Page 7 of Corvak's Challenge

There's another crunch of snow, and then a familiar pungent scent—the owner of the cave has returned.

I must protect Aidy.

The moment the thought crosses my mind, a shadow falls over the mouth of the cave. I catch sight of a massive feline head, and for a moment I think the praxiian splice has found us. A second later, a large paw swipes down into the cave, and the creature hisses. I swat it away from Aidy, protecting her even as she cringes back. This is not a praxiian—this is some sort of oversized dangerous snow cat with bad breath.

He's not getting my mate.

The creature shoves his head in further, trying to bite, and fangs as long as my fingers open wide.

Aidy screams.

I grab the cat by its muzzle before he can push further and shove. The thing falls back, and I keep pushing, using my feet to propel myself forward. I do not let go of the muzzle, even when its teeth cut into my palms. It begins to whip its head back and forth, trying to shake me loose, but I hold fast.

Shoving it backward, I lose control when the creature breaks free, his head no longer confined by the cave. I scramble to follow him and keep the advantage. The cat pounces on me the moment I climb out of the cave, and then it's tearing at my hide, all claws and teeth. A cold, logical part of my mind expects this and I'm able to calmly react. Grappling with the creature, I push aside its face and try to fend off its heavy paws, all the while waiting for an opening. When I see the opportunity, I grab it—I grab one ear and then the other, and when the fierce, saliva-covered fangs are nearly reaching my face, I kick the creature's thigh. It's distracted by the pain, and I wrench its head to the side with all my might, using the energy I was storing while I let it take the lead in our fight.

There's a loud cracking sound, and then the creature slumps over, dead.

Panting, I get out from under it and wrench the head again, just in case. Good. One problem down. I turn to the mouth of the cave, a few feet away in the churned-up snow. Aidy's face is just visible in the shadows, her eyes wide with terror.

I hold out a hand. "Knife."

"W-what?" Her response is dazed.

"I had a knife with me. One made of stone. Bring it here."

"Is it not dead?"

"Oh, it's very dead." I watch as she crawls hesitantly out of the hole and into the chilly weather. "But we need its parasite."

She hands me the knife, her face uncomprehending. I kneel next to the creature, thank it for its brave sacrifice, and then sink the knife into the chest. I cut the creature open even as Aidy makes a shivering sound next to me. "Wait, did you say parasite?"

"I did." I pull organs out of the bleeding cavity, looking for the glowing blue filament. I don't see it anywhere, so it must be in the heart. Figures, since the heart is the one that is most difficult to get to. Knife set aside, I put both hands on the ribcage and pry it apart, the cracksatisfying to feel under my hands.

There, nestled in its cage of bones, is the heart, still glowing from within. I pull it free and squish it in my hand like an overripe piece of fruit. From there, it is easy to pull out the glowing filament that writhes and squirms, hating the cold as much as we do.

I hold it out, my arms covered in gore up to the elbows, and demonstrate it to Aidy. "This will save us."

She stares at it for a long moment. As I watch, her eyes roll back to whites and then she collapses on the ground.

I am a touch annoyed that she has no words of praise for my feats of strength, but I remind myself that it is cold and Aidy is suffering. At least her being unconscious makes it easy to implant the creature. I make a small nick on her arm and hold the parasite close. As if it can sense the welcoming heat of her body, it surges off my hand and slithers into the cut on her arm.

Hope I didn't kill my female.

CHAPTER

THREE

AIDY

I'm sowarm I must be dead.

It's the first time in days that I don't feel completely miserable and near death as I awaken. Instead, I feel languid and delicious. There's something heavy on my chest, and the scent of smoke is in the air.

Smoke…?

I open my eyes and look around me, expecting to see the ceiling of that small, shitty cave, inches from my nose. That my feet are still touching cat poop, and if I look up, I'll see endless snow and a glimpse of the inhospitable place we've been dumped. But the ceiling is nowhere near my face, and this time it's rippled, a stalactite hanging just out of my vision. There are big furry blankets pulled up to my chest and another underneath me. The smoke scent remains, and I hear the crackle of a nearby fire.

I wiggle my toes and they're clean.

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