Page 79 of Prince of Darkness and Deceit

I try to pull back, but it’s too late.

The creature yanks—hard.

A scream tears from my lungs as the creature pulls me through the opening, drags me against splintered wood, and steals me away into the night.

16

Scratches sting my face. My arms. My waist.

I kick and thrash, desperate to dislodge the monster’s piercing grip. The hammer slips from my grasp.

For a moment, my mind is tossed back to the day the Fae arrived in the meeting hall—to when I fought to free myself from the pull of the shadows twisting my arms. But even then, I acknowledged the Fae needed something from me. They needed me alive.

This monster? There’s no motivator—intrinsic or extrinsic—that would cause it to leave me unharmed. If it takes me into the forest, I’m doomed.

I dig my flimsy flats into the ground, but the klarv doesn’t miss a beat. It continues to shuffle along, red eyes trained on the tree line. A line of saliva dribbles from the corner of its split lips.

Crack. The forge door slams open.

“ELARA!”

Ferria’s flames rival the moon’s brightness as streaks of fire soar overhead.

The creature cringes, just slightly, but it gives my arm another tug. I cry out. Fresh blood seeps from my wound.

“Stop!” Ferria’s cry sounds strained. Another blaze flies by. “Keep fighting, Lara! Don’t stop!”

I’m trying!

Pain sticks the words in my throat.

With each twist and tug, the claws in my body shift, and stars burst in my vision. The world begins to dim.

No!

I jerk my chin. The stars blink out of sight.

I can’t faint.

Not now.

A sickly clicking sound—like a tongue popping against the roof of a dry mouth—comes from my left.

My stomach sinks when the second creature skulks out of the darkness. It roars an approving sound, showcasing rows of jagged, serrated teeth that resemble those of the sea sharks that wash up on the coastline from time to time.

Velcrin.

A different breed of monster, but equally vicious and terrifying as the one dragging me along. Like all forest beasts are.

I renew my efforts, screaming loudly as talons dig deeper into my flesh. But I don’t stop. I can’t stop.

Ferria’s shouts echo through the night. Flames continue to soar, but they’re not as bright. She’s fatigued.

I grit my teeth and reach back to grab the creature’s arm. My hand wraps around the ratty cloak covering knobby bone, my knuckles overlapping each other.

Maniacal chirping passes through the klarv’s pin-thin teeth when the second beast reaches out for me. I twist and attempt to kick it away, but the velcrin’s gnarled fist snatches my uninjured arm, and I’m dragged like a rag doll between the beasts.

The Forbidden Forest looms closer.