Page 165 of Vasmora

Kazhimyr wiped his mouth on the back of his hand and shoved another chunk of meat to his face, ignoring his question.

He turned back around just as an arrow slammed into the bark of the tree.

“Get out!” A plump older woman with graying white hair hobbled out of the cottage, carrying a bow. “Get away from there!”

She paused to nock another arrow, but before she could set it loose, Kazhimyr and Dravien turned in the opposite direction and dashed across the open yard.

Once far enough away, they slowed their paces, Kazhimyr bent forward and heaving from the sprint. “Should’ve fought her for it.” He snorted, and hands still bloodied, he licked the coppery residue from his skin, desperate for every drop. Not enough to satisfy his hunger entirely, but it might hold him over a while, at least.

“I’m not sure I’ve ever seen someone so starved in my life. You probably scared the poor woman. You even had me a little worried.”

“I’m fine. Just hungry.”

“What do you say we check the woods there and find a proper meal? And cook it while we’re at it?”

Kazhimyr shrugged. “Sure.”

But as he fell into step behind Dravien, the voice chimed again.

“Kill him.”

CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

MAEVYTH

White sand burned the bottom of my legs as we sat in the open stretch of desert, not a single sign of shelter or food. While we’d made it through the passageway, my mind drifted back to those last fatal moments, watching the bloodbinder reach out for us. Hearing his screams.

Wincing, I shook my head, desperate for distraction. “Where are we?” I lifted my gaze to Zevander.

Standing over me, arms crossed, he stared down as Verena cleaned the wound where I’d been bitten on the leg. “Just outside of Draconysia. It’ll be a few days' ride to Eidolon from here, after we secure the horses.”

Beside me, Daelan tied off the makeshift brace he’d assembled out of some sticks and cloth for Rho’s back leg and gave the pup a onceover. “That should help him heal.”

When he set him down, the pup limped along, before he seemed to adjust quickly, trotting around as though he hadn’t fractured his paw. He tottered off toward the other pups, who seemed particularly interested in his new brace, as they sniffed and tugged at the knotted cloth. Daelan had determined he’d gotten caught underfoot during the fighting, after communicating with one of the older razorwolves.

Each time I imagined leaving him there, a cold chill palmed the back of my neck. It was bad enough that we’d lost so many, but leaving a helpless puppy alive for those creatures was unconscionable.

Our group had been reduced from nearly fifty mercenaries and two dozen wolves to over half for each, though the wolves had fared a little better.

Daelan emptied the last of his pumpkin seeds into his palm, groaning when only a scarce few spilled out. A gash across his knuckles drew my attention to a bit of bone peeking through. “Fuck, I’m starving,” he said.

I glanced around at the endless miles of white sand and frowned. “Where will we find horses?”

“Lothare keeps a dozen, or so, at a stable not far from here,” Verena answered. “A local who watches over them protects them from the dragons.”

I frowned. “A dozen? We have far more than a dozen of us.”

“Some will have to ride the backs of wolves. They’re faster, but they tire a little quicker. And they don’t particularly like serving as horses, so we’re hoping all the horses are accounted for.”

A glimpse of Fennyx gave a good indication the wolves were certainly big enough to carry the men. Even Zevander’s feet would’ve failed to touch the ground on the back of the alpha. Still, it would’ve made for an awkward sight. “Isn’t that a bit much?”

Verena shook her head. “Wolves are strong. They can carry three times their own weight. And Fennyx, maybe even more.” She finished wrapping my wound and gave it a light pat. “All clean.”

It’d be healed within the hour, anyway, but I appreciated the gesture. “Thank you.”

With a somber smile, she gave a quick nod. “Thank you for going back for him. It’s not easy being the runt of the pack.” She glanced back at the other wolves. “Fennyx would’ve left him.” Before I could respond, she broke away and hurried back toward where the wolves had gathered.

“You were incredible.” Zevander’s comment had me swinging back to him, and his mouth covered mine as his hands cupped my face. His kiss burned across my lips like a fiery comet tracing the sky, frantic and consuming. “I’ve wanted to do that from the moment we stepped out of that portal,” he said raggedly, pressing his forehead to mine.