Page 83 of Nocturn

“It was well-guarded,” he murmured.

“Turn it around!” A shout brought our focus to a soot-covered man. A second man jogged over, similarly covered in ash and with a slice across his side where blood had dried. He slowed. “Your Highness.” He inclined his head, slowing and keeping a healthy distance from Abrax. Straightening, he smacked both arms down by his sides at attention.

“Report, Sergeant.”

I squinted. Gold embroidery hinted through the grime, denoting a high-ranking Guard.

The man’s stiff posture remained, and he avoided Cassiel’s eyes.

Draven’s voice had a particular intonation when he spoke to others. A specific tone that rattled through one’s chest and urged them to hide, run, or bow.

“Yes, Your Highness.” He cleared his throat. “The attack came suddenly and violently . . . but Your Highness . . .” His eyes flicked as if recalling the horrors. “There were other creatures.” The entire line of Cassiel’s body stiffened. “And we managed to kill one of them. We have the corpse nearing the Barren.”

That was all he needed. He dismounted and reached up to clasp my waist, then hoisted me off the horse.

“Have the officer over there come watch my human.” My shoulders jerked straighter, and I was just as stunned as the man at the claim. “Take me to the creature.”

“Y-yes, Your Highness.” He turned on his heel, retreating to the other man near the mound of corpses.

“There are so many deaths,” I whispered.

Branches crunched with the approach of the second officer. A burly man with soot clinging to him. “Your Highness,” he greeted.

Cassiel did not respond, turning to me.

“Stay here with Abrax.” He turned to leave and slowed. In a move so quick it made me dizzy, he was before me, clasping the bottom of my jaw. “Do not move.” Then he was gone, following the man.

“Officer,” I started, hesitant.

The burly, soot-covered man turned to me. He placed a hand on his chest and slightly inclined his head. “Officer Vernin.”

“Officer Vernin, what attacked?”

His gaze took on a distant look, and he rubbed the bottom of his jaw.

“Something I had never seen in serving with this Battalion for the last six annums. Creatures that are similar to Hollows, but much, much worse. They crawled on six limbs. They were easier to kill than Hollows.” His mouth twisted. “That was not the issue . . . they came while there was still dusklight out.”

Oh. Oh.

“Something’s wrong out here, and it’s only getting worse.” The bitter words made me think of the true prophet.

Harbinger.

I quickly placed the thought in my reservoir of questions to ask her when I next saw her.

“Were there no amulets to repel them?”

“Yes, but in the chaos of the attack during dusklight, a fire broke out at the inn. They picked off the rest of the villagers.”

The horrified, far-away look dragged my focus to the pile of bodies.

“This had been the largest Battalion I had ever been a part of. Four hundred in the Guard. Most were slaughtered.”

I could not even fathom . . . how horrid.

“Step away from the horse.”

The order came from behind me. I slowly turned and three figures covered from head to toe with faces masked similar to the ones that attacked Cassiel and me on the path here emerged.