stinging lines of blood, but
she ignored the pain. Easy to do, since the sinking feeling in her
belly eclipsed it anyway. Even if they managed to reach the safety of
the Fallen Star stronghold, they'd be crazy not to turn her out or
kill her. She'd hunted them for years, venturing out of the city with
the rest of the warrior company to deal death and destruction to the
wolves.
Even when they'd
retreated to the deepest heart of the forest, her clan Leaders had
ordered them eliminated. And Amaia had followed those orders, no
matter what she thought of them.
Until now.
There was validity in
most of the arguments made for extermination of the wolves. They were
violent, bestial. Bitter about the loss of their lands and freedom.
And, perhaps most compelling, they were fierce warriors, renowned for
gladly fighting to the death. It made them dangerous foes, and smart
strategy dictated they be eliminated.
But a child wasn't a
threat, and they'd wanted to kill her anyway.
The wolf in front of
her skittered to a stop without warning, her paws sliding over the
ground as she whipped around. Amaia froze, her hand flying to the
weapon at her side. "What's wrong?"
A whisper of noise
above her was the only warning before a dark shadow dropped from one
of the tree branches. She'd barely registered the sound of booted
feet thumping against the ground before a muscular arm locked around
her body, pinning her arms. Cold steel pressed against her throat,
the magic in the blade biting against her skin and promising a swift,
painless death.
A low, harsh voice
spoke against her ear. "And now the demons stalk children
through the woods. Aren't your glutted cities with their human
servants enough for you?"
The quick death he
offered, a magnificent one at the hands of a foe, beckoned. Amaia
relaxed and let her head fall back against his shoulder. Then she
thought of the girl's haunted eyes. My
death can't be for nothing. "They're coming," she whispered, even that faint movement
pressing the blade deeper into her skin.
Magic tingled through
the air again, and Callisto stood before them in human form, her arms
wrapped around her body as she shivered in the cool night air.
"Don't, Orion. She saved me."
The man behind Amaia
cursed softly, but the knife stayed close against her throat. "She's
a demon, Calli. They can play with your thoughts. Make you see and
feel things that aren't real. If she saved you, it's a trap."
"She saved me,"
the girl repeated, her voice edged with hysteria. "Please.
Please, Orion, I want to go home."
The knife trembled.
Orion swore again and released Amaia, the movement so abrupt she
stumbled and fell to her knees. By the time she looked up he had
crossed in front of her, leaving her to stare at his back as he
stripped off his shirt. Moonlight painted the hard lines of his
shoulders as he wrapped the fabric around Callisto. "Shh,
sweetheart. You're safe now. You knew I'd find you."
"They're still
after us. They're still after her ."
Orion turned, and for
the first time Amaia saw his face, all strong features and hard
angles, with dark eyes that studied her without emotion. After a
moment he jerked his head once in a curt nod. "If you help me
get my sister to safety, I'll grant you safe passage into the
stronghold of my people."
Any safety he promised
was suspect, but she had no choice. "The commander called off
the search. Loudly. Which means he left at least two warriors
behind." Amaia unsheathed her knife as she rose. "They
would have followed us."
As if to prove her
words, a man burst out of the darkness with a sharp cry. Bakar, her
mother's cousin, who liked to fight with handcrafted spears lined
with poisoned blades. Amaia pivoted sharply, avoiding the pointed
stab of the spear tip, then dropped to the forest floor as Bakar
swept the bladed edge toward her.
Another battle call
rang out, one she recognized instantly. Endika. Amaia's belly knotted as she kicked Bakar's knee and knocked the
spear from his hand.
she ignored the pain. Easy to do, since the sinking feeling in her
belly eclipsed it anyway. Even if they managed to reach the safety of
the Fallen Star stronghold, they'd be crazy not to turn her out or
kill her. She'd hunted them for years, venturing out of the city with
the rest of the warrior company to deal death and destruction to the
wolves.
Even when they'd
retreated to the deepest heart of the forest, her clan Leaders had
ordered them eliminated. And Amaia had followed those orders, no
matter what she thought of them.
Until now.
There was validity in
most of the arguments made for extermination of the wolves. They were
violent, bestial. Bitter about the loss of their lands and freedom.
And, perhaps most compelling, they were fierce warriors, renowned for
gladly fighting to the death. It made them dangerous foes, and smart
strategy dictated they be eliminated.
But a child wasn't a
threat, and they'd wanted to kill her anyway.
The wolf in front of
her skittered to a stop without warning, her paws sliding over the
ground as she whipped around. Amaia froze, her hand flying to the
weapon at her side. "What's wrong?"
A whisper of noise
above her was the only warning before a dark shadow dropped from one
of the tree branches. She'd barely registered the sound of booted
feet thumping against the ground before a muscular arm locked around
her body, pinning her arms. Cold steel pressed against her throat,
the magic in the blade biting against her skin and promising a swift,
painless death.
A low, harsh voice
spoke against her ear. "And now the demons stalk children
through the woods. Aren't your glutted cities with their human
servants enough for you?"
The quick death he
offered, a magnificent one at the hands of a foe, beckoned. Amaia
relaxed and let her head fall back against his shoulder. Then she
thought of the girl's haunted eyes. My
death can't be for nothing. "They're coming," she whispered, even that faint movement
pressing the blade deeper into her skin.
Magic tingled through
the air again, and Callisto stood before them in human form, her arms
wrapped around her body as she shivered in the cool night air.
"Don't, Orion. She saved me."
The man behind Amaia
cursed softly, but the knife stayed close against her throat. "She's
a demon, Calli. They can play with your thoughts. Make you see and
feel things that aren't real. If she saved you, it's a trap."
"She saved me,"
the girl repeated, her voice edged with hysteria. "Please.
Please, Orion, I want to go home."
The knife trembled.
Orion swore again and released Amaia, the movement so abrupt she
stumbled and fell to her knees. By the time she looked up he had
crossed in front of her, leaving her to stare at his back as he
stripped off his shirt. Moonlight painted the hard lines of his
shoulders as he wrapped the fabric around Callisto. "Shh,
sweetheart. You're safe now. You knew I'd find you."
"They're still
after us. They're still after her ."
Orion turned, and for
the first time Amaia saw his face, all strong features and hard
angles, with dark eyes that studied her without emotion. After a
moment he jerked his head once in a curt nod. "If you help me
get my sister to safety, I'll grant you safe passage into the
stronghold of my people."
Any safety he promised
was suspect, but she had no choice. "The commander called off
the search. Loudly. Which means he left at least two warriors
behind." Amaia unsheathed her knife as she rose. "They
would have followed us."
As if to prove her
words, a man burst out of the darkness with a sharp cry. Bakar, her
mother's cousin, who liked to fight with handcrafted spears lined
with poisoned blades. Amaia pivoted sharply, avoiding the pointed
stab of the spear tip, then dropped to the forest floor as Bakar
swept the bladed edge toward her.
Another battle call
rang out, one she recognized instantly. Endika. Amaia's belly knotted as she kicked Bakar's knee and knocked the
spear from his hand.
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