Page 25 of Crown of Betrayal and Blood

She doesn’t respond. Before I can rise, the air vibrates with a low, menacing growl. Heart hammering, I scramble to my feet, instinctively reaching for the short sword at my hip.

We’re not alone.

Massive shapes emerge from the shadows, their fur as dark as the void between stars. Black cave cats, their bodies longer than I am tall, their eyes glinting like polished emeralds, encircle us with silent, lethal grace.

My throat tightens.

Ziva’s flames, this is bad.

ChapterNine

“Attack!” The word is a burst of adrenaline, a call to arms that galvanizes my weary body. “We’re under attack! Wake up!”

Magic surges within me, a fierce blaze begging for release.

Around me, the bodies of my companions unfold from their blankets as I conjure a line of fire to protect our camp. Leesa stumbles back from Agnar as he springs to his feet.

“Lark!” Bastian races to me. “What’s?—”

A roar splits the night.

In the dark, past the flames, teeth flash, claws unsheathe, and the night explodes into chaos.

Menacing shapes leap over the flames.

“Back-to-back!” Bastian’s sharp, urgent command cuts through the fray. “Keep them off of each other!”

That’s a great plan.

Except there’s five of us, and I’m farther away than the others.

“Leesa, duck!” The warning rips from my throat just as a shadow breaks through the line of fire and lunges toward her.

My sister drops to the ground, barely avoiding the swipe of claws, but she’s not fast enough to escape.

Agnar jumps forward, sword raised.

The weapon slices through the air as he brings it down. On one of the cave cats? I can’t be sure. My focus is on another dark shape lunging right for me.

Jumping to the side, I grip my short sword, the cold metal a familiar weight. My other hand channels more flame as I roll away. I swipe forward with both hands, chasing back the dark monstrosity as it bares its fangs at me.

The cat retreats.

But only a few steps. The beast starts to circle me, emerald eyes glowing.

Across the camp, Blair and Bastian leap forward, a seamless wall of muscle and intent, to intercept our attackers.

Blair wields a funnel of air that shoves the line of felines back.

A cat sidesteps the air pocket, then dives for Blair, teeth gleaming.

Agnar sheathes his sword, then raises both hands. Thick roots lift from the soil at his summons. He twirls a finger, and a root snaps like a whip. It cracks the lurching cave cat in the side.

Stunned, the creature falls to the ground, unmoving.

Did he kill it?

I catch motion in my periphery, and my gaze snaps to Bastian. Exercising control, he sends sparks sprinkling along the ground, forcing another cave cat to retreat a few paces.

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