Page 157 of A Vow of Wrath and Ruin

The smell of rotting flesh brought bile to the back of his throat. He lifted the pack and held it as he wandered deeper and deeper into the cave, trying his hardest to be as silent as he could.

The acrid smell grew stronger as he ventured deeper. Light streamed in through tiny holes in the ceiling, lighting his way. The caverns twisted and turned with no end in sight. Would he be able to get out?

The dim glow of a low-burning fire caught his attention. Crouching down, he moved closer, his steps dragging on the cold stone. In a darkened chamber, three creatures slept by a dying fire. Caiden’s breath caught in his chest at the sight of them. Taut, black skin stretched over bone, and too-long extremities led to enlarged hands and feet capped with clawed nails. Their gaunt faces were stoic. Were they men or sylph once, or had they come before?

The merc was chained to a rock with a hook in the corner of the chamber. Slumped against the wall, her breaths were shallow, and her face looked worse than Caiden’s.

He swallowed the fear bubbling in his stomach. Without his magic, he couldn’t take on these monsters. How would he even get the key from her?

Taking a deep breath, he tip-toed into the cavern. The sounds of the creature’s snoring reverberated off the walls, drowning out Caiden’s steps.

The mercenary’s chest barely rose and fell with shallow breaths. He held his ear close to her mouth just to make sure she wasn’t dead.

He slapped her cheek lightly. Her head bobbed, but she did not wake.

Caiden’s heart beat rapidly in his chest.C’mon, c’mon. We need to get out of here.

He slapped her harder in tight little intervals while trying to remain as quiet as possible.

Her eyes slowly flitted open, but upon seeing Caiden’s face, they went wide, and she sat up straight, wincing in pain.

Caiden held a finger over his pursed lips.

The mercenary turned to see the sleeping demons. She pointed at her leg. Caiden grimaced at its unnatural bent. A bone protruded from her shin.Shit.He’d have to carry her out, but first, he had to remove the cuffs. He lifted his hands, and the mercenary pointed to her pocket. Caiden fetched the metal key, and together, they worked to free him. With the shackles removed, magic flowed through his veins once more. He clenched his jaw at the feeling of the magic returning, like pins and needles prickling his skin.

Using his lightning, he broke the mercenary free of her chains. She did her best not to scream in agony when he scooped her into his arms.

Caiden kept an eye on the creatures who slumbered deeply as he tried to maneuver quietly out of the cavern.

He barely breathed, and the merc buried her head in his chest.

Nearing the door, a crack sounded behind them. Caiden paused, not daring to breathe.

The pack had fallen over.

The mercenary peered over his shoulder. “Run,” she whispered, panic dripping from that single word.

Caiden could feel the eyes of the creatures upon him. A low growl echoed through the air. Even at full strength, he couldn’t outrun them.

“I’m going to set you down. Try to wedge yourself in between those two rocks.” She nodded.

Setting her down, he turned to face the monsters at his back. Their eyes glowed red, and long fangs protruded from their lips. They towered over Caiden.

Calling his lightning to his hands, he backed toward the wall. “Stay back. I don’t want to hurt you,” he said, sparks flickering at his fingertips.

The creatures closed in on him, communicating with one another through a gutturalclick. A shiver ran down Caiden’s spine. He mustered all the magic he could, creating a rope of lightning between his hands.

The clicking grew louder.

Caiden snapped the rope like a whip at the first monster, splitting him in two—the smell of burnt flesh filled the room.

In an instant, the other two monsters were upon him. Their sharp claws sank deep into his flesh. He cried out in pain. Was this it? Was this the end? He would be consumed by two Night Folk. Calling his lightning to his fingers again, he blasted one off of him. It’s charred remains smoked in the corner.

Caiden pounded his fists into the second creature. His rings barely made a dent in its leather hide. Blood poured from his shoulder where the creature’s sharp fangs sunk deep into his flesh. Only sparks flickered at his fingertips. The iron took most of his magic. He would need to eat to regain his strength.

The creature lunged, knocking him to the ground. Kicking it in the abdomen, he rolled away, only to feel the steel grip of the creature wrapped around his ankle. He needed a weapon, but there was none in sight. Frantically, he felt around for a rock… for anything he could use.

The monster dragged him closer. A look of delight flickered in its red eyes. Caiden kicked with all his might at the creature’s macabre face, but he was no match for the giant, with his magic drained and his shoulder bleeding profusely.

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