Page 8 of Shadow Kissed
I side-glance at him. “Don’t I know it? I heard their stamina in the early hours of the morning through the inn walls.”
Jasiel smirks. “I can’t help it if I’m gifted with my tongue and my shadows, old friend.”
I laugh along with him. Jasiel and I are like brothers. We’ve known each other since childhood, and he’s always been by my side. I trust him with my life, and I know he will always have my back. I trust Jasiel more than anyone else, even my parents, because he is loyal to me first and foremost; with his loyalty to our realm and king second.
My shadow mare rears on its hind legs when a series of howls rips through the silence of the night. The sound is coming fromthe direction we are heading in. A further series of howls follows the first. I hold up my hand, halting our procession. Stretching my hearing, I listen into the night.
“How many?” Jasiel asks, as he studies me as I assess the situation.
I tilt my head and listen into the night. “It’s odd. They never hunt in packs of over five or six. There are at least three packs on the hunt, and they are communicating with each other. They’re working together.”
Jasiel’s eyes widen in surprise, and he strokes at his dark beard as he listens to the mutts’ howls, now sounding closer than they were two minutes ago.
“Whatever scent they have picked up on, it is causing a frenzy,” I say as I continue to listen. “Let’s set up camp here and I’ll take a search party to investigate.”
Jasiel nods, drops back, and signals the convoy to stop and set up camp for the night. We had planned to travel until dawn to Terleigh, but something odd is happening out there tonight and we need to find out what it is.
“Orym, Finor, and Kymil, you’re with Jasiel and me. Let’s find out what these damn mutts are in such a fervour over,” I order as I turn my mare in the direction of their howls.
5
REYA
Okay, this is bad. Really bad. Originally, climbing a tree seemed like the best way to make it through the night with my life intact. Now, I’m not so sure. I look down as one of the snarling beasts glares up at me and digs its sharp claws into the cold, dark soil at the base of the tree. I’ve never seen a night mutt this close before. And I’ve certainly never seen a pack of thirty of them. I startle when one raises its head and howls deep and long into the night. My poor heart plummets when it hears resounding replies from all directions of the realm. Yes, this is really about the worse situation I have ever found myself in, and Arkynn and I have been in some blinders before, believe me.
One mutt claws the tree, sniffing the air, and its eyes glow through the darkness as they meet mine. “Nice, doggy,” I say, shooing it away with my hand and pleading with it to go hunt for something else. “I’m not that tasty. I promise.” Arkynn would laugh at me if he could see me now—hiding up a tree and trying to talk the mutts into not eating me for supper. I know when tochoose my battles, and fighting a horde of hungry night mutts would be suicidal.
My eyes widen in fear when more mutts prowl from the tree line and join the ever-growing number circling me. I look up at the night sky and try to work out how many hours until dawn. One mutt, that has just joined the others, places its front paws on the tree as if testing out the grip. It jumps up on its hind legs and sinks its claws into the tree trunk. It makes an excited grunt when it finds a good grip, then attempts to climb the trunk. I know my only option is to go higher and hope the beast falls before it gets to me. I reach for a higher branch and in my rush to keep some distance between myself and my predator. My foots slips and I let out a scream as I grasp for the branch above me and stop myself from plummeting over ten-foot to the ground. Another mutt has been watching the brave one, and it follows suit, attempting the climb to reach me. I laugh out loud at no one. Of all the ways I envisioned dying, this wasn’t one of them. Perhaps this is a blessing. Better this than being a sacrifice to some shadow god. I pause my climbing when I swear I hear the galloping of horses’ hooves. I shake my head. I’m clearly hearing things. Who would be dumb enough to be in these woods after dark?
But I’m not imagining it! The sound gets louder and closer and I thank Mother Crystal for her intervention when I see a group of cloaked figures heading this way through the clearing between the trees. The rider leading the group pulls back his cloak and I watch as he opens his arms and dark billowing shadows crawl from his body and seep out into the darkness of the night. Shadow Borne. Out of everyone who could have come to my rescue tonight, it had to be them. The hounds whimper as they watch his shadows creep forward. The other males descend from their horses and stand beside their leader, all of them releasing their shadows. I cling to the tree; my jaw opens infascination as I watch their powers at work. I’ve only ever seen one Shadow Borne before and that was around six years ago when a troop came to collect our soldiers and take them off to fight in their war. I’d heard the women in the inn talk about how handsome and rugged they are. They are taller and leaner than our own men. Their grey eyes glow through the darkness as they use their magic. Shadows extend from them, slithering through the air, growing like a dark omnipresent monster. It is both fascinating and terrifying to watch.
