Page 69 of A Sky of Storms
I looked from the map to the compass. “North.”
We trekked through the dark, sticking close, and I held the sword I’d taken firmly in my hand. The monsters hunted primarily at night—especially the giant bats. Turned out the thing we’d found attacking Zane wasn’t as common as the flying monstrosities. Right now, they were screeching, their shadows visible in the sky above.
“Hopefully they don’t spot us,” Ace said, his eyes trained to the sky.
“Stay quiet and just keep moving,” I replied, turning and heading downhill.
The screeching grew louder above us, and I had the sickening feeling that we’d been spotted. I picked up my pace, seeing thicker growth ahead. If we could make it there, we’d be harder to see … at least, that’s what I hoped.
I ducked as the bat swooped towards me, causing me to stumble as it missed me by a mere inch.
“Run!” Ace shouted, gripping the arm of my jumpsuit and dragging me forward.
We bolted, sticks snapping and scratching into legs as we forced our way through the undergrowth. The bat dropped from the sky, then began jumping between the trees, its long claws tearing at the foliage and sending bark flying overhead. It bared its sharp fangs, the hair on its face speckled with blood from its last meal. Its beady red eyes glowed in the darkness as it screeched, launching to the tree in front of me.
I skidded to a stop and raised my sword, seeing Ace do the same. There was one thing that could be said about the guy, he didn’t back down from a fight. Ace was lean, but he was somehow more intimidating than the biggest guys I’d ever seen. He had a presence about him and a look in his eyes that screamed bloody murder.
The bat may not have considered him a threat, but I was glad to have him on my side at that moment. The monster threw itself at us, almost felling the tree it was hanging from. I jumped out of its way but didn’t stick around for another attack, swinging my sword and cutting into the thick membrane of its wing. A howl of pain blasted my ear as it turned on me, but that was its mistake because Ace took that moment to throw his sword and pierce the thing straight through the eyes. At least I thought he did.
It dropped to the ground with a thud and I found Ace opposite me, sword in hand and a frown on his face. I scrunched my brow in confusion. “How?”
“You can thank me later, bro,” came a booming voice, and I turned to see Kayden striding closer to the bat. He pulled his sword—no wait, it was a spear—from the monster’s skull, wiping the point on its furry head.
“What the fuck are you doing here?” Ace growled, pointing his sword at Kayden. The movement wasn’t threatening, more like a maths teacher pointing to an equation on the board.
“Saving your ass,” Kayden replied casually, though he stood still, his gaze focused on the tip of the blade that was precariously close to his chest. “Don’t be ungrateful, Twiggy.”
“That’s rich coming from you,” Ace said, raising his sword so that the tip rested below Kayden’s chin. “You’ve been nothing but an ungrateful ass since stepping foot in the garrison. You’d be dead if it wasn’t for us.”
Kayden narrowed his eyes at Ace. “I’d think my debt was paid now. Don’t you think?”
I didn’t bother waiting around to witness the argument go further south, instead I took out the map and compass and continued to the meeting point. There was just over an hour until sunrise if my calculations were correct and I didn’t want to waste my time with their constant posturing.
Adrenaline was coursing through me, not just from the fight, but from being so close to getting answers. The next piece of the puzzle was within my reach. I was so close to finding out what was happening to the missing people in Verdant Plateau.
“I’m coming, girls,” I promised under my breath.
The sound of footsteps alerted me to Ace and Kayden’s nearness, but I didn’t slow. They were wasting my time.
“Noah!” Ace called. “Don’t leave me with this blockhead!”
They caught up easily enough and walked on either side of me, like I was some kind of barrier between them. The meeting point was close now, we just had to cross part of the marsh and we’d be at a large section of flat, dry land.
“Are you two finished with your shit?” I asked, my boot sinking into the mud as I took my first step from the tree line.
“For now,” Kayden replied, giving Ace a death glare. “Where are we headed?”
“You’re not here to ask questions,” Ace snapped. “You shouldn’t be here at all.”
Kayden shot him a crooked grin. “You have some serious anger issues, Twiggy.”
“Fucking rich coming from you.”
“Shut. Up!” I shouted, turning on them furiously. “I’ve had it up to here with your tantrums. If you two don’t stop making jabs at each other, you can both go back to the garrison and neither of you will get to find out who’s at the meeting point. Am I clear?”
Kayden and Ace exchanged a sheepish look before nodding, though neither looked pleased about having to make a truce.
“Good.” I huffed, running a hand over my shaved head and straightening my jumpsuit. “Let’s go.”
