Page 3 of The Dragon King's Curse
The remaining two vampires still held me. I managed to pull one of my daggers, slamming it into the throat of one vampire. As he fell back, I felt a resurgence of strength. Maybe I would survive this after all.
A blade suddenly burst through the last vampire from behind, emerging from his mouth. I stared at the sickening sight, confusion fogging my brain. When the vampire fell into a pile of ash, I saw his attacker.
A tall, dark-haired man with large black wings. The fae had arrived.
CHAPTER TWO
FERYN
As deadly as the vampires were, there was something about the fae that set them apart. They had once been like the elves, creatures of light and magick. Beauty and whimsy. Some believed we were descended from the same ancestors due to our pointed ears and similar powers. However, the fae were winged beings and the elves were not. Folklore spoke of a civil war that divided us, although nobody knew for certain.
Their king had corrupted their lands. The light had become dark as shadows crept in to steal over their realm. Now they were ruled by darkness and shadows.
The fae were loyal to no one but themselves. Their king was known to be a vicious man, hungry for power, seeking to rule over all the realms. The arrival of the fae was never a good thing.
Injured as I was, I knew better than to stand against a fae warrior in my current condition. Instinct took over. I snatched up my fallen sword and ran back toward the fire. The fae warrior behind me pursued with a slow, steady gait. He made a useless attempt to command the forest to stop me. My realm would not obey him.
The firelight revealed almost a dozen of our people. Dead. Like most magickal beings, our people had the ability to live forhundreds of years. Seeing their precious lives so easily snuffed out wounded me deeply.
Piles of ash were scattered about. The vampires hadn’t fared much better. Fae filled the clearing. They easily cut down those who remained on both sides.
I glanced about frantically for Leif. He was nowhere to be seen, though thankfully, he was not among the dead either. Miranda was engaged in combat with a fae that looked like both a man and a wolf. Many of the fae were shapeshifters, able to become other creatures.
Hurrying to have her back, I slashed the wolf-like fae with my sword. Blood poured from a wound in his side. He whirled around to hit me with a clawed hand. Thankfully, the armor on my forearm protected me.
Together Miranda and I fought him, gaining the advantage. Once she managed to stab him in the eye, he went down on the ground, twitching as he attempted to shift completely into a wolf. No doubt such a predatory animal would have an advantage. We couldn’t allow him to complete the shift. With a wild shout, Miranda brought her sword down, lopping his head right off.
Turning to me, she shouted, “Run. Hide. Don’t let them find you.”
“Where’s Leif?” I demanded, searching for him in the melee.
“Gone. I told the others to run. We’re severely outnumbered. We need to fall back. The fae are here for you, Feryn. You need to run. Do it now.” Miranda gave me a strong shove that sent me stumbling into the trees.
The fae had come for me? That meant somehow they’d discovered that I was a warrior working the borders. If they’d specifically come to find me, then surely they meant to either kill me or abduct me. Neither scenario would end well.
A hostage was a wonderful way to gain an advantage over a foe. Afraid of being caught, I ran through the trees. At my request, they opened to provide a path for me, closing up once again as I passed through. Wherever Leif had gone, I hoped he was safe. If I was the one they’d come for, he would be much safer without me.
Leaving the rest of my companions behind felt wrong. Like I betrayed them in some manner. I should be there. Fighting alongside them. Although if what Miranda said was true, my presence would only cause more harm than good.
I moved with ease, running swiftly, darting between the trees. I’d grown up running through these forests as a child. I knew them well. Unfortunately, I was far from any town or city in our realm. There would be nowhere to hide. Not as long as the fae pursued me.
A screech from a night bird above was my only warning before I collided with a vampire who came at me from the side. He took me down with his heavy weight, sending us both rolling. My back hit a tree, stopping my momentum. Quickly, I was on my feet again, sword held ready.
“So you’re the one they want,” the vampire said, rising with a deadly grace. “They killed my people because of you.”
“Then perhaps you shouldn’t have been hunting my people in the first place. I have no sympathy for you.” Raising my sword, I didn’t bother engaging in a war of words. I was ready to fight.
I lunged toward him, faking a swing, but going instead for a jab. My blade slid into his throat. Before I could finish the job and slice his head off, he jerked back. Extending a hand toward me, magick shot from his palm. Anticipating such a move, I blocked it with my blade, bouncing it back toward him.
Vampire magick could be wild and unpredictable. I didn’t want to give him the chance to recover from his injury. Since itwas only the two of us, I lunged at him again. He did his best to tear the weapon from my grasp, but I held tight. Since I wasn’t afraid to get my hands dirty if it meant winning, I stabbed a finger into the wound in his throat.
He let out a pained shriek. Lashing out, he punched me in the face, hard enough to make my vision momentarily blacken. I stumbled back, almost falling from the stunning blow. A tree stretched out a limb to catch me, keeping me on my feet.
A series of howls echoed all around me. The fae wolves were coming. Forgetting about the vampire, I turned on a heel to keep running. He grabbed my arm, jerking me backwards.
“You’re not going anywhere. If I hand you over to them, then I’ll survive to see another night.” Breathing in the scent of the blood spilling down my neck and chest, he groaned. “By the gods, you smell amazing. Maybe a little taste wouldn’t hurt.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure about that.” Pulling my remaining dagger, I whirled around and stabbed it into his eye.
