Page 85 of Ecliptic

“The heart!” I yelled to the former lovers. My pulse poundedin my ears as the beast writhed closer, wrenching its head and dragging itself toward me despite its wounds. Its eyes locked on me, black, hungry, and primordial.

Dyani cartwheeled over the tied demon to straddle it and plunged her Ever-burn blade into its heart. Silver motes engulfed her as I whipped around, not even able to wipe the tears from my eyes. There was still one more demon to face.

I gripped Mithrion tighter.

The beast swarmed my vision as it stood to its full height, baring its razor-sharp teeth. I raised my star-blade, but before I could strike, Rowen’s rope snapped around its neck. He pulled back, stopping the beast mere inches from my face.

“Take.”

Minroe darted low to the ground, slamming her blade into its foot as Dyani grabbed hold of its arm, straining to pull it back from me. It took all three of Luneth’s fiercest warriors to hold the Voro-Kai at bay.

“Do it, Keira,” Rowen grunted, his body straining as he held back the demon. His muscles flexed and glistened with sweat as his heels dug into the ground.

My face reflected in its pitch-black eyes. I was close enough that, for a chilling moment, I could see Erovos watching me through the creature’s eyes.

“You’re looking well, little light,” the creature warbled in a disturbing mix of speech and growls. “So well that I can practically taste you. It’s making my mouth water.”

Revulsion twisted my face. “We’re ready for you, you sick fuck,” I seethed, channeling my rage as I gripped my blade tighter. Mithrion glowed and surged with Light, growing brighter as if in direct response to the darkness before me.

The beast’s black eyes dipped to my blade, and my grip tightened on the hilt. The swirl of first-light extended and glowed upmy arm in refracting halos. “You may have pretty weapons, but you have nowhere near the numbers to defeat my brood.”

Before Erovos could utter another word through his shadow beast, I plunged Mithrion deep into its chest. The beast erupted into black motes that whirled around me as a high-pitched shriek punctured my eardrums and drilled into my skull.

31

Rowen darted to me and pried the wood from my ankle. He gently lowered me to the ground, his eyes trailing over my body. His rough palms cupped my face as he checked my eyes. “Just your leg, my flame?”

I bit back the pain and nodded, glancing at the blood seeping through my leggings.

Rowen carefully folded up my pant leg, and I sucked in a breath through my teeth. His fingers trailed down my calf and ankle, gently examining my injury. There were three nasty puncture wounds and countless scratches. He pulled a tin of noxlily salve from his rucksack and applied the medicine over my mangled skin.

My wounds mended before my very eyes as the shimmering ointment worked its magic.

Rowen passed the tin around, and I glanced at the exhausted warriors. Dyani and Minroe appeared banged up and bruised while Maddock clutched his side.

“Madds?” I asked, hoping he wasn’t hurt.

“One kick, and I was down for the count. I felt worthless,” Madds gasped, holding his side. “That thing only seemed to careabout Keira.”

“That was your first battle. You’ll get better,” Rowen assured as he lowered my pant leg and helped me stand. “But Takoda needs to look at you.”

“I’m fine. I just had the wind knocked out of me,” he said, waving off his injury.

Dyani’s chest heaved as she shot us all a worried look. “It took all of us to defeat that . . . thing.”

“The odds are not good,” Minroe chimed in. “How many more will escape before we can stop them?” she asked, her dark kohl smudged around her eyes.

“At least we learned how to defeat them. You have to pierce them through the heart. The bitten return to the heavens, where they can hopefully find peace. While the Voro-Kai disintegrates into dust and smoke.”

“Thank the spirits, the star-blades work. Now we just need a thousand more,” Dyani said, wiping the blood from her weapon.

She was right. “I need to go to the meteor and infuse it with Light. The production of weapons needs to start as soon as possible,” I said, testing the weight on my leg.

“Are you good, Madds?” Rowen asked, all our chests heaving.

“I think so,” he grunted, standing upright and offering me a wink.

“Good. Keira, take Maddock with you."

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