Page 148 of The Hunter

Lacey.

Telok’s hearts lurched as Lacey appeared in his peripheral vision and lunged at the prime kurghest from its right, putting all her momentum behind her spear. The weapon’s point struck the beast’s ruined eye. Telok heard blackrock scrape bone. The kurghest’s head was driven aside, knocking the beast off its path.

Even as it skidded on the mud, its front leg lashed out, striking Lacey. The blow threw her off her feet. Telok thrust himself toward her, but the beast’s tail whipped around.

The sides of the bony spines at the tail’s end struck his head with all the force of a warclub wielded by a vrix twice Zurvashi’s size. It was deafening, and stars flared across his suddenly darkened vision. His body felt impossibly heavy, but his mind was light, ready to float away into the clouds. That blackness was so warm, so soothing…

No!

Telok shook himself. The darkness receded, though spots danced through his vision. His head throbbed, and a high, piercing sound muted all others. He was staring at the ground, at blood and water rippling with the rain, having fallen onto the joints of his bent legs.

He lifted his gaze. Lacey lay on her back several segments away, propped on one elbow, with a hand clamped over her side and water-thinned blood welling between her fingers.

Flames roared to life in Telok’s core.

Lacey’s features were drawn, her eyes fearful but defiant. He followed her gaze with his own to the prime kurghest. Her spear lay in the mud at the beast’s feet.

The beast righted itself. Crimson oozed from its ruined eye socket. It growled as it turned toward Lacey, and the air trembled. Digging her heels into the mud, she slid herself backward, not looking away from the prime.

No!

With a growl of his own, Telok shoved himself onto his legs. Though his mate’s weapon had fallen, his spear remained stuck in the kurghest’s side. The beast loped at Lacey; Telok leapt at it.

It grunted as he hit its side. Spines pierced and dug painfully into his hide, but Telok latched on with claws and legs, clinging to the beast. The prime swung its head back, spinning in place as it snapped its jaws at him.

One of Telok’s hands closed around the shaft of his spear, and he wrenched on it.

A shudder coursed through the beast’s powerful body, and it groaned.

“For my mate,” Telok snarled, twisting the spear and pushing it deeper.

The prime kurghest bucked and thrashed. Telok held tighter, sinking his claws deeper into the beast’s hide, and kept twisting and rocking the spear, widening the wound and pushing the head further in.

When the spear suddenly dislodged, Telok clenched his jaw and stabbed the prime’s side with it again and again. With each thrust, he saw those claws striking Lacey in his mind’s eye, saw her bleeding in the mud, saw the fear and pain in her eyes. His rage burned hotter than the blazing sun, driving his hand ever faster. Even the blood spattering his hide felt cold in comparison.

This beast had taken Telok’s family.

He would not let it take his mate.

The prime’s thrashing turned the Tangle into a blur around Telok. Invisible forces pulled at him, making him use increasing effort to hold on, until finally the kurghest threw itself into a roll. It landed atop Telok, its immense weight crushing him into the mud. He felt the shaft of his spear snap, felt the breath burst from his lungs, felt the spines dig deeper even as his hold slipped.

Somehow, he clung to the broken spear, which tore free as the prime kurghest rolled off.

The beast struggled onto its feet.

“Telok!” Lacey called, her voice cutting through all the other noise.

Telok turned onto his side, braced two hands on the ground, and drew in a rasping, painful inhalation.

With heaving, wheezing breaths, the beast shook itself. Blood poured from its wounded side. Its eye fixated on Telok.

He threw his shield up just before the beast’s swinging foot would’ve hit his face. Wood splintered as wicked claws punched through it, and the strength behind the blow dragged Telok half a segment over the ground. Tingles like pinpricks radiated up and down his arm.

With its claws embedded in the shield, the kurghest shook its leg violently, jerking Telok back and forth. His shoulder screamed in protest; it felt like his arm was about to be torn off.

Straining every muscle in his body, Telok curled up and drew himself closer to his left arm—close enough to reach the shield strap with the blade of his spear. He hooked the blackrock spearhead behind the strap and pulled back. The woven silk cord broke, freeing Telok’s arm. He dropped to the ground.

Stumbling back a step, the beast stomped, struggling to dislodge the stuck shield.