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The growling intensified, and a pack of sleek, massive felines stepped into view. Their eyes were glowing in the darkness like hellfire. A brute, larger than the others with a jagged scar bisecting one eye, snarled, its fangs glinting ominously.
“Okay, now what?” I asked, my voice shaking. “Do we run or fight?”
“Neither,” Dyf replied, his eyes never leaving the Grimalkin. “We need to stay calm and back away slowly. They are territorial creatures. If we show any signs of aggression, they will attack.”
“Got it.” I took a deep breath to steady my nerves. “No sudden moves.”
“Exactly,” Dyf said, beginning to inch backward. “Keep looking at them, but do not make direct eye contact.”
As we retreated, the Grimalkin watched us with predatory intensity. I fought the urge to bolt, focusing on keeping my movements slow and steady. My legs trembled beneath me, adrenaline coursing through my veins, making me feel jittery and out of control.
“Almost there,” Dyf murmured, his voice barely audible. “Just a little further.”
“Please tell me they’re not following us,” I whispered, praying they would just let us go.
“Let us hope not. But stay alert.”
“Trust me,” I replied, swallowing hard and then wincing. “I’m wide awake now.”
The pack faced us in a half-circle, a snarling sea of scarred fur and claws. Something moved, and my eyes flitted before I could stop myself. My gaze locked with the leader’s yellow glare.
Dyf inhaled sharply, and I knew we were fucked.
The alpha Grimalkin prowled forward, hot breath pluming from its maw. It opened its mouth and unleashed a bone-chilling yowl. The pack echoed its call.
Dyf tugged my arm, breaking my fearful trance. “Run!”
Somehow, I forced myself to bolt through the trees, the Grimalkin hard on our heels. I wasn’t fast enough, not after everything I’d been through. The lead cat caught me easily, claws raking my thigh. I screamed at the bright burst of pain, stumbling as Dyf hauled me along, our labored breaths harsh in my ears.
The pack snarled and snapped at our heels. They were playing with us as if we were giant mice.
And then the ground crumbled away into a deep ravine. Dyf skidded to a stop at the edge, blue eyes wide with indecision and terror. The Grimalkin had trapped us against the abyss, and they knew it. They yowled triumphantly, their hunger for our blood about to be satisfied.
Chapter twenty-three
DYFROEDD
Beth’spalefacemirroredthe fear that squeezed my chest as the cat monsters crept closer. Each one of them could tear our heads off with one swipe of their giant paws. Their hungry yowls promised a painful death at claws and teeth if I did not get us away this instant.
Our escape was blocked by a drop of at least two-hundred feet to the ground below. And yet… staying meant a certain and cruel demise.
I would never forgive her for taking my family and heritage from me, but I could not allow her to become cat kibble. Taking her trembling hand, I noticed her tired eyes and hot skin. My heart softened at witnessing her sickness and terror. I would deal with the fever after we survived this. For now, I needed her to follow my lead. I leaned in and brushed my lips against hers in a feather-light kiss.
“Trust me,” I whispered against her mouth. I lied, of course. There was no guarantee we would survive the fall.
She met my gaze and nodded. I grinned, sharp and wild, and then hugged her at the same time as I fell backward into the abyss below.
Her scream trailed our falling bodies like a plume of smoke. My stomach leaped into my throat as the ground rushed up. I tucked her face into my shoulder so she did not see the rocks that would shatter our bones.
Clutching her close, I curled my body around her in a protective embrace. She clung to me, moaning helplessly, waiting for the impact. When we hit, it was with a bone-jarring crash that stole the breath from my lungs. We tumbled and rolled, a chaotic mess of limbs on the ravine floor.
At last, we skidded to a stop. My back hurt so much, I dared not move. Taking stock of my body, I catalogued the blossoming bruises and aches. But nothing seemed broken, and each limb moved on command.
Relief flooded me in a dizzying wave. The girl was sprawled on top of me, gasping for air with shallow, wheezing breaths.
“Beth?” My voice was rough with pain. I shifted beneath her, wincing as I pushed her off me gently with trembling arms. “Were you hurt?”
It took her a long time to answer, but finally, she replied, “No, just sore. You?”
