Page 117 of The Witch and His Crow

His hand dropped, but the presence of his touch lingered. ‘You seem so confident.’

Arwyn turned his back on me and faced the gathering shadows. As he did, he answered me. Although I couldn’t see his expression, I heard the emotion in his tone. The way he choked on his words and how they cracked in pitch. ‘You shall see.’

Then the darkness was on us, and this time I didn’t run from it, fight it, or resist it.

I welcomed it.

TRIAL FOUR - THE REWARDING

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

Ilistened to the clip of hooves against stone somewhere in the darkness. I couldn’t see the creature, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t sense its closeness. My skin shivered with anticipation, my eyes wide and darting around, although I couldn’t make anything out in the overwhelming dark. I wrapped my arms around my body, wishing for nothing more than to curl into a ball and pretend this wasn’t happening.

Never had I faced the dark with such fear. But I suppose that was because I never really knew what lurked inside it.

Bahmet.

The name itself was violent and disgusting. My body reacted negatively to simply thinking it, but here in the dark, it is as if the name finally made sense. The word encompassed darkness. It was all things terrible and frightening, and yet I didn’t knowwhatit was.

But I knew it was evil. Because no word should incite revulsion without a clear meaning.

Against my better judgement, I found myself calling out to my enemy. ‘Arwyn.’ His name came out as a rasped whisper. ‘Arwyn, can you hear me?’

Say something. Please.

But it wasn’t his voice that replied. It was another. Darker and tempered, as though I could sense the age of the speaker from the tone alone. ‘Hello, again.’

I clamped my lips shut, biting down on them to keep them from opening. If I just kept quiet, I could pretend that I was lost to the shadows for no one to find. And yet the clipping of hooves was gaining, the stench of decay lingering just beyond my nose.

Hot air rushed out, spreading the scent in a cloak around me. Two piercing red eyes flashed inches before me, proving my horrors to be true. The creature stood directly in front of me.

I told myself to be strong. That seeing my enemy gave me the power. But without Caym, it no longer felt safe in the dark. Especially when my intuition told me I was about to face the creature that commanded it.

‘What… are you?’ I asked the dark.

There was more heavy breathing, billowing steam flooding out the head of the beast. All the while, those two animalistic, burning eyes refused to leave me. They didn’t even blink.

‘I, Hector Briar, am the maker of deals. I am shadow. I am power. I am the beast. Do you not recognise me, as I do you?’

I couldn’t even see my hands before my face. Even the darkness felt thick when I moved my body, as if it was a body of water pressing in on me. ‘No, I’m sorry to disappoint, but I don’t recognise you. Turn a light on and maybe a better look will help me answer your question.’

‘You remind me of her,’ the creature said, ignoring my jibe. ‘Strong willed. Powerful… Irritating.’

‘Whoever that is you’re referring to sounds like fun.’

A loud bang silenced me. Although I couldn’t see what made the sound, my imagination filled in the gaps. It was the sound of a hoof smashing into the ground. Fuelled by its disdain, the creature’s darkness swelled around me, latching bands of iron around every limb until I was truly a prisoner to this place.

‘My last vessel served her purpose in the beginning, before she attempted to subdue me. That was her downfall. That was what led to her death. If only she accepted what I offered her, then maybe, Hector Briar, you’d not have been left forever navigating this world alone.’

‘Speak plainly,’ I shouted, straining against my bindings. ‘I’ve never been a fan of riddles.’

The dark growled. A visceral, throaty sound, part beast and part man. ‘You are a smart boy, Hector. You know exactly who I speak of.’

‘No. I. Don’t.’ I struggled against the darkness holding me.

‘Yourdearestmother.’ Something sharp drew down the side of my face, like a clawed finger mapping out the details. I tried to cringe away but couldn’t move. ‘Do you truly forget me, after we spent so long together? Nine months I festered beside you and yet you treat me with such animosity.’

At its words, the viper inside me stirred. Waking, like a babe hearing the sound of their parent’s voice.

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