Page 19 of To Ashes and Dust
I swallowed back the nausea, looking around in the darkness. “Was that all of them?”
Everyone stood in silence, listening, but there was no sound, no sign of more darklings. For now.
I turned back to Damien, who was already looking at me. His hand rose, his thumb brushing away a smear of my blood from the cut on my face. He didn’t say anything, but the pride in his eyes shined brighter than any light I’d seen. I reached out to his mind.
It’s just a scratch. How did I do?
Immaculately, mea luna.
I smiled and swiped the black liquid from my blades on my pants before sliding them back into their sheaths and I sagged against the brick wall. My muscles quivered and twitched, remnants of adrenaline still pumping through my system. My heart raced, but it remained in check, no pain to be felt. I breathed a sigh of relief.
“Shit, spitfire! I thought I was gonna have to pull you out from under that darkling!” Barrett rose a hand in the air, and I huffed a laugh as I met his high five. “But you got some catchin’ up to do. I got three darklings; how many you got Vincent?”
“One,” Vincent muttered, shaking the black blood from his knuckles.
“Gotta be faster than that,” Barrett teased, and I couldn’t help the chuckle that slipped from my throat.
Zephyr shook, his black fur swaying with each jerk of his body. I’d never seen a panther in person, but he was huge compared to what I’d imagined. He stalked passed me, his back high enough to reach my waist. I resisted the urge to reach out and find out how soft his fur might feel.
He lifted his head, his form melting into black dust as he shifted back. “I don’t smell any others nearby, but they could be hiding in the scent of the ones we just fought, so stay aware.”
“We’ll keep moving then. Cas, you feel good enough to continue?” Damien looked at me, and the others followed suit.
I shook the quivers from my hand, fresh adrenaline pounding in my ears. It wasn’t from fear, though. No, it was anticipation, almost excitement. I wanted to see just what I could do, how many darklings I could take down before the night ended.
“Lead the way, Zeph.”
7
CASSIE
The wood floors creaked under Damien’s feet as he carried me on his back into our room. My head hung over his shoulder, body melted as if I’d molded against him. Every part of me was sore, every bone and muscle so tired that I couldn’t imagine lifting them. I didn’t know what time it was, but I longed for a bath and the warm comfort of our bed.
“You still with me,mea luna?”
I groaned, sarcasm painting my words. “No, I’m dying, Damien.”
He laughed under his breath as he lowered me to my feet.
“I wish I weren’t human. This would be so much easier if I was like you.” I teetered for a moment, and Damien hesitated to leave my side. “How do you do this every night?”
“We don’t need as much sleep as a human does. I could go a couple nights before I start to feel it.” He slipped my hooded layer off my shoulders and undid the buckles of my harnesses.
“I gathered that,” I groaned in irritation.
He set the harnesses on the floor, the handles of the spare daggers clinking against the wood. The black leather armor was splashed with darkling blood, the smell sticking to my nose. I was a mess, skin sticky with sweat. I dreaded to think how much darkling blood might’ve soaked into my hair.
What I wouldn’t give for a hot shower.
“How many did you take out tonight?” he asked, eyes gliding up to my body as he continued to help me remove my gear.
“Four? No, five.”
“Not bad for your first night, and you made it with only a cut on your cheek. If Barrett ever pisses you off enough, you can rub it in his face how he ended his first hunt with a nasty wound that left a scar on his side.” He smiled to himself. “You didn’t hear that from me.”
I huffed a laugh, imagining the look on Barrett’s face if he ever found out I knew I’d outdone him on my first hunt. “I’ll stick that piece of info in my back pocket for later.”
Damien barked a laugh. “He actually wanted to take you out to Stokers to celebrate your first hunt, but I knew you wouldn’t have the energy tonight. So, we’re going to celebrate tomorrow night.”
