Chapter Fourteen #3
“Mara!” Taio called, and I pivoted in time to knock another one back with the blunt end of my weapon.
This one had once been a boy of fifteen or sixteen.
He’d lost one eye, and moss grew from the blackness of the empty socket.
He stumbled back, and I wielded my weapon again, taking out his good eye and ending him.
He crumpled to the ground, letting out a slow hiss as the rain poured down.
I scrambled away from the two Hollows at my feet, slipping on the wet ground.
Taio grabbed my arm and pulled me toward the others who were a few yards ahead of us now.
Most likely they hadn’t heard the commotion behind them until the first Hollow was dead.
My eyes darted everywhere, looking for more of them.
If we were fortunate, the noise of the rain would have muted the sounds of the fight.
Taio shoved me ahead of him, and I skidded on the wet leaves.
When I had my balance again, I looked up to see two more of them emerging behind us.
I glanced at the Zulenii waiting ahead, their faces pale with concern.
I waved a hand at them, urging them to keep moving.
Taio and I would catch up. They were easy targets standing there.
If more Hollows were coming for us—and I had every reason to believe more were out there—Taio and I might be able to outrun them and catch up.
In the meantime, the others would be out of danger.
Taio swung his weapon at a man who came for him, arms outstretched and hands curved like claws.
He too was an old Hollow, though young when he’d died.
He was practically naked and all sinew and bone.
The blunt end of Taio’s weapon connected with the old Hollow’s neck, all but decapitating the head.
The creature moved toward him another step or two before spasming and going down.
I took the woman who was right behind him, her chest torn open so I could see her ribs and what were once her lungs.
Now all was black with dirt and decay. She was a foot shorter than I, and I drove the point of my skullcrusher into the top of her skull.
She stilled and went limp, and I almost fell into her attempting to dislodge my weapon.
The rain had made the ground slippery. We needed to get away from here before one of us lost our footing and slid into the biting jaws of a Hollow.
Taio grunted, and I looked over my shoulder to see two more coming out of the trees and heading for him.
I uttered a curse, but before I could aid him, three more crashed out of the trees before me.
My breath caught in my throat, and the first trickles of fear slid icy rivulets down my back.
I’d never faced so many Hollows with so few allies.
Two against five was not impossible odds, but usually I’d have six or seven members of my patrol with me when we faced a pack like this.
Taio swung at a woman, missed her neck, and lodged his weapon in her shoulder.
The other Hollow came for him as he struggled to free the blunt end of his weapon.
I glanced at the three coming for me then yelled to attract the Hollow heading for Taio.
He swung his head in my direction, and I hefted my weapon as he changed course and headed for me.
I was tired now, and the best strategy when fighting a pack was to wait for them to approach, then take them out.
Unfortunately, I had the three behind me coming up fast, and I couldn’t wait.
Instead, I kicked out, knocking the older man and even older Hollow onto his back.
Then before he could grab my boots, I slammed the dull end of my skullcrusher into his face.
Taio was already attacking one of the coming three, the woman he’d been occupied with a moment ago lying motionless on the ground.
I heard something behind me and whirled to see another Hollow coming out of the trees.
And then two more.
Oh, gods.
Another emerged behind them, and I squinted to catch sight of Omira and Yung fighting a small group of Hollows several yards away.
Morll would have punished me with manual labor for a month for allowing this to happen.
Patrols always stayed together. Why had I told the others to go on ahead?
Strength came in numbers, and we were divided.
Taio took one of the Hollows down as another lunged for him.
I wavered between that one and the other heading for him, then went for the third.
I heard more of them crashing through the trees behind me as I swung the sharp point of my skullcrusher.
I missed as Taio kicked the attacking Hollow back then tripped it and slammed his weapon down.
I swung again, catching the Hollow female attacking me in the arm.
If the rain hadn’t been so loud, I imagined I would have heard the sickening crack of bone.
Instead, her arm twisted into an impossible angle, and she kept coming.
