Page 49 of Darkest Heart

In a blink of an eye, Zach brought his sword down on its neck. Before the creature could react, its head was rolling toward Erianna, who stopped it with her foot. “That should be the last of them,” she said breathlessly, then kicked it aside. She slid her dagger between the folds of her cloak, wiping the excess blood from the magically infused blade.

Zach arched a blond brow, a smirk playing on his lips. “How many times am I going to have to save you today?”

Erianna gave him a look. “I almost took down four.”

He stabbed the sword into the cracked, barren ground, then leaned on the hilt. “Almost,” he joked, and I realized this was just what they did. How many times had they fought in combat like this, against impossible odds? I’d heard stories.

Erianna rolled her eyes. “I don’t hear anymore, but one of you should fly over the area. Check anyway.” She glanced at the building. “Where is Ravena?”

My brows furrowed. “Erianna, you killed three. I took down one. Zach?”

“Three.”

“Then that’s seven. Unless you miscounted,” I said.

Erianna bit her lip. “It’s possible, but I swear I only heard seven.”

Zach shook his head. “Could have been eight,” he admitted. “It wouldn’t be the first time she’s been wrong.”

“I swear.” She pointed the dagger at Zach, “I won’t hesitate to make you my fourth kill of the day.”

He tutted. “Empty threats.”

I honestly thought she was going to punch him, but instead humphed, a small smirk on her lips. She peered out at the trees, shouting for Ravena. I stared at the dead aniccipere. I’d only killed one. Erianna had destroyed three with no wings. I would have told her I was proud of her, but fear rippled through me as midnight loomed. Ravena was gone, and I still hadn’t felt anything from Olivia. “We need to go. I’ll fly ahead and look out.”

Erianna scowled. “If Ravena had done her job in the first place, and hadn’t gone to fight on her own, we wouldn’t be in this mess. The aniccipere will know we’re here. Especially if we missed one and they report back on what happened.”

Zach nodded. “If they don’t know what happened already.” He eyed my wing. “You’ll need to wait for that to heal. I’ll fly.”

I rolled my shoulders back, feeling the sting from the wound as it slowly healed. “I need ten minutes.”

Erianna’s hand was on my shoulder in a flash, squeezing gently. “You haven’t slept in days. We should rest before moving onto the next town.”

“Don’t care,” I replied, but gently touching her fingers so she knew my harsh tone had nothing to do with her. “If we have any chance of finding them, it’s now.”

“They’re better hunters at night.” Erianna argued. “We need to find Ravena first.”

Zach pulled the blade from the ground and forced it back into his scabbard. “We’ll keep looking. Even immortal, you know your senses are impaired without sleep. Just take an hour.”

Erianna’s eyes narrowed, her black braid soaked in crimson as it slacked against her armor. “I promise, we will search every house here by the time you wake.”

A sound floated out from behind an ancient tree. I craned my neck and spotted a long, ashy limb. I gestured to Zach and Erianna, pointing as the arm moved, and the creature slid back behind the trunk.

Erianna’s brown eyes narrowed, her thick brows creasing downward as she unsheathed her dagger again. Zach gripped the hilt of the sword, and I gave him the signal to move. In a flash, he sped into the tree line, followed by Erianna.

The crescent moon rose higher in the sky, casting the world in an ominous white as its rays stretched over us. Zach reemerged with a struggling aniccipere. It hissed through its needle-like teeth, trying to hide the pain it was in. Puncture wounds covered its neck and arms. Ravena must have bitten him. Our venom wasn’t as potent as theirs, but with that many bites, it affected it enough that it couldn’t run.

It wrestled against Zach's and Erianna’s hold on each of its arms. The creature towered over us as they dragged it to me, throwing it to the ground. Erianna slid her dagger under its arm, stabbing the blade into its armpit, twisting the weapon, scraping the metal against bone as their blood seeped down its naked torso.

“Where’s the woman who bit you?” I asked, as the thing kneeled against the blood-soaked dirt. “Speak.”

It spat blood, but was too weakened by the magic infused into Erianna’s dagger to attack. “Dead.”

I ran cold; the night seeming ten degrees colder suddenly. Zach and Erianna exchanged glances. I searched its face for a clue it was lying, but there was nothing in the creature’s expression. I looked around at the bodies and closed my eyes. Erianna pursed her lips, then blew out a shaky breath. “Seb,” she started, holding the aniccipere tighter. “If she was alive, she’d have made a sound by now.”

A flood of emotions consumed me. She was my wife’s mother, despite our differences. Olivia loved her, and this was another thing that would destroy her. Zach’s eyes widened as my face warped, and I came face to face with the creature. “You,” I growled, the sound reverberating in my chest, “are coming with me.”

“Seb…”

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