Half Wylde | Book 1

Thirty Three: Relief

When I woke up I was nearly wriggled out of my clothes. My leggings were pushed off of my hips, only barely hiding all the parts your pants are meant to keep hidden. My shirt was bunched up to my armpits, one breast hanging out of my breast band.

My eyes snapped wide and I yanked down my shirt, reaching inside to adjust the breast band again. I was beyond thankful for the darkness that blanketed us. I gently removed the cool arm that was still draped across my stomach, then I yanked my leggings up where they belonged.

"Mmm," Schula hummed, rolling over and rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "Is it morning?"

"Shh." Eberon lit his palm, flickering light through the room. He motioned to the door, and that was when we all heard the shuffling on the other side of it.

Thain was on his feet in an instant and Schula and I scrambled to follow suit. Schula mouthed in the dim light 'flesh hounds?' and looked to Eberon for an answer. He nodded, and a chill ran down my back despite the heat from my skin.

Thain seemed to grow, his fingers sharpening into claws, his fangs growing larger, and his eyes almost glowed. His glamour was starting to fade.

"Eb, open the door," he commanded.

Eberon let his fire go out and he pushed the door open. In a blur of midnight fury Thain was outside and tearing into something. I saw blood splatter right before Schula covered my eyes.

"Come on, Wren." She grabbed my arm and lead me out. "We're running on ahead."

"I'm staying with Thain in case he has trouble coming back to us," Eberon said. "Go on, we'll catch up."

Schula practically dragged me through the door. Thian had pushed the fight into the trees, the one place they told me not to go in the Winter lands. The thing he was fighting was huge.

Through the jagged branches and thick trunks I caught glimpses of a horrid creature. The stench of it stung my nose with rot and decay. It was shaped like an enormous wolf without fur, it's grey skin sagged but underneath the skin large muscle gave the creature bulk. It was a surreal combination of decrepit and ferocious. It's eyes were small and dull, I would say it relied on its other senses to hunt. On its back hung strips of bloody skin, laid across its spine like grotesque decoration.

I swallowed a scream and Schula lifted me off my feet, running the opposite direction.

"Was that one of the flesh hounds?" I whimpered.

"Shh, it's okay." She held me tight as she ran. "They aren't usually that big but don't worry, Thian can take care of it easy."

The sounds of ripping and tearing and snarling finally faded behind us. Tears stung my eyes and as much as I'd like to say it was the cold wind in my face, it was partially because I was so upset with myself.

I was the reason for being here. I was the reason the flesh hounds chased us. I was the reason they were so worried. I couldn't even keep up with them on foot and Thain or Schula had to carry me.

I decided in that moment to never be weak again. I vowed to myself to master my magic. I would conquer this thing eating at me inside and I would train harder. I didn't care that I was half this or half that, I had enough of the Wyldes in me that I could run as fast as the rest of the fae, be as strong as them, be as smart as them. I would learn it all, if I could just make it through this one obstacle.

I looked up at Schula through my wild hair. I could feel her heartbeat, it was pounding against her rib cage. Probably the strain of dealing with me and the knowledge of the creature we left behind us.