Page 38 of Bound By Love
At least, if she remained free, shewouldfind him again and bring an army to him. Leading that army, she’d carve her way through all those demons and Savages if that was what it took to get him back.
That was the only thing propelling her onward. She could leave him now because she’d find him again later and make all those who harmed him pay for it.
If she was going to do that, she couldn’t keep running with the swords like this. They were noisy, homing beacons for the monsters pursuing her.
Most of the Savages had gone for Saber, but enough still followed her to be a threat. If she didn’t do something soon to stop the swords from bouncing against each other, those bastards would be on her in a matter of minutes.
As she ran, she tugged her sword free of its sheath. She didn’t like running with the blade in her hand, there were far too many obstacles coming at her too fast for it to be safe, but she had no other choice.
She had to rely on her amazing vision and instincts to keep her from plunging the blade into a tree and getting stuck there. But at least the swords stopped banging against each other, and she’d stopped leaving a clattering trail to follow.
She loathed that he’d given her his sword, it was his best weapon against the demons, but she understood his reasoning. She would have sacrificed her sword, too, before letting them get their hands on it.
Caro sprinted around fallen debris and more trees. The branches snagged in her hair and clothes. They slapped at her as she plunged onward at a speed she hadn’t believed possible, but her mate being in jeopardy had awakened something primal and powerful inside her.
I will save him!
She was sure she’d almost lost them when headlights bounced across the road on her left again and three more cars screeched to a halt. She didn’t have to look at those who exited the vehicles to know they were the enemy; theirstenchcarried in the air to her.
Her heart sank, and everything inside her screamed against the unfairness of it all, but she refused to give in. She could still get away, get help, and bring back an army for Saber.
She glanced at the trees, but there wasn’t enough time to scale one of them. And they would all know what general area she’d vanished in and be on her in minutes. Her only option was to keep running.
And then, like the animals they were, the newly arrived Savages released a series of yelps, squeals, and shouts of joy before plunging into the woods after her. They’d been so quiet until now as their bloodlust emanated through each of their screams.
Their noise was more unnerving than the hush, and she wished they’d shut up, but they were doing this to rattle her, and she wouldn’t let them succeed. Knowing she had to get away from the road, Caro veered to the right and started back up the hill.
The climb hindered her progress, but it would slow them too, and the demons couldn’t continue unleashing Savages on her if she was away from the road. The only problem was she could be heading straight back toward the highway they’d left behind andmoreof the monsters.
Thosethingswere extremely brazen to go after her and Saber like this. Countless humans traversed the highway; someone might call the police when they saw the number of vehicles parked on the roadside.
Or worse, someone could stop to offer assistance; she doubted they’d survive it, and neither would any police who might arrive. These things didn’t care who they killed, and that was nearly as unnerving as the creatures screeching like hyenas behind her.
She’d seen so many horror movies over the years, and now all she could think about were the ones with the inbred creatures who lived in the mountains and ate any unsuspecting people who accidentally stumbled across them. These things sounded exactly like those deformed cannibals.
However, she couldn’t focus on the problem of police and bystanders getting killed. She didn’t want any innocents to die, but she’d prefer not to die too.
Sprinting up the steep incline the best she could, she went as far as she could before requiring her hands to help her. Propping her blade under her armpit, she used her fingers to help propel her faster as she dug them into the earth and grasped rocks.
She was near the top when the smell of those things overwhelmed her. Her breath caught as her nose refused to inhale any more of that awfulreek, but it didn’t matter, the taste of their rot lingered on her tongue.
The Savages were closing in on her, and her precarious position on the hill wasnota good place to fight them. She also couldn’t keep going up; she couldn’t see them, but they were already there.
Changing course, she ran parallel to the road and the top of the hill. She went another hundred feet before stones started rattling down from above.
She didn’t have to look up to know they were coming for her.
CHAPTERTHIRTY
Saber punchedone Savage in the face before using his haladie knife to slice the throat of another. He ducked and spun as he kicked out the feet of a Savage running toward him. They’d swarmed like locusts to surround him, but, for now, he was keeping them at bay.
He would have preferred to have his sword, but there was no turning back, and he’d done the right thing by giving it to Caro. The demons couldn’t get their hands on it.
He wasn’t sure how it worked, but he suspected his death would release the stone to be claimed by another. If they had been used to defeat the demons before, they must have belonged to others who could draw on the full power of the stones.
And those others were all dead, leaving the stones to be claimed by them. If they killed him and had possession of the sword, then the Alliance and the world would fall.
They’d have to find someone else to wield his sword, but they still had a chance while they possessedallthe weapons. They might have to find someone for Caro’s sword too, but she was strong, and revenge against the demons would give her a good reason to keep living.
