Page 34 of Ensii
Ashek cursed.
“We need more light in here,” Talitha panted. “These creatures hate light. If we could just—”
“How did this happen?” Ashek demanded. “It shouldn’t have been able to break our ranks so easily.”
“Soldiers fear, Ashek,” Talitha snapped back.
“Not yours, not mine, and not like this.”
That was true. Talitha had felt more afraid going into this than she usually felt anywhere else, yet she had no explanation. “I’m sorry, Ashek.”
“Not good enough,” her husband growled. “Something is at work here. And we should have been able to hurt it. We were able to hurt the others.”
Talitha had to agree, but she wasn’t sure with what part. Why was he so certain that they should have been able to hurt it? Screams reverberated through the entire throne room, louder and more desperate than Talitha had ever heard in her life, even through her grandfather’s more grotesque executions.
“How did they get the upper hand?”
“I don’t know, Ashek!” Talitha replied, almost screaming. “You’re not making sense!”
“We did something and it made that old priest stronger.”
A voice rippled through the unnatural darkness. “Talitha.”
Her blood turned cold and her eyes widened.
“It speaks now?” Kasrei was breathless, mouth open.
“It knows me?” Talitha gasped, her head spinning in unduly strong terror. “How does it know me?”
“I’ve been waiting for you, Talitha,” the creature purred. Its voice was thick and sticky, the words oozing together. “I’m hungry for your heart. Just yours. I don’t needanyoneelse.”
Ashek grabbed her arms. “Don’t listen to it. Look at me. Talitha, look at me!”
Talitha swallowed, not taking her eyes off him. “Ashek, I—”
“It’s alright.”
“Ashek, we can’t kill this one.”
“There is a way, we’ll find a way. I swear to you.”
Talitha’s heart pounded faster and she found the idea of turning herself over didn’t sound so unreasonable. She was just one woman, after all. It was inevitable at this point anyway. Why shouldn’t she? But, no—no.
She kissed Ashek and then all hell broke loose.
