Page 24 of Born of Starlight
“Whatnow?” Emmerick ground out.
We rose to face whatever beast was fierce enough to make the remaining two Lynx yelp and scurry away into the dark woods.
Brennac superstition claimed that bad things happened in threes. We were about to meet our third opponent within twenty-four hours. Emmerick’s non-sword hand steadied me by my scraped elbow as a creature with black fur and the face of a wolf towered over us.
It was no wolf. For one, it was too large. For another, its head was spiked with two sharp horns, and its great paws struck the ground with talons like a falcon scraping at root bark.
We slowly backed away with our swords drawn.
It was a creature that didn’t exist in any book I’d come across. I had an awful impulse to reach out and touch its hauntingly beautiful black coat. The beast shook the Lynx in its powerful jaw—the last signs of life faded from the Lynx’s eyes, and its body went limp.
“Drop that. It’s too foul to eat,” a voice drawled casually from behind the beast.
The creature released the Lynx from its mouth reluctantly, letting the lifeless body drop with a wet thud.
As blood ran down the beast’s chin, it prowled toward us.
“Who are you?” That same smooth voice spoke to us.
A figure emerged at the beast’s side—a man of average height. His features were hidden under a dark green cloak hood.
“I am Sir Emmerick, Constable of Luz. We mean you no harm. We are just passing through.”
The young Commander had enough bravery for the both of us—I was frightened mute. My hand trembled, betraying my otherwise stoic expression. While the thought of being eaten alive by the Lynx had been unpleasant, the horror of what was before me was worse.
“There is nothing beyond here but the Wastelands. What about the girl? Who is she?”
Girl.I was too frightened to be offended by that slight.
The creature grew closer.
Emmerick tensed beside me, still clutching my elbow. This wasn’t a beast we had any hope of defeating on our own, and it seemed to be at the command of this man. While he did just save us, he also wasn’t calling his beast back.
A lump grew in my throat—Sources, tell me this isn’t the warlock we’re trying to find.The Queen had been foolish to think me and Emmerick capable of this, if so.
I finally found words. “I am Asterie, High Enchantress of the Central Corridor.”
The man laughed at that, an odd response. His deep-bellied laughter would have sounded jovial and pleasant in other circumstances.
“Oh, aHigh Enchantress. Nowthatis ironic.”
The irony was lost on me.
The creature grew so close that its nose touched my ear and smelled my hair. The iron scent of Lynx blood hung heavy on its breath.
“We mean you no harm. We are looking for a warlock that is bound to these woods. The Queen of Luz has sent us.” Emmerick spoke for us again.
The beast pressed its nose into my shoulder, further bloodying my dark robes. Meeting its gaze, I stared into one of its beady dark eyes and pleaded in a hushed whisper, “Peace Prevail. Please, please, don’t hurt us.”
I’d never begged for my life before—it was against the Order to put my life above the needs of the Corridors. The creature’s eyes seemed to soften. Then, it laid down at my feet and put the tip of its huge, bloodied nose over my boot. The only thing holding me upright on my shaking knees was Emmerick’s grip on my arm.
“Intriguing,” the mystery man mumbled.
He stepped closer and pulled his dark green hood down. It wasn’t easy to make out his features in the fogged darkness, but the soft glow of the moon revealed a handsome face with an amused smirk. Given the beast before me, I’d expected someone equally as grotesque.
“I believe it’s me you’re looking for then. At least, I don’t know of any other poor saps living in these woods,” he said with nonchalance, as though he hadn’t just witnessed his beast tear apart a Lynx in a single shake of its head.
Emmerick and I stepped away from the warlock—keeping our distance as he continued to approach. Then, dropping my sword, I allowed blue flames to ignite in both of my palms and prepared to throw the flames if he grew too close. A better defense than any blade. The use of magic was forbidden in the realm, but something told me the warlock wouldn’t fight by our rules. There was a reason he was exiled here, after all.