With a roar, Taio moved behind her, swinging his hammer-like weapon at the back of her head.
I stepped aside as her skull caved in and she fell toward me.
“Mara!” Taio cried, and I caught myself before colliding with one of the Hollows coming at us from the rear. I pivoted, sliding out of reach and backing up. Taio was at my side.
“How many?” I asked.
“Too many.” He was right. I couldn’t count them now, and I couldn’t see past them to Omira, Yung, and Kintle.
If they had the chance, I hope they ran.
That was our only chance at this point too.
“Run!” Taio yelled even as I started jogging away from the advancing pack.
Another Hollow stepped out, blocking our path, and Taio swung his weapon, knocking the creature aside.
We made it a few feet before two more came for us.
I raised my skullcrusher, eager to dispatch them and escape the horde behind us.
I could hear their grunts and hisses over the rain now, and the stink of them made it difficult to breathe.
But Taio caught my arm before I could lower the skullcrusher on the first one. “No!” he said, his voice filled with horror. I gave him an uncomprehending look then followed his gaze to the Hollows before us.
They were children. The one I’d been about to dispatch couldn’t have been more than three or four.
The other was only a few years older and a female with tattered ribbons hanging from her dark hair.
My mind flashed back to the chubby face of the boy I’d killed in that cellar.
But these two had been dead a long time.
Their flesh was little more than a tight casing for their bones, their mouth open and their teeth biting instinctively.
“I’ll do it,” I said. “Watch my back.” I went for the older one first as I could more easily fend off the smaller one.
I kicked her hard in the chest, sending her sprawling, then slammed the point of my skullcrusher into her brain.
I pulled it free and pivoted toward the younger one.
She was already on me, but Taio was right there.
He grabbed at her hair, pulling a clump of it free, then looking at his hand in horror as he tried to shake the hair loose.
“I have it,” I said.
“No,” he said, his jaw set hard. I didn’t have time to argue.
The first of the pack behind us was within reach.
I sidestepped the toddler and knocked the Hollow at Taio’s back onto his knees.
Several of those behind him tripped over him, creating a pile that bought us an extra two minutes.
When I turned back, the small child was on the ground, head nothing but a black and gray pulp.
Taio’s blue-green eyes met mine, and I could see what his actions had cost him.
I met his gaze, hoping my own reflected that I understood.
That part of me had been lost in the brutality of this world and the Hollows I’d been forced to release to death.
Taio held out a hand, his shaking slightly. I took it, mine steady, and cold. As the first Hollow behind us lunged, we ran.
***
WE ENCOUNTERED ONLY one more Hollow as we fled.
Taio knocked it down, and I stopped to dispatch it.
We had enough coming after us without adding one more.
The rain had slowed to a heavy drizzle, and I could hear the Hollows behind us.
We were fast enough to outrun them, but I knew from experience they were tenacious when hungry.
These were very, very hungry.
I paused to wipe the bits of flesh and bone off my skullcrusher and onto the leaves.
I rested my skullcrusher on my leg and bent to catch my breath.
Taio was not winded, but he moved close to me and put a hand on my back.
I raised my arm. “I’m fine,” I whispered.
I doubted the Hollows chasing us could hear me with all the noise they made, but I didn’t want to take chances in case others might be close by.
“What if we—” I made a circular motion with my hand, indicating we could circle the pack and emerge behind them, hopefully reuniting with the others.
Taio shook his head and pointed to the east. The way we’d come and the way we’d been retreating.
He cocked his head that way, and I straightened and followed.
A few moments later, I understood. He’d recognized that we were close to the cabin.
We emerged into the clearing and circled it to make sure no Hollows lurked nearby.
In the distance, the sound of the horde grew louder, and Taio grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the cabin.
I tugged him back before he could open the door.
I’d been taught how to clear a structure, and simply walking in was the exact wrong thing to do.
Instead, I pushed him aside and tapped on the door then listened.