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“Why that hill?”
“Because we’ll be able to see a little more of the area around us. I don’t know where the road is, exactly, but we may be able to see it from up there. Once we can see it, we can start moving toward it. Hopefully, the closer we get to the road, the less inclined the Souldirge will be to keep following us.”
I sighed. “Alright, fine. I guess we should be used to being stalked by now. Will it lose interest eventually?”
“Not likely. Not until we reach the road. If we reach the road.”
“If?”
“The Souldirge will attack when it feels like it can grab one of us and flee without being attacked in return. They’re opportunistic hunters. So long as we stay close to each other and don’t—stop.”
Valerian shoved a hand across my chest, forcing me to stop in my tracks. My heart leapt into my throat, and my heart started instantly pounding against the sides of my neck. “What is it?” I dared ask.
“Don’t move a muscle,” he said. “I’ve just seen a Souldirge skirt behind the hill we’re about to climb.”
“But that’s in front of us… how did it get there so fast?”
“It’s not the same creature.”
The blood drained from my face. “There aretwo?”
“Yes. Be as quiet as you can, and stay perfectly still.”
Shit.
Shit, shit, shit.
I didn’t know where to look. I couldn’t see either of the two creatures which were stalking us, but if what Valerian had just said was true, then there was one in front of us, and one behind us. Two Souldirges; one for each of us.
Valerian carefully stepped in front of me, moving slowly but with conviction. I dared turn my head and scan the way we had come. What I saw back there turned my blood to ice. It wasn’t a creature—no. What I saw were our tracks, two sets of footprints in the snow… followed by a third set of much larger, much more bestial footprints. The kinds of marks a large creature with long limbs, long fingers, and claws might make.
But no Souldirge.
“I can’t see it,” I said. “Why can’t I see it?”
“It’s using the terrain to mask it’s presence.”
“But there’s nothing back here! No trees, no rocks. How can it be hiding in plain sight like this?”
“Now is not the time to consider that. You need to run.”
“Me? What about you?”
“You can turn into a wolf and maybe outrun them. I can’t. I’ll distract them and draw them that way, you run in the opposite direction.”
“That’syour plan? Really?”
“It’s the only one I have.”
“It’s a stupid plan, Valerian.”
“I’m not important, Amara. Not as important as you are. You’re the only one who can set things right. If I have to give my life up so that you can do that, I will. You go that way, you get into your wolf form, you put your head down, and you start running for the both of us. Don’t stop. Don’t ever stop running, do you understand?”
My heart skipped faster, thumped harder. Tears came this time, totally unbidden. “I’m not… leaving you here to die.”
“We don’t have a choice. You don’t have a choice.”
“I’m not going anywhere.”
