Gwyn and Fyrel can take you to safety.”

“There’s still one more!” She pointed up on the pile of large rocks where a tiny Halfling boy was hiding among the rubble. His face was caked with dirt except for where rivers of tears had washed the black away.

Thewaateyshirturned its sights on our battle and began to whistle again. Unless we made for the hillside now, we would be nothing but ash in seconds.

My throat ached as I said, “Leave him. Descend now!”

Gerarda followed the order without hesitation. Elaran looked at me with a dubious expression on her face then glanced at the boy.

“El, you are not allowed to die today.” Gerarda’s voice rattled with desperation as she peered over the cliff’s edge.

“Go!” I ordered her. Then I broke into a flash of light and flew directly within thewaateyshir’s sights.

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