Page 44 of The Book of Legends
A low, guttural snarl rumbles through the air.
I freeze.
The unease coils tighter, my pulse hammering. It’s the same feeling I had the night Mikah stopped answering my texts. The same feeling that gripped me when my aunt died and I convinced myself it was nothing—when I ignored the warning signs, hoping for a better outcome.
A full, blood-tinged moon looms overhead, casting its crimson glow across the ashen ground. The trees are skeletal, their burnt bark blending into the darkness, making it hard to see what lurks beyond them.
Then, a sound—half-snarl, half-growl—snaps my attention behind me.
A massive wolf stands at the edge of the trees, teeth bared, golden eyes glowing like molten metal. Three of Kainen’s guards approach on black horses, their swords drawn. The moment stretches, the wolf sniffing the air, hackles rising. Then a second wolf emerges.
Then a third.
I take a step back, my breath shuddering. The largest one locks onto me. Its lips curl, revealing tusk-like fangs. Its thick fur bristles, its glowing eyes locked onto its prey—me.
My foot slips. A sharp pain lances through my ankle as I stumble. The beast rises onto two legs. I can’t breathe.
Its snarl deepens, vibrating through the ground. It’s no ordinary wolf. Its fingers lengthen—inhuman, monstrous. Its upper lip peels back, its skin the raw color of blood.
A blur of motion.
A sharp grunt.
A whoosh of a blade slicing air near my face.
A strangled cry shatters the night and the sound of water.
Kainen’s snarl rips through the chaos as he drives his sword into the creature’s back. A horrible, ear-splitting wail erupts from the beast as it thrashes, its black blood splattering the ground.
More howls. More shadows shifting in the dark.
They’re everywhere.
“Kainen!” I scream.
The night explodes with chaos.The guards try to fight, but they’re outnumbered. Wolves tear through armor, flesh, and bone. Horses rear, their screams mingling with the snarls of beasts.
Kainen whirls, his blade cutting down another monster. Black blood sprays across his armor. His face is twisted in fury, golden skin gleaming in the firelight. A shadow moves above us.
“Malachi!” Kainen roars.
The wind shifts as the massive dragon appears in the sky, his wings slicing through the darkness. A jet of fire bursts from his mouth, scorching the earth. The smell of burning fur chokes me. The heat sears my skin. I stumble back, my injured ankle screaming in protest.
The guards are gone. Only bodies remain.
The horses flee.
Kainen fights off the creatures with everything he has, but more keep coming. Above, Malachi circles, his massive wings kicking up ash.
“Kainen!” Malachi shouts. “I can’t help you without burning her alive. I can only save you. Tell me—does she live, or does she die with the rest?”
A cold weight drops into my stomach.
My fate hangs in Kainen’s hands.
Malachi can save him—but not me.
Tears burn down my cheeks. I don’t see a way out. Even if Kainen doesn’t choose to let me die, I’m already dead.
