Page 102 of Nyx
I bury my face in his hair and sob—great, gasping, mournful things that quake my whole body. Relief creeps around the edges of my fear, but doesn’t dare infiltrate it. Not while we aren’t safe, and not until he’s back with me.
My throat feels like it’s full of sand and gravel, but I swallow and take a breath. “Where did they come from?” The words are so rough I’m surprised Ronan can even understand them.
“I don’t know,” he responds, and his voice is deep in a way that’s unnatural. The stories of his bloodlust didn’t prepare me for the terror of seeing him like this. Everyinstinct tells me to run, despite the fact that he crouches beside Xeni and carefully checks his wounds. Ronan’s black eyes land on mine, with inky veins mapping his skin. His gaze dips to Nyx in my arms, and even in this form, fear shines through his expression.
“He’s alive,” I say, but my voice trembles with the words, and I close my mouth before I break down. Ronan tends to Xeni as he slowly regains consciousness, searching him for wounds. Xeni takes a few shuddering breaths, and Ronan helps him to sit, careful of his claws. I shiver, thankful it’s still my friend inside that body.
“What… happened?” Xeni groans, then hisses when he reaches behind his head to the gash that’s turned him bloody.
“They were military,” Ronan says, and when Xeni focuses on him, his eye goes wide. He scrambles backward, thudding against a trunk as Ronan scoffs. “And they say I’m the drama queen.” It’s strange, seeing him roll his eyes when he looks so much like a monster, but oddly enough, the gesture calms me by a fraction. “They came out of the woods and ambushed us. One of them knocked you on the head, and you dropped like a log. I killed three of them, but there were too many. They were prepared for beasties like me with those restraints.” His eyes shift back towards the camp, and his ears twitch as he listens. “I don’t hear anything right now, but we need to be careful. We can’t be sure that was all of them.”
“I have to get him somewhere safe.” I stand with Nyx’s body draped in my arms. He’s so small, so fucking tiny as he hangs there, and I struggle to tuck his hair under my arm so it doesn’t drag. The knots hurt him and I don’t wantto hurt him. I never want him to feel another ounce of pain. “We have to go.” It comes out pleading, and Ronan nods.
“Let’s get to the…” He trails off, his ears perking up before he growls and takes off towards the camp.
“Ronan!” I bellow, and Xeni climbs to stand on unstable feet. He needs help too, but my arms are full. Once he’s standing and semi-steady, we cautiously follow Ronan’s trail. When we find him, he’s positioned over a body just outside of Nyx’s old tent, and fresh blood stains his chin. Noise from inside makes his head tilt with a predatory interest that gives me chills, and Xeni and I rush to catch up as he shoves the flap aside.
Matuk sits in the cage, his enormous frame shoved into a place not meant for someone of his size. Large gouges slice through his cheek while he cradles an arm that appears freshly broken. “You came,” he gasps, and his head hangs as he releases a quiet sob.
“What happened?” Xeni’s tone is soft as he approaches. I kneel on the ground so I don’t exhaust myself with Nyx’s weight, careful not to jostle him too much.
“I came alone,” Matuk says as Ronan stands at the flap, his barbed tails twitching as he keeps watch. “I didn’t want to risk the others in case you didn’t show. The platoon must’ve been following me. There were just too many of them, and they… they dragged me with them and threw me in here when they saw your group. I… wanted to help. I tried.”
“How badly are you hurt?” Xeni asks, and Matuk steadies himself with a few shaky inhales.
“My arm is broken. Maybe my ankle, too.”
“How many were there?” The giant fangs pushing against Ronan’s upper lip make his words hiss more than usual, and I shudder again, picturing the way he ripped through the throats of those soldiers.
“Thirteen.”
“There’s one left, then,” Ronan says, squaring his shoulders, but I shake my head.
“No, there isn’t. I killed one in the forest before we ran into you all.” He gives me an approving nod and allows his guard to drop by a fraction. The tension in his shoulders lessens, but he doesn’t move from his lookout position. A lock clicks as Xeni finds the correct key, and the old, rusted hinges shriek in protest as the cage door is opened. Ronan comes over to help him stand, and Nyx whimpers in my arms with a small twitch.
“We need to get him to safety,” I plead, and everyone focuses on me as my eyes move to Matuk. “Can we go to your camp?”
“Reyes—” Ronan interjects, but he pauses as I snarl.
“No! We don’t know if they were alone. There could be more coming, and we are in no condition to handle that right now. I will not sit here with a fucking target on our backs just because you’re scared. I’m fucking scared too, Ronan! I’m fucking terrified, and I need to get him somewhere safe because Icannotlose him.”
“What happened?” Xeni asks as he examines the cuts on Matuk’s face. “How did you guys possibly fight your way out of that?”
Ronan scans outside the tent once more before he walks over and crouches beside me. He runs his palm over Nyx’s hair as he sighs. It’s an affectionate touch, one youmight expect to see between brothers, and the softness brings forward the tears I’ve been fighting ever since I heard those footsteps in the woods.
“Nyx saved us.”
Reyes
Theslowtrudgeismade worse by our injuries and Nyx’s weight in my arms. Matuk is parked closer, at the opposite end of the trees as ours, so we make our way there first. We load inside after Ronan helps Matuk into the passenger seat, and I pull Nyx into my lap as Xeni drives us to our vehicle. The military trucks are visible through the trees, and, despite my protest, Ronan stops to collect the spare fuel they carry.
Once he's finished, we continue to Matuk's van. Ronan offers to carry Nyx, but backs away at my snarl. I transfer him to our vehicle, laying him across the middle bench and resting his head on my leg. Xeni stays with Matuk to drive, and Ronan climbs into the driver’s seat. The purr of the engine is a welcome thrum as Ronan waits for the others to leave, then falls in line behind them.
Nyx’s lashes flutter and his eyes dart underneath his eyelids. I cherish the signs of life, sliding my thumb over his cheek until I realize my hands are coated in dark, dryingblood. My clothes too, but there’s nothing to be done about it right now.
“Do you think he’ll be okay?” I ask, and Ronan glances at me in the rearview mirror. The black pools of his eyes have receded until they’re his usual brown again.
“He’ll come back to you,” he says softly. “The string around your middle? The one that always leads to him? He’ll follow it. You’ll guide him home.” A single tear slips loose to slide down my face, splashing into Nyx’s hair as I pull him close. And then I don’t care that Ronan is right there, or that he can see me as I break down. I don’t care that we’re headed to a strange place, or that I need to be on guard.
