Page 34 of Cursebreaker

Three more tentacles take its place, coiling around my ankle, my thigh, my wrist. I lose my grip on my dagger as I’m dragged toward the Stalker, toward the void of white light that seems to emanate from within.

I swipe with my remaining dagger, but it’s no use. The Stalker withdraws only long enough to dodge my strike before coiling once more. The tentacles squeeze, sending tremors through my body, and I feel it—feel the icy sting crawling through my veins as the Stalker absorbs my every hope; feel the joy leeched from my blood as if it were a living, pulsing energy to be tapped. Despair overwhelms me, my grip on my blade looser than it was a moment ago, my assault sluggish.

I crane my head to look behind me and watch from upside down as the Stalker dips low, lashing out at Will before rising overhead once more.

“Hold on!” Will roars, his jaw clenched as he hurls rocks at the creature. “Just hold on!”

Had I called for him?

The Stalker swoops, teeth bared. A rock smashes into its head, but not before it wraps its tentacles around Will’s torso. It screams, a sharp peal of laughter, before sinking its teeth into Will’s chest. Another barrage of rocks forces it to release him, but it latches on again a moment later, and when its jaws clamp down on Will’s leg, it rips, and blood gushes from the deep gash in his thigh.

Get up, comes a familiar voice. Fight back.

The Stalker that has me in its hold giggles like a child with a new toy as lethargy floods my body from all three points of contact.

“We’re going to have so much fun together,” the Stalker chortles as it draws me closer, its jaws gaping, wide enough to swallow me whole.

Fight back. I clench my fist around my dagger.

Fight back. I relax my body, going limp in the Stalker’s grasp as it lifts me off the ground, putrid drool dripping from its teeth.…

Fight back! A scream tears itself free from my chest as I drive my blade up, into the Stalker’s mouth and through the top of its skull.

Darkness fills the white void of light as the Underling’s tentacles fall limp, its massive body hitting the ground with a thud, burying my right leg before I can scramble out of the way.

I wriggle onto my belly, my nails scraping the black stone as I attempt to crawl free, toward Will, who continues to hurl rocks at the remaining Stalker. Blood pools beneath him, whispering…

The Stalker dodges, giggling, and dives for Will again.

“I’m the one you want!” I scream, yanking my leg free and scrambling to my feet.

The Stalker halts midair, its head swiveling in my direction, wings spread wide.

“You came here for me,” I say, my voice raw, as I bend to retrieve the other dagger from where it had fallen. “Not him.”

Will looks back at me with desperation, but it’s as if he can’t muster the strength to speak. Still, I feel him pleading with me, imploring me to look at him.

And even though I know I shouldn’t, I glance his way.

The Stalker shrieks another laugh and pitches forward, barreling down, toward Will, its tentacles outstretched. But I’m already running. Racing.

One of us will reach Will first.

The Stalker opens its jaws.

I’m not fast enough to shield Will. So I leap, throwing myself at the creature, driving my daggers down with the momentum of my fall.

We hit the ground together, and I pull my daggers free seconds before the Stalker rolls onto its back. Its tentacles spasm as it attempts to wrap around my arms, my legs, my torso, but I bring my blades down with another furious scream, driving my daggers into its stomach. Purple liquid splashes my face, my arms, but I withdraw my blades—strike again. And again.

The Stalker twitches.

Again.

The void of white light goes dark.

Again.

“Aster!” Will’s voice is a low croak. It sounds far away.