Curse Breaker (2)

14

Distant shouting tears me from sleep.

I bolt up, rough sheets scratching against my skin as they fall to my waist. It takes several seconds for my surroundings to sink in--a tiny, dark corner of the cavern deep in the deserter base. In the absence of the candlelight, it's pitch black.

"Cas?" I hiss into the darkness. "Cas, did you hear that?"

"I'm up."

A hand squeezes my shoulder. Twisting my head, I can make out his outline in the darkness, the whites of his eyes showing. The shouting continues, getting closer. I scramble from the bed, searching in the darkness for the dagger stashed under the lumpy bag of clothes I used as a pillow. My hand grips the hilt just as light creeps around the corner towards us.

Casimir shoves me behind him as the light floods into the small nook, a blazing fire on the stick. I immediately lower my dagger, meeting Elex's wide gaze.

"Elex?" Casimir's posture relaxes. "What's going on?"

He swallows, trying to catch his breath. "Ereon," he pants, "he's attacking."

"He's here?"

Elex shakes his head, eyes widening. "Veymaw."

The shouts, the echoes of their calls, they all fake into the background as the walls start to concave. Ereon is in Veymaw. He's attacking Veymaw. My heart hammers against my chest. Casimir turns his entire body, tightening his grip on my shoulder just as three other deserters round the corner. I greet eyes with Jax, who barely acknowledges me before shouting an order at Casimir.

"Get your things and get ready. We don't have time to waste."

Casimir picks up his shirt and throws it over his head, fiddling with his belt and boots. It takes me several seconds to register Jax's heated gaze on me.

"What're you waiting for?" he snaps.

I break into motion, pulling my boots over my pants and one of Casimir's long-sleeved shirts over the thin under-camisole. Elex moves to help me, strapping a belt around my waist to sheath two daggers.

Less than thirty seconds later, we're tearing through the narrow passageway, my hand tightly clasped in Casimir's as we enter the main cavern. Trina stands in the centre, a machete in one hand, gun in the other as the deserters rally around her, all geared up.

"This is our chance to take back what's ours!" she exclaims, waving her gun in the air. "Show those shifters what they're up against."

Charged cheers echo through the cave. The firelight casts an ominous shadow behind Trina, dwarfing her small frame and all of us beneath her. I nudge closer to Casimir, squeezing his hand.

"Don't take any prisoners, kill shifters on sight. Leave Ereon for me. Blood of innocent civilians has already been shed and there will be more. Our scouts have sighted public executions for those not handing over information."

Information.

Fear coils in my stomach, snaking up my spine at her words. The rest of her speech drowns out; only the pounding of blood resonates through my ears. My friends flash through my mind--Raven, Jakob, Cadence. Aside from the Red Moon, there hasn't been a day in history where the shifters have attacked Veymaw. Until now.

Because of you.

With one final word from Trina, the deserters' cheers drown out the accusatory voices in my head. My breath quickens as people begin to move, shoving forward towards the cave entrance. I dart my eyes around the clearing, the emotions tearing through me so fast I can't separate them from one another. Terror, fear, guilt, anger. And as I scan the faces of the departing deserters, a new emotion settles in my stomach.