Page 74 of Brody
“They’re hunting like a unit,” I said quietly.“Like parts of a hive mind.”
“Ridge legends say they were created by the Fae to guard revered sites,” Brody replied, tracking the closest creature’s movements.“Engineered for coordinated defense.”
One lunged toward me, its upper limbs extended to reveal fully extended venomous claws.I ducked under its strike, driving my knife up into the soft tissue beneath its jaw.Foul-smelling ichor sprayed across my arm, burning like acid where it touched exposed skin.
The wounded Swarmer made a sound like grinding metal, the bristles on its neck standing erect as it communicated its pain to the pack.Immediately, the others adjusted their strategy, two moving to protect the injured member, while three focused their attention on Brody.
Beside me, Brody fought with brutal efficiency, his movements a blur of controlled violence.His fists connected with a Swarmer’s multiple eyes, the creature shrieking as the delicate structures shattered, glowing-in-the-dark teal fluid spraying in an arc.Another creature lunged at Brody’s exposed back, and without thinking, I kicked out, catching it mid-leap and sending it crashing into a tree trunk.
“On your left!”Brody shouted.
I spun, narrowly avoiding claws that would have eviscerated me.The Swarmer had reared up onto its hind legs, now towering nearly twelve feet tall, its massive shadow engulfing me completely.In this position, I could see the glowing gland at the base of its spine, pulsing with the same teal light as its eyes.
My heart pounded with adrenaline, time slowing to crystal clarity as I assessed the threat.Six against two.Not ideal odds, but not impossible.
The largest Swarmer charged Brody, its maw opening to reveal rows of jagged, gore-stained teeth.The subsonic rumble from its throat intensified, a primal sound that triggered an instinctive fear response.I steeled myself against it, remembering stories of hunters paralyzed by terror before being torn apart.
Brody met it head on, grappling with the creature in a display of raw strength that made my breath catch.His hands locked around its throat, muscles straining as he forced it backward.The creature’s sound-bristles vibrated frantically, emitting signals that made my head pound.
“Rozi, the knife!”he called.
I tossed him my blade, watching as he drove it deep into the creature’s throat.It let out a high-pitched keening sound that made my ears ring, its legs thrashing as it died.
The remaining Swarmers reacted instantly to their packmate’s death, emitting a synchronized subsonic sound so powerful it momentarily disoriented me.My vision swam, reality shifting and distorting at the edges, a defense mechanism.They were using infrasound to induce vertigo in their prey.
“Don’t listen to their sounds,” I called to Brody, fighting the disorientation.“They’re using inaudible frequencies to confuse us.”
The Swarmers shifted, herding us toward a cliff edge with calculated precision.I felt the trap closing around us.
“They’re trying to separate us,” I realized aloud.“Working as a unit.”
“Not going to happen,” Brody growled, his hand finding mine.We moved as one entity, his strength, my speed; his power, my precision.When he lifted me, I drove my boot into the Swarmer’s eyes.Four creatures down.Two remaining.
The largest of the survivors was charging from my right, but I was focused on the one directly ahead.I didn’t see the danger until Brody suddenly shouted my name.
“Rozi, behind you!”
Time seemed to slow as I turned, catching sight of the massive creature lunging toward me, claws extended.I started to pivot, knowing I wouldn’t fully escape its attack range.
Then Brody was there, moving with impossible speed.He shoved me clear, the momentum carrying me several feet away.In the same motion, he twisted to face the creature, but the maneuver left him off-balance for a crucial half second.
The Swarmer’s claws raked across his torso, tearing through fabric and flesh with sickening ease.Six parallel gashes opened across his chest, instantly beginning to weep with blood.
“No!”I screamed, rage and fear flooding my system as Brody staggered back.
Despite his injury, he met the creature with a roar that was more wolf than human, his body beginning to shift.Bones cracked and reformed, muscles bulging beneath his skin as he caught the Swarmer mid-leap.His half-changed hands, still human but with deadly wolf claws, ripped through the beast’s thick fur, finding soft spots to tear into.
His eyes met mine for a brief moment, a flash of satisfaction visible despite his pain.The choice had been instinctive, the mate bond compelling him to protect me even at his own expense, regardless of my ability to fight.
The final creature turned to flee, its sound-sensitive bristles flattened against its neck.Without hesitation, I grabbed my discarded knife and threw it with precision born of years of practice.The blade found the sweet spot where its head met its body, and the creature dropped instantly.
Silence fell, broken only by our ragged breathing.All six Swarmers lay dead around us, their midnight-blue fur already dulling in death, the phosphorescent glow fading from their eyes and spine glands.I turned to Brody, adrenaline still coursing through my veins, a triumphant smile forming, and froze.
He stood swaying, his partially shifted form reverted to human as he struggled to maintain balance.The six parallel gashes across his torso had begun to glow, a sickly yellow-green light pulsing beneath his skin and spreading outward from the injury sites with terrifying speed.
“Brody,” I breathed, moving toward him, anger and gratitude warring within me.“You didn’t have to…”
He tried to smile, the expression twisting into a grimace of pain.“Don’t worry about me,” he managed, his voice rough.“Just a scratch.”
