Curse Breaker (2)

36

The sun's rays struggle to penetrate the thick foliage high above as we venture through the forest. Nobody utters a single word. The moss coating the forest floor mutes our footfalls, and Killian expertly slashes aside unruly foliage out of our path with his machete.

I stick close to his heel, Casimir not far behind me. Any space between us feels like a threat, room for someone, something, to intercept. With no warmth from the sun, ice lingers in the air, burning my throat with each breath.

We cannot see them through the thick forest, but the Saulun mountains loom ahead.

Shadows clothe us as the earth starts to incline. With each rustle of trees from the breeze or dash of forest animals, my mind plays tricks on me, my heart rate at a constant, quickened pace.

Ahead, Killian halts, straightening his back to stand tall. I stop moving, stop breathing, as he turns his head to survey the path ahead. Left, right, then left again. He takes a small step back, his coat brushing against my hand.

"Killian?" I whisper.

He turns his head to look behind, eyes still darting in every direction. "Do you hear that?"

I strain my ears, but all I hear is the rustling of the branches overhead. "I hear it," Juem says, stepping closer behind Casimir. He reaches for his belt, unsheathing a machete. With quivering hands, I reach for the dagger at my ankle, brushing past the gun Killian handed me.

Lei pulls out her knife, lowering into a protective stance. "I hear it too."

Lei appears behind me, making me jump forward. I hadn't even heard her move. "Killian?" She looks to him, her own weapon in her hand. "What should we do?"

"Into the trees, all of you, quickly," he says. "I'll lead it away."

Lei nods, nudging Casimir and Juem towards the trunk of a tall, nearby tree. "Freya," she orders, "come here."

I watch the others. Juem climbs up first, easily manouvering himself onto the lowest branch and scaling higher from there. Casimir follows, disappearing in the foliage.

"I'll give you a leg up," she says, offering her hand. "Here."

I swallow, looking up to the branches above. "What about you?"

"I'll be right behind you."

I glance over her shoulder, putting my foot in her hands. My stomach tightens. The path behind her is empty. "What about Killian?"

"He'll be fine," she says, unbothered. "Hurry, we don't have time."

I take the leg up, launching into the tree. The bark scratches against the fabric of my coat, bunching my trousers up my leg. I glance down at Lei, clambering up behind me. "Keep going!" she whispers.

I climb higher, only stopping once my view of the ground is almost entirely obscured by the branches below. Lei swings herself up onto the trunk opposite me, straddling it in the same way.

I open my mouth, heart hammering against my chest. Lei reaches out, covering my lips before anything comes out. With her free hand, she points down below. I follow her finger.

That's when I see it.

Silent and deadly, the beast prowls through the underbrush, halting only at the edge of where we rest in the trees. My heart hammers as it sniffs the air, bones of its spine poking through its fur. Hungry.

The bark of the tree digs into my nails as I grip the branch. The shifter prowls in a circle, sniffing the air for a few more moments, before darting its head in the direction Killian went. It shoots off.