Page 53 of Red Ruin

See? I am important.

Taking careful, quiet steps, I hug the wall and skirt the border of the array.

I make it a quarter of the way.

I don’t sneeze, trip, or even kick a pebble.

Maybe I’m thinking too hard.

A howl echoes, just how I knew it would.

I sprint for the flattest spot I can find, keeping my back to the wall as more wolves take up the howl.

I wish I’d had time to tape the shaft of my glaive. I rub dust and sweat from my palms, then tighten my grip as the first white-eyed wolf pads toward me.

“I’ll win,” I warn.

The wolf growls.

“Fine.” I level my blade as the pack joins around its leader. “I’ll make you into coats.”

I don’t know how, but I promise myself.

I’m going to survive long enough to give Remy a bowl cut, wearing a wolf-fur stole.

Then I’m going to hang a godsdamned powdered donut on Vhex’s horn and ride his candy stick while I enjoy my snack.

A smaller voice chimes in as the first wolf lunges.

I can’t die here.

No one cares enough about me to come looking for my corpse.

CHAPTER14

VHEX

Fuck.

This.

Bat.

Wing.

Bastard.

I rain hellfire into the shadows.

It hurts.

But the last blast of freezing troll blood cools me down enough to recognize Azrid’s face.

Then I remember:

That face needs to be punched.

He took a slash ending the daddy troll.

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