Page 46 of Lucifer's Mirror
Beside me, Thanouq and Therion are talking quietly. Khaosti nudges his horse over to join us.
“We fight?” he asks.
“Yes, we fight,” Thanouq replies, and I wonder who he’s including in the “we.” I wish I had a gun. But clearly, they don’t exist in this world. “But not here,” Thanouq continues. “They’ll surround us within moments. We need to find somewhere we can guard our backs.”
He looks around, searching the landscape. In the distance, there’s a small range of hills rising up from the grassy plain. “That’s the best we can do. And it’s going to be a close thing.”
“Then let’s go,” Khaosti says, already swinging his horse around.
I can’t resist looking back just once. And I sort of wish I hadn’t. I can see individuals in the smoke now, see the gleam of their crimson eyes. Long, lean wraiths that look vaguely human, as I presume they once were. Or something similar. I glance at Zayne; he’s rubbing his neck. Does he remember?
“Ride,” Thanouq yells. “Ride as though your lives depend on it.” And with no further words, we’re off. Thanouq takes the lead again, followed by Therion and me, Zayne, then Khaosti. But soon I forget everything because we're going faster than I’ve ever gone before. The horses are in a flat-out gallop, low to the ground, and I’m leaning over Stella’s neck.
There’s a small stream approaching, and I don’t even try to check her. I just close my eyes and try not to think about crashing to the ground as she takes to the air. Then we’re racing again. Stella is fast, and in moments, we come up parallel with Therion. I can smell the sweat rising from her skin. Her shoulders are steaming, but still, we go.
I look behind me, but my hair has come loose, and it gets in my face. So, I just face forward and let her go. Now, the grassy surface is changing to rocks and boulders, and she stumbles but rights herself.
Finally, we’re in the hills. We slow slightly and wind our way through a small valley. At the far end, there’s a steep rise, and Thanouq pulls up in front of it. The rest of us stop beside him. He’s off in a moment, but I just sit there. I turn around, but our followers are lost behind the hill. I’m breathing hard, even though I’ve done very little, and beneath me, Stella matches me breath for breath. I scratch her shoulder—she’s so good—then slide onto the ground. My knees are weak, and I almost collapse, grabbing the saddle to stay upright.
The others are also down. Thanouq hands his reins to Therion, and Khaosti brings his horse over and gives the reins to me. Zayne looks between them.
“What are we going to do?” he asks.
“We’re going to fight,” Khaosti replies.
I’m still not quite sure who he means—whether he’s including me or not. But that’s unlikely. I doubt Khaosti has a very high opinion of my fighting skills.
“Therion,” Thanouq says, “look after these two. Make sure nothing happens to them. If we go down, you take them to the Crone. You understand? You do not join the fight. If things look like they’re going bad, you get them out of here.”
Therion doesn’t look happy, but I’m guessing this is something they’ve discussed before, and he gives a curt nod.
“I can fight,” Zayne says.
I look toward him and go still. Then I swallow slowly. His eyes have changed. Lizard’s eyes glare out from Zayne’s face.
“Not happening,” Khaosti replies.
“What am I, useless? I can shift. I can feel it.”
Khaosti snorts. “I have no doubt. But you’re a liability right now. You have no control, and you’re as likely to kill us as our enemies. Just stay out of the way.”
I feel he could have been a little more diplomatic, but then he doesn’t know Zayne like I do. And I can see that staying out of the way is not going to happen. Zayne is losing it. Steam is coming out of his ears. His eyes gleam, and his skin seems to shudder. I have a super bad feeling about this. Without warning, Khaosti steps up close, raises his hand, and clips Zayne under the chin. Zayne’s head snaps back, and he collapses to his knees, then to the ground. He’s out cold.
“Sorry,” Khaosti says, “but we don’t have time.”
I stare from Khaosti to Zayne’s unconscious body. I can’t believe he just did that, but at the same time, I sort of understand why. Zayne is not stable right now, and the thought of letting loose whatever is inside him is maybe even scarier than the shadowguard that are coming after us.
“You know what to do,” Khaosti says to me. “If things go bad, you run.”
I’m not sure I’m telling the truth, but I nod anyway because I can see the first of the shadowguard appearing around the hill. Somebody needs to do something fast.
I watch as Thanouq and Khaosti head out on foot. “What are they doing?” I can’t help asking.
But as they move away, a change happens. There’s a shimmer in the air, and where Khaosti was walking, a huge wolf now pads along. I look toward Thanouq and see his own transformation come over him.
Oh, my God, what the fuck is he?
His body is that of a huge lion, sleek and powerful, covered in a coat of golden fur that shimmers in the sunlight. Muscles ripple beneath the surface, and his tail flicks with controlled energy, ending in a tuft of fur that matches the dark mane adorning his neck.
