Page 16 of In Darkness Forged
Human figures… but not.
A quick, shivery glance over her shoulder revealed one, two… five in all. Tall and silvery-pale, they blended into the moonlit landscape and shared the same athletic builds, long white hair, and elegantly pointed ears. Two appeared to be female, but they bore the same weapons and exuded the same simmering hostility as the males.
“What is it?” one of them asked, her words accented but clearly understandable. Disdain oozed from every clipped syllable.
“Short, dirty, tiny ears—I think it’s a human,” one of the males replied, his voice deep and mocking.
Aislin swallowed her retort, despite the anger that somehow managed to compete with her fear. She did not dare antagonize them, even if it was entirely unfair to call herdirty. She wasn’t all that short, either, until compared to their own towering height.
One of the five strolled casually in a circle until he stood directly in front of her. Then he drew his sword and began to toss it into the air like a toy, catching the hilt each time without even looking.
“Do we kill it?” he asked, holding her gaze and letting a wicked smirk pull at the corner of his lips. “Or play with it?”
“How about both?” One of the others shrugged off his weapons harness and dropped it on the ground. Before Aislin could even blink, he disappeared, only to be replaced by…
Dear gods, it was a storm cat. She’d known the night elves were shapeshifters—the wolf was proof enough of that—but to see it happen so quickly, and right in front of her, stole the breath right out of her lungs.
The creature was nearly as tall as Aislin, and its paws were larger than her head. It could probably swallow her whole without even blinking, and the part of her mind that knew she was being hunted began to wail silently in terror. But she refused to give proof of her fear, remaining frozen in place as those enormous paws carried it forward, nearer and nearer, until its face was only inches from Aislin’s own.
She still couldn’t breathe. Despite her resolution to remain stalwart, her eyes were wide, and her heart hammered so quickly it sounded like a whole herd of galloping horses. And the creature knew, too, she realized, as the cat’s mouth opened in a grin, revealing fangs longer than her fingers.
At the sight, Aislin took an involuntary step backward, as if her body had decided to run without her conscious permission. But she never had the chance. One enormous paw lashed out, quicker than the eye could follow, and batted her to the ground.
No claws, she realized, as she found herself tumbled in an undignified heap, breathless from the impact. It was, in fact, playing with her, and her anger suddenly rose up to eclipse her fear and loosen her tongue.
“I’m not atoy,” she snapped, clambering to her feet and glaring at the feline monstrosity.
It opened its mouth in unmistakable laughter and padded closer, crouching low as if stalking prey. When it was only an arm’s length away, it lifted one paw again, and Aislin…
Slapped it full in the face.
Right on the cheek.
She hadn’t meant to, but she was soangry,and her hand seemed to move of its own accord.
The cat recoiled and snarled, a harsh, tearing sound that ripped through the silence of the forest. The other night elves appeared startled, but one burst out laughing.
“The mouse has teeth,” he observed in between chuckles.
Aislin seized what little courage her anger afforded and reminded herself that night elves were not monsters. They were people, like her. Though that might be easier to believe if they weren’t inhumanly gorgeous and looking at her as though perhapsshewere not a person, but actually the mouse they’d named her.
“I don’t intend to bite anyone,” she said. “I couldn’t hurt any of you even if I wanted to.”
“If you are wise enough to know it, then why are you here, human?” One of the females stalked closer and bent down to peer at Aislin as if perplexed by her existence. “Humans fear us. No one wanders across the border by accident, nor do they drop by for a friendly chat. So what is it that you want?”
“I have a request,” Aislin said, feeling her resolve begin to shrink under the weight of what she must ask. Why would they bother to answer her? Why would they care about the troubles of people they had never met?
“Typical human,” one of the males sneered. “We are the enemy until we have something they want.”
“You are not my enemy.” Aislin began to shiver, probably a delayed response to exhaustion and shock. “And I had no choice but to come here. My family’s lives are at stake.”
The night elves exchanged glances. One let out a quiet huff of laughter.
“At least it has the virtue of being original.”
“So, do we kill it here or take it back for someone else to decide?”
The female reached out and patted Aislin on the head. As if she were a child or a pet. “It’s almost cute. Let’s not kill it yet. Perhaps it will prove even more entertaining in the future.”