Page 94 of The Shrouded Queen
“What is?”
“The noise!”
“If I ask them to stop, they won’t listen.”
“Could you try?” Now that I said it out loud, it did sound rather ridiculous.
Rade shrugged. Took my hand and led me to the circle of drummers, where he repeated my request. The drummers—none of which were Keir—just laughed and pounded harder. The sound reverberated in my head.
Rade gave me a crooked grin. “See?”
I shouldn’t have been surprised. And really, I wasn’t. Of course they wouldn’t quiet their party for one scared little girl—or for me. But at least I could tell Milena I’d asked.
I turned to thank him, but he was already swept back up into the wild crush of bodies. With a sigh, I fought my way through the chaos. When I burst out into the night, I tilted my face up to the sky and greedily drank in the freezing air, for once grateful for the chill. Inside was far too suffocating.
I crossed my arms tightly over my chest and lowered my eyes, ready to trudge back to my room, an apology for Milena on my lips—
I drew to an abrupt halt.
Bain stood in my path.
THIRTY-SEVENSAMIRA
Enjoying yourself, Your Majesty?” he asked, craning his head slowly to the side. His tunic was torn at the seams, and it billowed out around him in the cold night breeze. His blazing yellow eyes appeared even crueler in the starlight, and when they scanned over me, I felt like meat he was about to carve up. The sound of a neck snapping echoed in my ears.
“I—I’m just going back to my cabin,” I stuttered, making to move around him.
Bain matched my step. “Yourcabin? Made yourself right at home, didn’t you.” His teeth were pointed bear’s teeth. “All is forgiven, then, eh? Marry our king, get rid of the Shroud, and we’ll pretend your lot never rounded us up.”
“Rounded you up?”
He laughed, ducking his head low, glaring at me from under his eyebrows. He didn’t answer me. Instead, his face elongated, fur sprouted, and he landed in front of me as a bear. Fear choked me.
When the Kaldfolk had reached me in Amunet’s room, there hadn’t been much time to observe their animal forms up close. And even when they’d evacuated Netherridge, I was more concerned with the darkness of the Shroud than I was with a pack of bears.
But a Shifter bear wasbig. Really big. Much larger than a normalbear. One bite of those massive jaws, and he would take my entire head off.
Running would do no good. I fisted my hands in my balled-up coat as I struggled to control my trembling. Just over his massive body I could see my little cabin, where Milena waited for me. But it was still a good several yards away.
Teeth flashed as Bain let out a roar and lunged.
Even knowing it wouldn’t help, I dropped the coat and burst into a sprint, but I didn’t even fully turn around before he slammed into me, claws like blades impaling my shoulders as I crashed onto my back. The smell of copper filled the air, and blood leaked down my arms. Hot air and spittle shot into my face as Bain roared again, his weight crushing. His jaws gaped open.
My arms came up, hands shoving his face, keeping his enormous teeth from my jugular. He thrashed, claws digging even deeper. Pain speared through me, and I cried out, eyes squeezing shut.
The Seer had gotten it wrong. I wasn’t going to burn. I was going to be mauled to death.
I worked my legs up under his stomach and pushed with all my strength, trying to topple him. If I could just get free for a second, I could get to the longhouse. He wouldn’t dare attack me in front of Rade. I just had to get inside.
But the bear was too heavy. Bain roared into my face again, blasting me with his rancid breath, choking me—
Something crashed into the bear, knocking him off me.
I gasped, my lungs finally able to expand again. My shoulders were slick with blood, but I hardly felt the fresh wounds as I bolted up to my feet.
Another bear had its teeth locked around Bain’s neck. Every time Bain tried to stand, the second bear smashed his face back down to the earth and snarled.Submit, it seemed to demand. Saliva dripped from Bain’s teeth, bloodlust still in his eyes as he looked at me.
The second bear’s teeth tightened around Bain’s neck, pushinghim deeper into the ground until one of his eyes was forced shut. If it bit any deeper, it would break flesh.
