Page 84 of Claimed By Shadow and Blood
He got into a crouch with his arms still wrapped around the stone. Then he jumped...and his stomach hit the edge of the wall. He grunted as his lower body dropped, and he caught the ledge with his fingertips. His boots found traction below, and he boosted himself a few inches upward and flung his arms over the edge. He froze when he saw me, and then his right arm slid out of sight.
I went for his hand.
Just before I reached him, his right hand shot up holding a small, dark dagger, aimed right at me.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Briar
Ijerked back, but not soon enough, and the blade sliced my right foreleg up to my shoulder.
My jaws snapped shut, and I twisted in agony. Sharp pain radiated from the new wound, and all four of my legs buckled. I slid against the ledge’s back wall as my vision blurred.
The world spun, and I blinked, fighting to orient myself. My head pounded. Grunts rang in my ears, and I forced my eyes open and struggled to my feet as Sword Assassin hauled himself up.
His rough breathing stirred the debris, and he strained and moved slowly, as if he wasn’t worried about me attacking him again.
Summoning my remaining strength, I lunged forward and seized him by the throat. The chain of the pendant hooked around my teeth, and I clamped hard and worked my jaw to thrash at his skin.
Fragrant blood poured into my mouth as he let out a wet, gurgling scream. His fingernails scraped the stone as he tried toreach his remaining daggers, but his front was pressed against the stone.
I loosened my grip just enough to bite deeper. Men like him didn’t deserve to live. My vision turned red, and everything narrowed in on his pulse and weakening struggles. My legs shook beneath me, and my shoulder and forelegs throbbed.
But I didn’t let go.
He twitched and went limp. I jerked my head to the side, ripping out his throat.
Blood pooled, and his eyes glazed over as he transitioned into death.
Now I needed his necklace to survive the monster.
It would be easiest to wear it instead of fighting off an attacker while holding the pendant in my mouth.
Lowering my head, I nosed the long chain into position and hoped this plan worked. I’d never tried to remove a necklace and place it on myself in wolf form.
Luckily, the chain was long and came free of him easily enough, and I maneuvered it and pressed my face down along his chest to thread my muzzle and head through the loop. His blood smeared the side of my face, but I ignored it. The pendant was the most important thing.
I managed to get it around my neck, and a shimmering sensation passed over me, sending shivers down my spine.
More plaintive cries from the unicorn foal ripped through the air as the wind whipped around me. My body throbbed, and my legs struggled to keep me standing.
Whatever they had laced their weapons with was affecting me, and the only thing I knew to do was keep going until the rescue finally happened.
Where the fuck was Many-Greats?
I spun to face the area where Arrow Assassin had been taken. The rocks were still in the same place, so that counted for something. He could be unconscious.
The unicorn wailed again, causing me to look higher, but I couldn’t see it.
However, crimson water was pouring from the cracked well faster than before. Clay and soil crumbled along the slope as the water carved a path through the terrain, making multiple streams.
My chest tightened. How long before a mudslide added to my growing list of problems?
I clambered up, doing my best to be quiet. If the assassin was conscious, I wanted to surprise him. But each time I moved a leg, rocks tumbled free and pebbles dropped into the chasm.
My head spun, and the scent of my blood and the disturbed soil filled my nostrils. I couldn’t catch the scent of the assassin or the unicorn. But I could hear the foal panicking, its desperate cries coming shorter and faster.
With each pant, my mouth dried even more. The sound of rushing water only made me thirstier, but I couldn’t focus on that. I had two missions to complete before even thinking about drinking something.
