Page 6 of Sky of Thorns

Moments of silence tick by before I slowly continue my path. It must have been a figment of my imagination.

A deep growl precedes the scraping of claws against wood. I spin, my heart racing, but all around me the forest is empty. And quiet. It’s all too quiet. I can’t even hear the faint chirping of birds. I reach towards my belt, but my hand comes away empty. Damn them for taking my dagger.

I back up against a tree, my eyes darting around for any sign of movement. Suddenly, a pair of glowing yellow eyes materialize in the darkness. As I stand frozen with fear, its monstrous form materializes, causing my heart to jump to my throat. Dark shadows surround its massive frame, curling and whipping around it. The creature possesses the head and forepaws of a lion, but it has cloven hind hooves. Its barbed tail whips around, and each spike drips as it fixes its deadly gaze on me.

A shadow chimera.

Sybil

Itrytoinchmy way towards the tree line, but the chimera lunges at me, its jaws snapping shut inches from my face. I barely manage to dodge out of the way, my heart pounding with fear. As I breathe in, the stench of decaying flesh overwhelms me. The putrid odor fills my nostrils, making it difficult to inhale without gagging. I search frantically for anything to use as a weapon, but all I find is a broken branch. I grip it tightly, my knuckles turning white. With a sudden burst of speed, it charges at me again. I lash out with the branch, bracing myself for impact when a gale of wind hits. Its impact knocks me to the ground as the creature’s massive frame is thrown into the nearest tree. The chimera howls in pain and fury as flickers of flame protrude from its open mouth, but I know it won’t be long before it attacks again. As I scramble backwards, gnarled roots tearing at my skirt, Lemon slides down from my shoulder.

We have to get out of here.

My heart races with adrenaline and as I clutch Lemon to my chest, I hear the singing of steel. My head whips to the side as I spot Aramis swinging his blade as he advances towards the creature. Wind blows around him like a tornado, whipping his hair in an angry fury. I can hear the chimera’s heavy breathing beside me, its paws digging against the forest floor as it turns to face his new foe.

Turning away, my instinct is telling me to run while I still have the chance. I should let that male get what he deserves. After all, if he’s so high and mighty, he should be able to protect himself from the shadow beast. But the tearing of fabric, followed by a deep yell, draws my attention. Red blooms on the fabric of his sleeve, now torn and fluttering in his wind as Aramis and the beast circle each other.

He needs me.

The beast snarls, bearing its fangs as Aramis strikes with his sword once more. The blade glances off its thick hide, sending sparks flying. The creature lashes out with its claws, narrowly missing Aramis’ face. He ducks and rolls, coming up behind the beast.

Better the beast you know than the beast you don’t, I decide. It’s wiser if I take my chances with the male before me rather than risk running into another shadow creature while I still can’t access my magic.

“Hey, you ugly brute. Go pick on someone else!” I yell as I hurl the largest rock I can find towards the chimera. It bounces harmlessly off its side, but it’s enough of a distraction that it swings its head toward me. With a swift thrust, Aramis plunges his sword into its side. The beast howls in pain, but its fury only grows. It charges at him, but Aramis stands his ground. Just as it’s about to strike, he sidesteps and plunges his sword into its heart. The beast falls to the ground, dead. Aramis stands panting, his clothes torn and bloodied, but victorious.

“You’re welcome,” I say, as he tries to catch his breath.

“Thought you could get away that easily, did you?” Aramis’s deep voice sends chills down my spine. He lazily twirls his bloodied sword with a flourish in the air before him. His blue eyes pierce my soul as he lifts his gaze to mine. A small scowl quirks at the corner of his lips, but it’s not a friendly one.

“Nice try, little unicorn,” he gestures in front of him before replying in a curt tone. “We are leaving. Now.”

I sigh, as I instantly begin second guessing which beast I am better off facing.

We make our way back to the clearing in absolute silence as the first rays of morning peek through the branches above us.

As we finally reach the rest of the group, a snicker draws my attention to Nero who’s standing next to the horses, our makeshift camp packed away in the saddlebags. “Ye look a little worse for wear there, Aramis. Pick a fight with the wrong beast?” he says, with a huge grin on his face.

“Shove it, Nero.” Aramis snatches the reins from his friend’s outstretched hand, causing the stallion to nicker and toss his head. “I didn’t see you protecting my back against a shadow chimera.”

Nero lets out a low whistle before hoisting himself into the saddle. “And mar this shiny new captain’s badge?” he gestures towards his chest. “Plus, someone had to stay and keep an eye on the horses. I figured ye could handle just one wee pony.”

“This pony saved your friend’s life. I’ll have you know,” I retort, crossing my arms over my chest.

Aramis pulls off his torn and bloodied shirt, tossing it at Nero’s face. But with a flick of his wrist, Nero sets it aflame mid-air before it reaches him. The flames quickly consume the fabric in a whoosh, leaving behind flakes of ash that float in the surrounding air. Ropes of muscle flex on Aramis’s back as he retrieves a clean black tunic from a saddlebag. In one swift motion, he pulls it over his head and onto his body.

“Come Sybil,” he commands as he once again ties my hands and lifts me by my waist onto his stallion.

***

I let myself get lost in the rhythm of the horses’ pace as we make our way through the forest. The trees continue to grow more dense with each passing hour. A musky scent of decomposing leaves permeates the air.

We briefly stop at a stream to refill the canteens before continuing on our way. My captors spoke amongst themselves in jovial tones when we first left camp this morning, but as the journey progresses, everyone has fallen into silence.

The longer I sit on this horse, the more infuriated I become. Hours and hours on this damn animal, with little breaks in between have me sitting on edge. The horse snorts, and I know we feel the same way. After all, horses are like kin to me. The poor creature has to carry not only me and Aramis, but also all the “evidence” they have collected from my house. I still wonder how my medical bag, my ointments and some of my clothes are going to incriminate me as a rebel. I just want to slip off this saddle and canter away, but my chances of escaping are even smaller than before.

After my failed attempt to flee my captors, Aramis’s hold on me has only become more obsessive, and all eyes are constantly on me. Not to mention that I am still tied up with magical rope and bound to my human form, unable to access my magic.

Reaching into my pocket, I pull out one of the yarrow leaves. I crush it between my fingers before rubbing the poultice to my aching wrists under the cover of my cloak. The rough fibers of the rope repeatedly tightened and chafed my skin raw each time I struggled for freedom. I run a finger across the iron bracelet wrapping around my left wrist and frown as its magic tickles the pads of my fingers. There’s no trick locks–no real indication of a way to break out of this bracelet. Disappointment settles further in my skin, with frustration rearing its ugly head at the top.

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