Page 5 of Feathers and Thorns

General Corvus looked all too pleased at their surprise and directed his gaze to Soren. “Sure you don’t want to change your mind?”

“Oh, I’m sure,” Soren replied through clenched teeth.

Corvus smirked, taking a step forward. He then fanned out his wings and simply said, “Goodbye, Miss Nightsong.”

Then, his birds descended upon them.

* * *

Jai whipped around, releasing his Bowie knife in an arc toward the kestrel at his left. The blade sunk halfway through its disfigured head, and it screeched as the snow was dyed black. He ran at the creature, grabbed the hilt, and tore the knife out of its face, leaving it to bleed out on the ground, wings thrashing violently.

Corvus advanced on him, infuriated that one of his own had been bested by this insignificant fool. He lifted off the ground, flapping furiously so the snow and dirt lifted, blinding the tracker. Jai found shelter behind a tree and cleared his vision, swinging back around its trunk to join the battle.

Enara was struggling to release her staff from the talons of one of the beasts, her arms straining with the effort. She leaned in and kicked it in the gut, wrenching her weapon free and swinging the staff down like an axe, burying it in the creature’s shoulder. It howled angrily and pulled the weapon out, tossing it to the side as the magic burned its skin, then slashed out with its claws. Enara ducked, running under its wing, and kicked it again in the back, causing it to fall face-first on the ground. It recovered quickly, pushing up and swinging its onyx wing into her chest, throwing her back into the base of the evergreen with a sickening thud. The wind was knocked out of her, and she struggled to stand, begging her lungs to take in air.

The kestrel loomed over her, ready to deal a killing blow, when one of Soren’s knives sunk into its claw, and it doubled over. Enara gave her friend a nod of thanks and grabbed the knife out of its hand, thrusting it upward into the bottom of its jaw.

Soren was caught in a deadly dance with two more of the beasts. She twirled her arms, slashing this way and that, parrying and blocking blows while dealing her own in return. Her daggers glinted dangerously as blood splattered the trees. Her cape had been torn to shreds, and her arms were covered in thin ribbons of crimson.

Jai and Baz were fighting Corvus, side by side, while three kestrels watched, waiting hungrily. The general’s fighting skills were impeccable. It was obvious why Adriel had chosen him to lead his ranks in Entheas.

Baz swung his sword, aiming to behead the creature, but the general spun out of the way and the blade embedded itself in a tree. Baz struggled to pull it out when Jai ran in to protect his back, catching the creature’s forearm with his blade, only infuriating the enemy more.

Corvus slashed toward his chest, and Jai jumped back, but the claws still marred his skin. He hissed as the hot liquid seeped from the wound but swung again, catching a piece of Corvus’s thigh.

The three onlookers jumped in as their general stumbled back, hissing profanities.

“Filthy human.”

“Weakling.”

Baz had heard enough. He swung his sword, slicing its beak off, the bird effectively silenced. He finished it off by cutting open its chest as it tried to lift itself off the ground.

The other two had Jai by the arms and were trying to carry him toward the canopy while he slashed at their ankles. They shrieked like banshees and dropped him toward the forest floor, their feet nearly removed from their feathered bodies.

He fell through the evergreens, reaching desperately for something to hold on to. The bristles scraped his face and arms, and he was knocked out by one of protruding branches. His body landed with a hard thump at the base of a tree.

On the other side of the clearing, Enara had jumped in to help Soren and received a few gashes herself. They worked together to knock one of the winged creatures onto its stomach, and then Enara brought her staff down, removing its wings. She smirked triumphantly as they fell, twitching to the ground.

The creature cried out as it crawled on its hands and knees, and Soren finished it off with her dagger. Its brother flew forward, knocking her to the side then grabbing Enara, whipping her body sideways at a boulder. She was out cold, blood trickling down her face.

“Enara!” Soren cried, running toward her friend. The kestrel blocking her path was down in seconds, a knife between its beady eyes.

Baz ran to Soren’s side, and they looked around. The ground was soaked in blood, the snowy landscape transformed into a macabre painting of red and black.

Soren was down to one knife, and her body was rejecting any form of movement. Baz held steady to her side, his vision clouded by blood seeping from a cut above his eye. Their enemies had regrouped.

Corvus landed in front of them, his two best and brightest flanking either side. He assessed them, looking around and clucking his tongue. “Seems such a waste,” he said. His voice was unsettling, making Soren cringe. He flicked his black eyes to Baztien. “If you leave now, I will spare you. We only need the girl.”

Before Baz could tell him where to put that remark, another voice rang out from the trees.

“Touch her, and I will slit your throat where you stand.”

Their heads whipped right, their ears burning.

Rook stepped out from behind a large evergreen, and Soren inhaled audibly.

“What is he doing here?” Baz whispered.