Page 39 of Crown of Slumber

Searing,blinding pain exploded through me. My awareness homed in on that singular point of agony—a white-hot fire burning in my shoulder.

I’d been struck.

But I couldn’t dwell on it. Enemies were closing in on us, and Aurelia was shouting something.

Gritting my teeth, I rolled off her and staggered to my feet, my shoulder screaming in protest. I caught sight of the arrow shaft protruding from my flesh.

No,I thought.Do not dwell on it.

I’d been in battle before, but it had certainly been a while. I inhaled deeply, and that familiar metallic tang of blood filled my nose and mouth.

Myblood.

It reminded me of the battlefield. Of loss and rage and nothing but pure bloodlust.

The horde of goblins drew closer. They were gray-skinned, with small white horns and leathery flesh that stretched thin over their bony frames. Their inky all-black eyes were dark and full of a vicious hunger that only fae blood could satisfy.

Beside me, Aurelia held her dagger, poised to strike. Only the slight tremor in her hand betrayed her fear.

“Can you fight?” I asked, my voice a low rasp.

“Of course,” she snapped. “I wouldn’t carry a dagger if I didn’t know how to use it.” She cut me a glare, and then her gaze snagged on the arrow embedded in my flesh.

Her face paled, making her freckles stand out starkly against her cheeks. “Fenn?—”

“No time,” I muttered, tossing my blade to my left hand to avoid exacerbating the wound in my shoulder. I couldn’t fight as well left-handed, but I could make do.

When the first goblin came within striking distance, I slashed my blade, opening his throat. Black blood poured from the wound, and he made a horrible gagging sound, but I was already moving on to my next target. I plunged my dagger into another goblin’s heart, then stabbed straight through the neck of another, slicing his head clean off.

As he fell, his head rolling, I glanced quickly at Aurelia, and my mouth fell open. She whirled, slicing her blade with precision and grace. When she fought, she used her entire body. Her legs moved, her feet gliding back and forth as she danced away from her opponent. She used the force of her kick to weaken a goblin before burrowing her blade into his chest and twisting hard.

Brutal, yet elegant. She hadn’t been bluffing when she claimed to be an adept dancer. And she was using that skill to fell her enemies, one by one.

A sharp pain sliced through my arm, and I jumped backward. In my surprised stupor, a goblin had dragged its claws straight through me. I bit out a curse and slashed my sword, but he leapt out of reach. I advanced, but two other goblins closed in on me, entrapping me.

I stilled, assessing my options. Blood dripped down my arm, and my tunic was drenched from the arrow still lodged in my shoulder. Dizziness clouded my mind. I wouldn’t last much longer.

The goblin nearest me flashed his sharp canines in delight.

Aurelia cried out and sank to her knees. My head whipped toward her, shock jolting through me. She fought one goblin, but she hadn’t noticed another as he pounced on her, his sharp teeth digging into her shoulder and drawing blood.

“Aurelia!” I roared. With a burst of energy, I aimed a high kick, slamming my boot into a goblin’s chest and knocking him down. Before he could recover, I slashed open his throat.

Aurelia screamed, her voice echoing in the forest, and the verytrees seemed to quiver from the intensity of it. When I glanced her way, I could have sworn her eyes glowed green.

Another goblin came for me. I tore my gaze from Aurelia and blocked his attack. But another cut his claws across my shin. My leg buckled, and I sank to one knee.

A bright blue flame ignited next to the riverbank. Somehow, the goblin attacking Aurelia had caught fire. His screeches split the air as the flames consumed him. He turned and raced toward the river before plunging himself into its depths.

Fortunately, this distracted the goblins surrounding me. I beheaded two more.

But, unfortunately, several goblins swarmed Aurelia, marking her as the bigger threat.

“No!” I shouted, my blade singing with each stroke as I killed one goblin after another, trying to make my way to her. But there were too many of them.

“Stop!” I bellowed, channeling all my remaining energy into that one word.

I didn’t think it would work. Fae magic normally wasn’t strong enough to overcome the bloodthirsty rage of the unseelie.

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