Page 22 of Tharn's Hunt
Goldilocks moves with shocking speed, positioning himself directly between me and the entrance. His body blocks my view completely, a living shield of muscle and lethal intent.
I grab my weapon, fingers tightening around the handle. My headache is still there, the fever is still there, but fear sends fresh adrenaline surging through me.
"D-do you think it can get up h-here?" I whisper, hating how my voice trembles.
He doesn't answer. Doesn’t need to. The shadow that falls across the cave entrance tells me everything I need to know.
It’s here.
And it's hungry.
Chapter 8
HOW TO KEEP YOUR FRAGILE, SCREECHING FEMALE ALIVE (A HUNTER'S GUIDE)
THARN
The sound comes first.
The clicking. High and sharp. Splitting the air like a bone spear against raw stone. My claws flex as I whip toward the entrance.
And there it is.
A shadowmaw.
Sleek and low to the ground, its body ripples with hard, black plates that catch the light as it moves. Its head is long and narrow, lined with serrated teeth. It slinks into the cave with those unnaturally smooth movements that make them terrifying in the dark.
It shouldn’t be here. Not while Ain’s light still shines. It has scented Jah-kee, but something has driven it here—hunger perhaps, or something worse. It lunges, bouncing off the wall, but it can’t get to her. Not without going through me.
Behind me, Jah-kee releases a piercing scream. The sound cuts through me, but it only heightens my determination.
She is unwell with the fire raging beneath her skin. Unwell with the wound on her leg and the one I myself inflicted on her wrist. She cannot defend herself.
I will not let her come to harm.
I bare my fangs, lowering myself into a crouch. “You will not have her,” I tell the shadowmaw, the thought vibrating hard in the mindspace. The shadowmaw tenses, its long, sinewy tail flicking behind it. Then it lunges.
Its weight slams into me, sending us both crashing into the cave wall. Teeth snap inches from my neck, its breath hot and foul. I snarl, twisting my body to pin it down, but it’s fast. Too fast. It slithers free, claws raking across my side, and I hiss as lifeblood slicks my skin.
Behind me, Jah-kee screams again, her voice raw and terrified. I can hear her scrambling, her back hitting the wall. She’s trapped. The cave is too small. There’s nowhere for her to go.
The shadowmaw moves toward her again. What an annoying ka’vrakt. It is relentless.
I lunge, catching its hind leg and dragging it back. My claws dig deep into its scaly hide, and it screeches in fury, whipping around to snap at me. I take the blow, its teeth sinking into my shoulder, hot pain flaring as lifeblood flows.
I don’t stop.
I drive my claws into its flank, twisting hard. The shadowmaw thrashes, trying to dislodge me, but I hold firm, snarling as I force it away from Jah-kee. My lifeblood splatters the stone, but it doesn’t matter.
I will bleed for her. This small, angry, loud little thing that I have come to care for the moment I knew of her existence.
The creature lunges again, its jaws aiming for my throat. I duck low, slashing upward with all the strength I have left. My claws rip through its neck, severing something vital.
The shadowmaw thrashes, its sounds growing frantic. Lifeblood spills over my claws.
I do not release my grip.
Not until the screeching stops. Not until the body goes limp. Not until I am certain, absolutely certain, that it poses no threat to Jah-kee.
