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“Do you need to turn?” Tegan asked as she drew her short sword from her side. Armed with both weapons, she quickly pulled her hood over her head, using the side pins to keep it in place.
“I will remain in this form with you,” Marcus told her as he too drew weapons. “I will turn if I need to, but not yet.” Tegan glanced at him once over her shoulder, and his amber glowing eyes met hers. “Are you ready for this, Elite Sentinel?”
“It is naught but a test, Alpha,” she answered him confidently.
“Leonid is right to be so proud of you,” Marcus murmured as once again, the ghostly whisper travelled over the trees and into the clearing with them.
“Thank you.” Tegan tightened her grip on the pommel of her long sword.
“Tiger, I wait for you.”
The moon was suddenly covered by clouds, and the night got darker. Tegan glanced at the sky once in admonishment at hiding it at the time when she needed it most. Her grip was steady on her weapons, her hood drawn, her stance firm. She ran one more check, assessing everything. Quickly, so quickly she startled Marcus, she dropped her backpack and threw it carelessly away from her. She didn’t need the burden of its weight or the burden of losing her footing because she couldn’t see it in the dark and fell over it, she did not have the benefit of a Lycan’s night vision.
“Tiger, I am coming for you.”
“Don’t react,” Marcus warned her softly.
“Tiger, I need you.” The voice sounded as if it were surrounding them, but there was nothing in the clearing, nothing to be seen, only darkness.
“Only darkness,” Tegan whispered in sudden understanding. “Marcus, it’s not Drakhyn, it’stheDarkness.”
“I know, child.” Marcus’s voice was tight. “That doesn’t mean it travels alone.”
“Alpha.” Her voice shook, and she subconsciously stepped closer to the Lycan.
“I have you, you are strong, you must fight it,” Marcus whispered urgently.
“How?” Tegan spun slowly once more, peering into the night. “I cannot fight what I cannotsee.”
“You can,” Marcus said as he gripped her arm. “Calm your heart, child, I can hear it racing.”
Tegan could feel her hands shaking. Her hands had never been unsteady in battle before; she prided herself in being calm in the face of battle. Being emotional cost lives.
“Tiger, why do you resist me? Look what I have done for you.You.”
“What does it mean?” Tegan asked Marcus. “What has it done?”
“I don’t know,” he admitted tightly.
“Tiger.”
The voice sounded impatient, and Tegan forced herself to calm down, her grip once again tight on her sword. From nowhere, a strong wind blew around them, swirling around them, blinding their already limited sight.
“Tegan!” Marcus dropped suddenly as the Drakhyn leapt through the darkness, talons outstretched, ready to attack.
Tegan reacted automatically, spinning, blocking, kicking, swinging her sword, she fought them as they rushed her and Marcus. She had no idea if the Lycan was faring any better than she was, but she could hear howls of pain and knew the Lycan was fighting as hard as she was. Her short sword thrust upwards, through the Drakhyn’s throat into its brain, and with a push, she sent it falling backwards onto its brethren who circled the tight duo fighting against them.
“Stop!”
The Drakhyn halted, almost as if a switch had been flipped and they were immobile. Tegan straightened as she felt blindly behind her for Marcus.
“Are you okay?” Marcus’s voice was a murmur.
“Yes, what’s happening?”
“You will come to me, tiger, or I will kill them all.”
Abruptly the clouds moved past, the moon once more shone brightly and the clearing was once again illuminated in the night.
