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As if reading my thoughts, Sloan whispered right next to my ear. “He won’t die, V. He’s better than Eros, or really any creature I’ve encountered. He’ll survive the way he always has.”
“How can you be so sure?” I asked, slow to speech.
Sloan didn’t answer, merely smiled. But his smile was enough of an answer. He had total faith in Phillip’s ability to fight Eros, and he didn’t question it for a second.
I wished I could say the same.
I moved like I was in a pool of tar, my limbs heavy and slow. I failed to get my head to work. Failed to understand what Sloan was saying. Worse, I tragically failed to settle my erratic heart when the voice only my nightmares could replicate echoed from the lower level of the house, shouting at the clever asshole who thought taunting a powerful foe was a great idea.
Unfortunately, I didn’t have control over my reactions the way I wanted to even after what Sloan had said. It was silly how I, a Hunter of so many years, failed to do the one thing I’d trained for nearly a lifetime to do. But the trauma of my near-death experience and concern over my partner’s fate burrowed in my thoughts, and it was a fight to keep it together.
“V,” Sloan whispered hurriedly, “Focus. You’ve got this.”
“But Phil—”
“Is doing what he needs to do, and now it’s your turn to do the same,” Sloan cut in sharply, drawing my gaze to his. “We went over this. He will serve as a distraction and keep Eros occupied while you escape. Don’t let his effort be in vain.”
With a nod, I broke through the haze in my head. “You’re right.”
“The second we reach the grass, I need you to use every bit of speed you own. We won’t make it if you dawdle. Keep your eyes open, a weapon in both hands, and don’t hesitate for a single second.” Sloan’s light eyes wandered to the door, the expression on his face severe. “You remember where we’re going?” The house shook with a huge explosion and my eyes strayed over to it alongside his, but Sloan was quick to grab my face. With a yank, I was forced to look at him again. “V,” he warned in a low voice I’d only heard on him one other time. “Now’s not the time to worry. Leave it until later.”
I swallowed. “Got it. Rendezvous at the airport, and then get the fuck out of this country.”
“Yes,” the Brit confirmed with a small huff. “Now, go.”
Finally, I shook off the fear and anxiety. Like I’d practiced for years, I centered every thought and action on escaping while Phillip kept Eros occupied.
Jumping from the second-story window, I tailed Sloan through a field of high grass into a dense collection of trees. While I didn’t necessarily know where we were going—if Sloan was caught, we were totally fucked—I did somehow perfectly match his every step like I knew the lay of the land. My heart clamored in my chest while I evaded lifted roots and low brush, trailing Sloan’s confident path forward. The wind picked up the closer we got to the edge of the forest, and it wasn’t far to the nearest town to find transportation.
The less conspicuous we traveled, the better.
When I started to celebrate a safe escape, something caused a dynamic shift in the air around us. On alert, I came to a full stop before slicing out my weapon and cutting through a thick arrow. Another took its place, but this time Sloan was the one to cut it down, immediately fitting himself between me and the arrow. No surprise, these thick bitches were full of serum. The other Hunter took a protective stance in front of me, crossbow aimed, and searched the floor for magical light. And as if materializing it with his glance, light beamed through dry grass and black earth, a luminous symbol forming under our feet.
“Go,” the Brit commanded.
Don’t have to tell this chick twice.
I climbed a nearby tree with a speed I’d only recently gotten the hang of using. With practiced movements, I scaled the thick trunk until I was nearly halfway up its fifty-foot length. But a strong sensation stopped me mid-climb. Like a string had been attached to my chest, a sharp tug nearly yanked me forward, and I clawed at bark to keep from falling.
Something inside my body sizzled to life, and as if I was drawn to the feeling that first stopped me, I leapt across to another tree. Then another, and another, before I raced to the top of the last tree. Directing my crossbow to the west, where the feeling sent out waves of sensation like the beat of a heart, I readied an arrow and steadied my hold on the base.
If you asked me to explain it, I wouldn’t know where to start. I wasn’t sure for what reason I knew my arrow would find Eros, only that it would. It was the confidence of years of trusting my gut.
It just felt right.
Pulling the trigger, the arrow cut through the air, a high-pitch whistle on the wind, and fled the direction I sent it.
Sloan was suddenly next to me, his eyes cautious, before a sound stole both our gazes. “You knew where he was?”
I bit my lower lip, taking aim again. “I can’t explain it. I just know.”
“Don’t doubt it. Embrace it and never hesitate,” came Sloan’s encouraging reply.
With his blessing, I sent another arrow flying past thick bushes of leaves. A sound of pain carried on the wind. But then Sloan was thrown back, an explosion of purple enveloping him before an arrow struck his shoulder. Without thinking, I lunged for him and latched onto a branch on the way down to save my companion from the unforgiving earth below. The Hunter would’ve survived the fall, no doubt, but it would’ve hurt like a bitch. Still, we were high enough that a drop would knock the wind out of us, and we didn’t have the time to get our bearings.
Eros would be there to attack.
Unfortunately, hanging from the branch like we were also made us vulnerable, and I’d have to think of something quick before Eros exploited it.
