Page 119 of To Kill a Shadow
With a muffled growl, I lifted my dagger, setting my sights on my decaying opponent. I raised my arm, sending the weapon soaring through the air before he blinked.
The blade penetrated his skull, a sickening crack echoing in my ears.
Killing had gotten frighteningly easier the deeper I’d gone into the Mist.
The giant of a man tumbled to his knees and fell flat on his face, driving the blade deeper into his own brain. Panting, I reached into the churning fog and twisted the creature’s head, yanking violently on the hilt of my dagger. When it didn’t easily release, I ground my boot on his skull, using it as leverage to free my weapon.
Hurry!
Sweat drenched the fabric covering my forehead, the brisk wind sending tingles across my damp skin. I grunted as I tightened my fingers on the blade, determined not to let my friends down.
With a final heave, his skull split open, and my blade finally came free.
Thank the gods. Now on to the boys.
Hurling the tent flap open—my weapon at the ready should there be more guards—I prepared to strike. Instead of more enemies, I saw two bodies huddled on their knees with their hands tied. They shivered at the sight of me, Jake rocking back and forth as I approached him, my blade raised.
“It’s just me!” I shouted, lifting my hands as Jake tried to scramble away. My voice came out muffled, but it was recognizable.
His brows furrowed as understanding took hold. “K-Kiara?”
“Yes, you idiot.” I sliced through his bindings. “Did you think I’d leave your sorry asses behind?”
“I knew you’d come!” Patrick beamed, the usual light in his eyes dolefully dimmed. “I told him you wouldn’t leave us.” He glared at Jake, reprimanding him for his doubts.
My heart warmed as I cut Patrick’s ropes next. “Of course not, Pat.” I ruffled his hair, and he narrowed his eyes.
“We don’t have much time, so I need you to keep up and follow me. If you fall behind, I won’t be able to come back for you.” I knew they were weak, exhausted, and beyond frightened, but they needed to run, and run fast.
They nodded as a unit, Jake still trembling.
“Then let’s get the hells out of here!”
Patrick seized my hand as I turned, holding tight when I barreled past the tent’s flap and into the wintry darkness. Jake followed at my heels, eager not to become this evening’s next meal.
“Hurry!” I shouted over my shoulder, guiding them to the tree line. To safety. To where Jude better be waiting. I’d kill him if he somehow got ambushed. If he was injured or—
I halted my steps, the boys stumbling into my back.
At first I thought it was just the fog playing tricks on my mind, that the shadows before us were trees—
But I’d been wrong.
Taking shape at the tree line—directly where we were headed—were ten or more silhouettes.
And they were barreling directly toward us.
“We are so screwed.”
“Not helping, Jake,” I snapped, frantically racking my brain for a genius way out of this mess.
“We could throw Jake at them as a distraction. His body will take them longer to consume,” Patrick joked, though it sounded half-hearted.
“Shut it, Pat,” Jake groused. “Or I might just use that plan on you.”
“Children!” I snapped. “Not the time.”
The creatures weren’t stopping. We had less than a minute before they overran us entirely.
