Page 39 of The Brightest Night

The blizzard showed no signs of ebbing. “We need to keep moving.”

“You’ll freeze, even with the layers,” Gabe said. “No, we wait it out.”

“You’re not in charge.”

“No, he is not,” Kai said. “I am, because this sledge is going nowhere without me pulling it. We wait.”

“What the…Destiny? What do you think?”

Kai cocked his head, and Destiny’s softer voice spilled out. “I agree with Gabe and Kai. It is not safe for us to continue in this blizzard. The wind chill will strip any heat you’ve managed to gather beneath your clothes and around your body. There is a high risk of you freezing.”

Fuck. “Fine, then we wait and—” An eerie howl cut through the whine of the wind. “What was that?”

“The wind?” Destiny said.

The howl came again, from a different direction now, and the hairs at my nape stood to attention. Beside me, Gabe had gone still as stone, his head cocked as he listened.

Another howl. From a third direction? It was difficult to tell. But one thing was certain: That was not the wind.

“Not the wind,” Destiny confirmed.

“I’m going to go deal with it.” Gabe made to leave the shelter.

I grabbed his arm. “Like fuck you are. We have no idea what kind of wildlife roams this area, and you have no bullets left. We have to move. Now. I’d rather take the risk of freezing over being eaten.”

“No,” Kai said. “We use my lasers. Gabe and I can scare off whatever it is out there together.” His head tilted. “I agree to that plan.”

“Or I could use the green energy to ward them off.”

“Too risky when the elements are against you,” Destiny said. “Your body will be battling to maintain a decent core temperature, and the arcana must also take something from you, whatever that may be. We have no idea what effect it may have on you.”

Unconsciousness, probably. That’s what had happened the last time. “Fuck. Fine. But do not get your asses chewed.”

They ducked out of the shelter, leaving me with a gnawing pit of dread in my belly.

Howls lit up the night, battling with the screech of the elements. What the fuck was going on? Had they found the creatures? Were they fighting them? Shit, shit, shit. I missed my laser guns. My energy blades. I missed being armed. This helpless damsel bullshit was pissing me off.

Long minutes passed, and the knots in my chest tightened. The blizzard battered the shelter, whispering and whining, taunting me for my helplessness, but the primal howls, made by whatever beasts were out there, were finally silent.

So why weren’t Kai and Gabe back?

Dammit. I was done sitting around. I sat forward, about to push aside the shelter flap when it burst open and Kai’s head popped in, his brown eyes wide. “Nova, we have to⁠—”

He was yanked back out of the shelter.

I made a grab for him, missed, and scrambled out into the blinding snow. “Kai!” I pulled myself up, thighs bunching, ready to fight or flee. Probably flee in this case, because if Gabe and Kai were down, then whatever was out here was way above my combat grade. “Gabe!” A part of me screamed at me to shut up and run, but the other rooted me to the spot, to our supplies and our ride.

My heart pounded in my ribs, breath coming fast and shallow. Something was here with me. Watching.

Circling.

I caught flashes of gray against the white.

Whatever it was, it was huge… A bear? Some kind of wolf?

If it attacked, my power would answer. And if I fell unconscious afterward, then so be it. At least the beast would be downed too.

“Show yourself.” Could it even understand me? This was insane.