Page 15 of Owned By the Fae
Rikoth snatches the box in his gloved hands and peers at it. ‘Iron,’ he mutters. ‘If Grith hadn’t realized and touched it with his bare hands, he could have stepped back from it and fallen.’
I shake my head, trying not to grin as he runs with my recollection of events. ‘Perhaps,’ I say noncommittally.
‘Well, he’s gone at any rate,’ Rikoth says, stowing the box in his pack and then staring down at the hole one last time. ‘Varrik isn't going to like this.’
I stare down with him, pretending to commiserate. ‘I tried to get to him in time, but I was too far away.’
Rikoth nods. ‘I’ll make sure Varrik knows it was his own fault. He was a cunt anyway.’
I nod my thanks and turn away. As I do, I happen to look up at the hill just as the lightning fills the sky, and my eyes widen as I see a hulking figure by the dead Gate.
Rikoth looks to where I point, and his expression fills with fear just as the familiar stench of the massive creature is carried to me on the wind. I glance down at the hole, glad Grith was killed by such a monster, but I’m not willing to share his fate.
‘We need to get out of here. Now!’
Rikoth turns and runs, not even waiting for the others, though I see them both look up like frightened deer and begin to sprint in our direction with terror in their eyes.
‘Can we even outrun it?’ I ask as we flee, hoping he has experience with these creatures that can help us.
Rikoth doesn't answer, but his legs move faster, and that’s enough for me to stop talking and stay close to him.
I hear the thing shriek behind us, and it sounds much closer than it was before.
I glance at Rikoth. How can we possibly escape into the Breach when the Gate here is dead?
We get to the spot where we first appeared. Rikoth drags a glowing purple amulet out of his tunic and rubs his thumb over it, his terrified eyes locked on the enormous creature that’s loping toward us. I don’t know what he’s doing, but he hasn’t waited for the others, who are still a few paces away between us and the monster.
As it gets closer, I finally get a good look at it. Eyes milky and unseeing, a round maw of rows and rows of sharp black teeth, unnaturally long arms and hind legs like a dog’s with talons at the ends. I wrack my brain, trying to recall what it is so I can remember its weaknesses, but I come up with nothing. This wasn’t in my books, I’m sure of it. Though I’m not surprised. Much of the Dark Realms remains uncharted, and that includes its creatures.
‘Come on,’ Rikoth snarls under his breath, not taking his eyes off the monster. ‘Come on!’
It shrieks again and runs at us even faster. It’s almost down the hillside now.
I hear the hum of the Bridge opening, and Rikoth throws himself through immediately. I gratefully follow and feel the other two flanking me, jostling me to get to safety.
I find myself back in the keep a moment later, sprawled on the floor with the other two elites on either side of me. The Breach closes, and we get to our feet.
I look around the hall. Varrik isn’t here, and I watch Rikoth let out a slow breath, looking relieved.
‘What was that world?’ I ask him quietly.
He glances at the others who have begun to file out of the room, chatting quietly about the mission, I suppose.
‘It doesn’t matter,’ he whispers. He tucks the now dull amulet back into his tunic and looks away, delving into his pack for the Gate box we found. ‘We got what we went there for.’
‘And what is that?’
‘A Gate box. Obviously.’
My eyes fly to his, and I snort, but he ignores my reaction to his blatant untruth. Instead, he raises a brow. ‘Did you think you’re an elite now, privy to all Varrik’s secrets?’
‘I thoug?—’
Rikoth is suddenly invading my space, a hand gripping my throat. ‘Varrik has told those of us who are sent out of the fold not to speak of where we go or what we do,’ he snarls low. ‘So, you don’t breathe a word to any of the other Dregs. Got it?’
I nod, my eyes narrowing as I smirk at him. ‘I understand.’
I pull his hand off my neck and leave the hall, stowing the afternoon’s excursion into the back of my mind for now. Whatever that box was doesn’t matter at the moment. I may have more immediate problems since I killed Varrik’s second. Now that I’m back here, I truly wonder if I'll get away with it because even I know that it's a bit too coincidental that my first mission was the one that Grith didn’t return from.
