Page 217 of A Soul to Guide

“I cannot understand you,”he answered back, hoping that was enough.

He stepped closer to the one person who was actually trying to communicate with him. Two polearms on either side of them stabbed forward as the one signing retreated. A blade sliced over his biceps.

Merikh roared and backed up. He halted before it was too late. Someone shouted, and a net was thrown over him. They tugged, and his weight shifted to his side as they attempted to trap him. Merikh was slipped through the vine wrappings when his quills easily ripped them apart.

His sight wobbled as invisible hands clutched at his mind, trying to force his control to slip. His arms and legs quaked, his breaths growing more irritated by the second, sawing in and out of him like a blade.

The invisible hands that massaged his brain feltso goodthat he almost wanted to let them win. His glowing orbs turned a dark crimson with the desire to maim.

Merikh stopped moving, stopped responding to them.

Raewyn. I need to get to Raewyn.

He wanted her to calm him, to save him – from them, from himself.

His sight flickered in and out of consciousness, and he tried to hold it back, to not let his mind shift. His shudders were violent.

She’s mine. I want her to be mine. Cannot lose control. Don’t destroy.

They were poking a fucking bear, one who usually let anger take hold. If they kept doing so, they were going to reap the consequences of their stupidity.

I need to stay in control for her.

Still curled on the ground, holding her midsection, Raewyn flinched at the sudden frantic banging on her door.

“Raewyn. Raewyn!” Cykran yelled. “For the love of the Evergreen, are you dressed?”

She bounced to her feet and carefully walked towards the sound, knowing the layout of her home by pure memory. She flung open the door, his constant bashing helping to direct her.

“Of course, I’m dressed. It’s been hours,” she answered as she gave a sniffle. “My bath ended ages–”

He gripped her shoulders so tightly, his claws threatened to cut into her skin. “We have a problem, a big problem!”

Just then, an alarm bell began to chime from the heart of the city, informing all of danger.

Her droopy ears stiffened and darted back as her eyes widened. “What’s happened?”

Had Demons managed to figure out how to get into the city? Her sadness could wait. She needed to help her people, direct them through an emergency.

“Your creature... he’s here.” His claws cut deeper, and she would have winced if it weren’t for his words. “He’s in the city!”

She pushed him away from her. “What do you mean, he’s in the city?”

“He’s being chased, Rae.” She could almost picture him tugging at a horn. “He’s not surrendering to Mericato and his soldiers.”

As relieved as she was that Merikh was alive, he was alone in an unfamiliar environment with hostiles chasing after him. She understood how badly this could end.

“We have to go.” She grabbed whatever she could of Cykran’s clothing and shook him. “You have to take me to him. He’s not like you Delysians. He’ll go berserk and decimate the entire city if we’re not careful.”

“I thought you said he was good!”

“He is! I promise he is. He wouldn’t be able to help it. Just... please, Cykran.” Her eyes bowed into a desperate and beseeching expression. “Take me to him, as fast as you can; I don’t care how.”

He gave a soft, rolling growl. “Fine. Hop on.”

He turned and gave her his back as he crouched down. Raewyn touched his shoulders and then wrapped herself around him.

Usually, when she made Cykran carry her like this, she’d make him giddy up in a funny way. This time, she said nothing and waited for him to sprint.

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