Page 33 of Courting the Fae Captain
“Agreed,” Akira and Sherai said simultaneously.
“I know this is bad, but we can do this,” I said as I rose. “We can’t outrun those things, but we can ward them off.”
The two got to their feet as well. Sherai shook her head. “How? We don’t know how long the boats will wait, and you told us what happened to those females. There’s no way we can survive those things and get to the beach in time.”
“We can and we will,” I promised as I put my hands on her shoulders. Her eyes darted between mine in a mixture of fear and dismay. “You are brave and you are strong. And that clever brain of yours hasn’t failed us yet. I believe in you, Sherai. We both do. We’ve survived in the wilderness together for four days, and we can get back to the beach together.”
Akira nodded. “Aeris said they don’t like fire. So let’s put on a damn good show.”
A few hurried minutes later, we had several torches lit in our hands, spears at our backs, swords at our waists, and every ounce of courage we could scrounge from within. It had taken us a couple of hours to get from the beach to the cave, moving at a walking pace and stopping at the ruins I’d found when I was injured. I’d worked out the direction of the beach when finding food on the third day, so if we kept a steady pace and moved directly toward the shore, we’d make it in an hour or so.
“We run towards the beach and don’t stop moving,” Akira said. “If one falters, we pick her up together. If we’re attacked, we fight, but no one gets left behind.”
“We’re all leaving here alive. Right, Sherai?” I said encouragingly.
She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, and I saw the conviction when she opened them again. The glow in those brown eyes wasn’t from the firelight alone. “We’re in this together,” she confirmed. “Ready?”
“As we’ll ever be,” Akira said. “Quickly and quietly. Go.”
I took point, given that I had become the most familiar with the terrain and direction of the shore. The night sky was clear, the stars twinkling on a midnight blue canvas as we filed down the hillside. I kept my eyes peeled, watching for any threats hiding in bushes or the trees as we slipped through the undergrowth.Sherai walked behind me, Akira taking up the rear as we crept onwards. I’d never felt so afraid. Not even when I was in that crypt beneath the castle. My heart thundered, and my skin became clammy from the trepidation crawling down my spine. Just breathing became a struggle as the cold air came short and sharp into my lungs. The only assurance was that I wasn’t alone. Not this time. Not anymore.
In the distance, on either side of us, we saw glimpses of other torches flickering from between the trees and bushes, but no one attacked or bothered to approach. It seemed we all had one goal in mind: to get to that damn beach. We’d kept a good pace and had perhaps a twenty-minute walk between our current location and the beach. Suddenly, the echo of familiar shrieks rang out behind, too damn close for comfort.Fuck. Make that a 10-minute run.
Screams followed, bloodcurdling and bone-chilling as they ended abruptly. I glanced to one side, seeing multiple darkshapes crashing through the growth. Seconds later, a torch along from us went out.
“Run!” I urged the others, breaking out into a sprint. “Fucking run!”
I focused on Sherai’s panting breaths behind me as we put one foot in front of the other and high-tailed it. I held both torches high, not just for visibility but to ward off any monsters hiding in the bushes. Sherai in the middle kept her torches held lower, while Akira also held hers high in an attempt to make it look like the fire completely surrounded us.
“Fuck,” Akira cried. “My leg!”
I glanced behind me, seeing my friend on the ground with something that had impaled her calf. Was that an animal bone or a Fae’s? I clenched my jaw as blood dribbled out from the wound. Sherai and I backtracked, helping Akira to her feet with a grimace.
“Can you walk?” Sherai asked.
She attempted a step and cried out. “It’s no use, I’ll only slow you down. Go.”
“We’re not fucking leaving you,” I hissed as I gave her a torch and slipped her arm around my neck. Sherai did the same on her other side. “Together, no matter what.”
“So fucking stubborn,” Akira said with a shake of her head, but the smile that followed revealed her fear.
I didn’t need Sherai to tell me our chances of survival just decreased a bucketload. But there was no way in hell I was leaving either of my friends tonight. I meant what I’d said. Every damn word.
More screams from females, more howls from the beasts. We carried on, going as fast as we could with Akira slung between us. She held our torches with her own, creating an even more intense firelight on either side of us, while Sherai and I held her with one hand and our second torch in the other. And then itfinally came. The sounds I’d been dreading since we’d left the safety of the cave.Thundering steps, shrieks and chitters.
“They’re coming,” I yelled. “Backs together!”
The torch shook in my left hand, but I held it high and took out a spear with my right. Sooner or later, I’d have to drop one, but for now, I’d take my chances. Sherai held Akira steady with her free hand and swept the torch with her other, trying to see which direction they were coming from. Akira held the torches and put her weight on her good leg, looking vulnerable but determined. We moved, slowly, ever so cautiously toward the beach, scanning our surroundings all the while.
The creatures’ faces appeared in the light not long after. Three of them, all with large eyes like voids and sagging skin that stunk of rot and decay. Or maybe that was coming from their hideous mouths filled with endless sharp teeth. They circled us, hissing and chittering, as if unsure which angle they should attack from.Every time one of us would wave our torch, the creature would back away before getting brave again. Whether from adrenaline or pure desperation, Akira was managing to hop along without our help, but we’d only last so long. We were crawling at a snail’s pace through the brush, constantly moving, circling to confuse our enemies and holding our firelight toward their eyes.Each time they were forced to look at the light, they squinted their eyes or turned away.
Finally, one got tired of waiting and trundled back, preparing to test our defences. “Spear up and knee down,” Akira cried.
I did as commanded, dropping my torch at my feet, ready to defend myself. But it shifted and suddenly lunged for Akira.No, I realised as the beast leapt high. It wasn’t aiming for her, butonher. It was bigger than a large dog. She’d be crushed beneath its weight.Without thinking, I swivelled on my knee and tossed my spear at the creature’s chest. It hit its mark, causing the creature to fall short of its target enough to prevent itfrom crushing us both. It wasn’t enough. The monster was only momentarily inconvenienced as it got back up, but Akira shot forward, thwacking the thing over the head once, twice, with her torch until its flesh lit up and a scream that shook my very bones pierced through the night.
Akira had stepped too far in front of Sherai and me, and the other two creatures darted forward. Sherai grunted as she waved her torch madly, gaining one’s attention. I yelped as the other came for me, so fast I barely saw its foreleg swipe at my limbs. Akira yelled, distracting it just enough for me to pick up my dropped torch and club it over the skull.
It backed up, disoriented long enough for me to give up on blunt force and opt for the sharp steel of the sword at my waist. The monster shook its head and hissed, then played a game of cat and mouse as it skittered back and forth, toying with us while Akira and I tried to corner it.My friend darted forward, attempting to club it again as she had the other. It caught the fucking torch in its mouth, bit down andsnappedthe wood in two. Then it cocked its head and leered at her. Akira’s hand went for her sword … it was gone. Lost, most likely, when she had taken the fall earlier.Oh gods. I was too far away. I was so close, but I was still too far away to stop what came next. Akira looked at me, her face resigned, as if accepting what came next. And I saw what happened before it came. Saw the sad smile on her face before the creature leapt at her. She shrieked as it forced her to the ground.
