Page 58 of The Endless War

Keris lifted his own knife as the man, thecreature, stepped forward, snickering and giggling, the sound bouncing off the trees.

Then it froze, head cocked. Listening. It shrieked and Keris jumped, readying for an attack, but it scuttled away into the darkness.

Keris didn’t move. Didn’t speak. Didn’t breathe, as he waited.

A woman stepped into the moonlight.

His heart skipped, and he took a step toward her. “Valcotta—”

He broke off as she lifted her face. Young. Valcottan. But not Zarrah.

“I see you’ve met Flay,” she said. “Not the ideal introduction to the island, but far from the worst.”

There was worse than that here?

“He didn’t give his name.” Keris’s fingers tightened on his knife. “And he wasn’t alone.”

She laughed. “Flay is always alone, but never alone, if you get my meaning.”

“I don’t.”

With complete disregard for his weapon, she came closer. “Flay collects identities, so to speak. What you saw were the many faces of Flay, but he’s only one man. If you can call him a man at all.”

“Fuck me,” Aren muttered. “Someone needs to kill that thing.”

“Many have tried,” she answered. “But apparently, it’s hard to kill a demon. Name’s Daria, by the way. Welcome to Devil’s Island.” She hesitated. “Where did you get the weapons?”

Shit.

“There were men on the beach when we arrived,” Aren answered. “They attacked us, but we killed them and took their weapons.”

“I see.” Daria huffed out an amused breath. “An exciting arrival indeed.” She motioned at Keris to follow. “We’ll take you back to camp and explain things, all right?”

Keris cast a backward glance over his shoulder. “Isn’t camp that way?”

“Acamp is that way,” Daria answered. “But you boys walk into that camp uninvited, they’ll kill you, especially if you’ve already done in a pair of Kian’s men. I’ll only kill you if you piss me off, understood?”

“Understood,” Aren said, even as Keris fought the urge to ask about Zarrah.

“Good, then let’s go. There are worse things than Flay to encounter here if we linger in the dark.”

As they followed Daria, more men and women stepped out of the darkness to flank them. All skin and bones. All wearing little more than rags. All armed to the teeth.

But none of them wore human skin, which was a significant point in favor of going with them.

“So,” Daria said. “What did you do to end up in this shithole?”

“Bar fight in Pyrinat,” Aren lied without hesitation. “Got a bit out of hand, which would have been forgivable if not for the fact one of the men left on the floor was some relative of the Empress.”

Daria snorted. “Fair enough. And you?” She looked at Keris, then chuckled. “What crime did you commit? Breaking wind in a library?”

Aren guffawed and Keris glared at him, but the other man only smirked and said, “He pushes those who piss him off out of towers.”

“Must be a politician, then. Though we don’t see many Maridrinian politicos in Valcotta, and most are executed and fed to the dogs, not sent here.”

“Lucky me,” Keris muttered.

“If you are alive, there is hope,” Daria answered. “Can’t say the same if you’re being pushed out a dog’s arsehole.”

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