Page 42 of Burn Bright
"Cas." I grabbed his arm. "We can’t let them dothis!"
The muscle in his forearm flexed. I understood his indecision. He was wolvren, and though the men treated him as the prince’s pet, it was clear they didn’t consider him one of their company. "They won’t listen tome."
Especially not when it came to one of the forest’s guardians. The firebird was a creature in their eyes; a trophy. And Cas was barely human tothem.
The first two soldiers threw the lead-weighted net. Galina whirled into flames, and the net went straight throughher.
Then she reformed with a twirl, her eyes glaring like smolderingcoals.
"Useless!" Hussar ripped the bow from his guard's hands, and nocked the arrow, turning in a fluid movement to aim it atGalina.
"No!" I screamed, slamming into Hussar and carrying him to theground.
He flung me off and I rolled over him, coming to myfeet.
"You can't kill her!" I turned to look for Evaron, who was the only person who might be able to sway these men. "You don't understand. She's the guardian of Gravenwold. If you kill her, then the Darkness might wake! It's trapped beneath theforest."
"Neva…." Evaron's eyes narrowed, but I could see he was far fromconvinced.
I found Cas. "Please. You know when I'm telling the truth. You promised me you'd help. Galina's the only chance we have at keeping the Darknessimprisoned."
"Unfortunately child," Galina said, "that's not entirely true." Her eyes glittered with malice, and she didn't look away from Hussar. "The Darkness is a canny enemy. It's been waiting for men to venture here into the depths of the forest. And you wouldn't listen. You wouldn't turn back. It's been seeping through its prison in miniscule amounts, creeping into the hearts of men already primed for violence. Men with shadows in their hearts. It can sense the hunger and malevolence in a man’s soul from milesaway."
Thosewhispers...
"These men are good men," Evaron replied, and I could see she was losinghim.
"Not all of them. Why don't you ask your good captain there what his orders truly were? What did your king demand you do,captain?"
"Hussar," Evaron said, "what's she talkingabout?"
A muscle ticked in the captain's hard jaw. "She's a liar. She's clearly gotten to the girl. Your king demanded her heart in a jar. Those are myorders."
"Do you have a brother, young prince? One your father favors over you? A youngerbrother?"
Evaron's shoulders straightened, and I could see the blow he took from herwords.
"One your father would prefer to see on his throne in the event this plot fails and he actually dies?" Galina continued. "Why do you think he gave this dangerous task to you? The Crown Prince the common people love? You could die here in this forest. Indeed, I think you were meant to diehere—"
"Enough!" Hussar roared. He drew the bow again, his teeth flashing in thenight.
But that was not all that gleamed. Something shifted in his irises. His eyes had always been a stormy gray but now they were so dark a brown, as to be almostblack.
TheDarkness.
It washere.
Evaron took a step forward, "Wait—"
And Hussar released the arrow, his body turning smoothly at the last moment. The arrow hit with a meaty thunk, slamming into the prince's chest. Evaron staggered back, the breath wheezing out ofhim.
It was the sort of sound I knew I’d neverforget.
"Ev!" Cas screamed, catching his prince under the arms as Evaron's legs went out from underhim.
