Page 126 of Saints & Sinners

“Shit. Grace!” Brandon yelled out as he and Silas burst through the trees. Helping me to my feet, his eyes scanned my face and blew a breath of relief. “What happened?”

I nodded, brushing dirt off my uniform. “I was just trying to help her.”

“Molly doesn’t take any help from anyone.” Silas snorted, then muttered under his breath. “Guardians.”

Right.

“I need to find Marnie,” I said, glancing at the tall trees. “She might be hurt—”

I didn’t finish as a deep, guttural growl sounded behind us.

Brandon’s and Silas’s eyes widened comically as I slowly turned around.

It was another beast, this one larger than the last. Its body rippled with dark energy as its glowing eyes locked onto us.

Silas raised a branch.

Oh, he had to be kidding me.

“Seriously?” I hissed. “You’re one of the best Warriors out there, yet you choose a branch as a weapon?”

Silas’s eyes never left the beast. “Trust me, a branch can be just as effective as a regular weapon.”

The creature growled again, the sound rumbling through the air as it stepped forward, setting every single one of my nerves on fire.

My hand shook as I gripped the blade Hunter had given me earlier.

“Maybe we should run,” Brandon whispered, but before I could scold him, a branch snapped behind us, and I spun around.

Marnie stumbled through the underbrush, her uniform torn as she clutched her side, her hands glowing faintly with healing energy.

Relief and worry crashed into me at once, but she waved me off, wincing. “Got caught by some Messenger earlier, but I’m fine. Where did you get the dagger?”

“Hunter,” I said quickly, glancing back at the monster. Its eyes locked on us as it crouched low, preparing to strike.

“Shit,” Silas whispered before the creature lunged at us, and Brandon shoved me to the side, his spear raised to intercept it.

“Go!” he shouted, and for once, we all agreed.

We scattered, tearing through the forest in different directions,and the creature’s growls faded slightly behind me.

Marnie caught up to me, her breath ragged but steady. “What’s the plan?” she gasped.

“I don’t know,” I admitted shamefully. “Find the sigil stones? Hope we don’t run into more of those shadow creatures?”

“Well,” she panted. “It’s better than nothing.”

I agreed.

We slowed down slightly as the forest opened into a clearing, and moonlight spilt onto the ground in pale patches. In the center of the clearing was a tall, sleek pillar with a sigil stone atop it.

“What the hell is this place?” I whispered, not intending to get an answer out of it, but Marnie had already opened her mouth to explain.

“Different realms, I think. I heard this is the hardest competition we’ve done so far.”

Just my luck to get stuck with the hardest competition of all.

I stared at the stone as it pulsed faintly with golden light. However, the sight of it didn’t give me any hope.

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