The hounds snarl and bare their teeth at the men as they retreat closer to the tree, almost as if they are seeking protection themselves. The two mutts that have been attempting to climb the tree scarper down and join their packs, forming a circle around the tree, clawing at the earth and dropping their heads low as if they are readying for attack. Something pulls in my chest at the fear I pick up from them. One looks up at me and whimpers and it’s the strangest thing. It is like it looks deep into my soul and pulls at an invisible string inside of me. I jump in fright when a shadow reaches the paws of one mutt and it yelps in pain and pulls its foot back, hugging itself closer to the tree trunk. Something about its pain and fear calls out to me. Will they all die here tonight? And frankly, why do I give a rat’s ass if they do?
As the men’s shadows slowly stalk towards them, they form into a tight group as they retreat into the treeline, and scupper away knowing they can’t win here tonight. The last one to leave seems reluctant to do so. It looks like an alpha, larger than the rest, with a presence about him or her that screams authority. Its eyes meet mine and I don’t know whether it’s the adrenaline or sheer shock of everything that has happened tonight, but I could swear the thing bows its head in farewell before scurrying off into the night with its pack. Their howls echo through the silenceas they retreat. I have been so busy watching the retreating mutts I forgot about the men below that came to my rescue.
“Miss, are you okay?” I look down to find a dark-haired man with hair that rests just above his shoulders with a neatly trimmed beard and strange grey eyes. He stands by the tree, looking up with an amused smile.
“I am now,” I reply, my voice shaky as this eventful night catches up on me.
“Stay there, miss. We don’t want you falling. I’ll come and fetch you.”
“No need,” I say, holding out a hand to halt him. “I’ve been climbing trees since I was a child. I’ll get myself down.” The last thing I want is to accept the help of a shadow borne.
The man arches a brow. “Okay, miss. Go ahead.” He looks both amused and intrigued by me. Grabbing onto a neighbouring branch, I lift my foot and move down onto the next branch, however my bones are stiff from the chill of the night and my foot slips. I cry out as I lose my footing and fall. I scream as I freefall. This is surely how I die tonight.
I jerk my eyes wide open when I realise I’m suspended in mid-air and I’m no longer plummeting towards the ground. Floating in the air, my eyes widen at the shadows tightly wrapped around my waist. My eyes follow the shadows to their owner, and I find myself trapped by a pair of the palest grey eyes I’ve ever seen. He is ethereal. His dark hair hangs over his forehead. His jaw is sharp, and his lips are full and inviting. The owner of the shadows slowly lowers me to the ground, bringing me before him. I wobble on my feet slightly and his shadows reach out and steady me. His eyes meet mine once more, a haughty glare in his eyes.
“What kind of fool are you?” He growls as he looks me over from head to toe. His every glance assessing me and makingassumptions. When his gaze returns to my face, his nostrils flare in surprise when he takes in my eyes. “You’re a Shadow Kissed.”
I wrap my arms around myself and glare back at him. “I’m no fool, thanks very much. You think I’d be out here by choice? And yes, ten out of ten for observation. The eyes are a big giveaway!”
He blinks twice, as if surprised at the way I have spoken to him, his jaw tightening as I find his eyes on mine again. “Yours are different. Darker.”
I snort and roll my eyes. Something about this arrogant man was pushing all my buttons tonight. “If everyone who told me that gave me a dreck, I’d be rich by now.”
He tilts his head, his eyes narrowing as he studies me. “You don’t like being Shadow Kissed.” It’s a statement rather than a question.
I sigh. It’s clear that this guy has a talent for stating the obvious. “No. I don’t.” I look down at my arms to find his shadows stroking me. “Can you get these things to back off?”