Chapter 19
Chapter Nineteen
SERAFINA
“Mount up.” Thorne gripped my waist and tossed me into the saddle. My ass slapped the leather, and I cursed. In a flash, he untied our leads and mounted his own horse.
Reins clenched in my hands, I tried to guide my mare’s head, but she fought me, straining against the bit.
“Move, damn you.” Thorne drove his heels into his horse’s flanks. The beast screamed, side-stepping his efforts to move forward.
“What’s happening?” I shouted.
My horse reared, forelegs flailing. I shrieked as the world tilted, and I hit the ground. Air punched from my lungs, pain stabbing my hip.
“Sera! Watch out,” Thorne’s boots struck the dirt beside me.
Strong arms clamped around my body, yanking me away from stomping hooves. My vision cleared, and I uttered a curse. Churning soil encased the horse’s legs. They whinnied and thrashed, every struggle sinking them deeper.
Another sinkhole. Just like in Nefarr. The monsters were attacking from underground.
“Here.” Thorne thrust the knapsack of herbs into my arms. “We need to get to higher ground. Somewhere the wendigos can’t drag you under.”
We set off, racing into the village square. Everywhere I looked, people ran for their lives, shouting. My feet tangled with Thorne’s, and we fell together, a twisted pile of limbs.
I panted, shoving hair from my face and glancing back at what had knocked us down. From the mound of erupting soil, a head and torso jutted.
“But it’s still daylight,” I gasped. “I thought the wendigos only came out at night.” How dare they break the rules now.
“That’s not a wendigo.” Thorne’s tone was grave.
The creature clawed its way out of the ground with spindly arms. Ragged clothes hung from its emaciated frame. Where its eyes should be were two blackened orbs.
“Wh-what is that thing?”
Whereas the wendigos were skeletal with leathery flesh, this nightmare resembled the mortals. Only soulless, sucked dry, and long deceased.
Screams rang out. All around the square, the strange creatures crawled out of their holes.
“Flark me,” Thorne groaned. “It’s ghouls.”
“What the hell is a ghoul?”
“When the wendigos infect their victims instead of consuming them, they become ghouls. Whatever you do, don’t let them bite you.”
There was something oddly familiar about the ghoul who lumbered in our direction. Lank curls clung to her scalp. Knotted around the creature’s waist was a stained, ruffled apron.
“It’s Cookie,” I gasped.
“It’s a what?”
“It’s Cookie.” My voice rose. “The cook from the manor.”
At my outburst, the monster’s head swiveled my way. Instead of cornflower blue, her blackened eyes took my measure. Bloody tendons flexed where her throat was torn open. She moaned, pointing at me.
Dearest Cookie. She didn’t deserve this. None of them did. I pressed a hand to my mouth. “She’s—she’s…” Horror stole the words from my tongue.
“Dead,” Thorne barked.
Was she, though?
“Come on, Princess.” He pulled at my icy limbs, forcing my frozen body off the ground.
Once I was upright, I noticed some of the other creatures who’d emerged were stumbling our way as well, vacant gazes locked on me.
“You,” they moaned, slimy green drool oozing from their mouths.
“Fates save me, I don’t like the sound of that.”
Thorne seized my hand, dragging me into a run. My feet scrambled to keep up.
“Please tell me you have a plan,” I shouted.
“Of course, I do.”
“And what is it?”
“Run.”
“That’s it? Run?” I shrieked.
“You got a better idea?”
No, I really didn’t.
We turned a corner and skidded to a stop. “Oh no,” I groaned. Stretched across the road were several of the ghouls.
“Back!” Thorne spun us around, only to halt again as more ambled into the alley, blocking our path.
“Now what?”
“There.” He pointed to a ladder propped against a building, a bucket of spilled paint below it. “Climb up. Hurry.”
“Are you sure about this?” I set my foot on the rung, scrambling upward.
“Not at all.” He clambered up close behind me. “But the view is nice.”
It figured, his face was right at ass level. Blackguard.
Once we reached the tiled roof, Thorne kicked the ladder over. One creature who’d started up crashed to the ground. The beasts weren’t deterred for long, though. Two of them scaled a nearby balcony. Their claw-tipped fingers scrabbled against the tiles.
“Fabulous,” I muttered. “They can climb.”
“Let’s go,” Thorne urged, jogging along the roof ridge.
“Go where?” I followed until he vaulted the gap between buildings, landing on the neighboring rooftop.
I froze at the edge. “You’ve got to be kidding.”
“Come on.” He held out his hand. “You can do this. I’ll catch you.”
“You.” A guttural groan rang out. I whirled to discover the two porch-climbers had made it up on the roof.
“I hate my life.” I took off, jogged several steps, then leaped over the gap. My feet struck the other side. Clay tiles slipped beneath my boots. Before I could fall to my death, Thorne’s arms locked around me.
His masculine scent filled my senses. Sky-blue eyes peered back at me, our noses almost brushing. I licked my suddenly parched lips, heart racing at an entirely new pace.
“Told you I’d catch you. You okay?” his deep voice rumbled, sending tingles into my belly.
“Yep,” I squeaked, then cleared my throat.
His smirk turned knowing, as if he registered the effect he’d had on me.
I pulled from his grip. “Let’s keep moving. If they can climb, they can jump.”
We leapt the next gap together, running until we reached the final roof. I scanned the vacant ground below. “I think we lost them.”
Thorne picked a path down the side, dropping off the last balcony and reaching for me. I lowered myself over the edge, easing down until my legs dangled.
“I’ve got you,” Thorne coaxed, his hands slipping up my calves, then my hips.
Once I let go, I slid against his body, my arms coming to rest over his shoulders.
Still, my feet didn’t touch the ground, Thorn’s grip unrelenting.
He held me against his chest, both of us breathless as we met each other’s eyes.
“You can put me down now,” I said, my voice oddly husky.
His arms loosened minutely, allowing my body to glide down his powerful frame. My breasts dragged along his chest, the friction causing my nipples to pearl. The delightful sensation sent a spiral of heat coursing between my thighs.
From a foggy distance, I registered my feet connecting with the earth. Thorne’s eyes—often hard and mocking—burned with something I couldn’t name. For once, no cruel comment followed, only silence hummed between us.
A low groan and shuffling feet shattered the moment. Thorn blinked and released me, the spell broken.
Snarls and shrieks echoed.
“Does nothing stop these things?” I huffed a curl from my forehead, hands shaking with something other than fear.
“Come on. We have to get out of the village.”
“Yep. Sure. Let’s do that.” Again, we set off, raced past shops, cut through alleys, and sprinted into the woods. The village disappeared behind us, and we followed a rugged path, stumbling upon rocky terrain.
With little warning, the ground dropped away.
“Whoa.” Thorne flung out his arm to keep me from tumbling off the edge.
Beyond the ridge was nothing but blue sky and a vast chasm.
“Great. Dead end. Why did you lead us to a dead end?” I shouted, my voice annoying even to my own ears. Still, I couldn’t help myself. Panic, a nagging shrew hungry for a scapegoat. “Are you trying to kill us? Because it looks like you’re trying to kill us.”
“You,” groaned the mob of creatures who’d somehow managed to keep up, despite their lumbering gate.
Rage infused my being, my borrowed flame flaring in my chest. I grabbed a rock and flung it—falling way short. Still, it felt good, so I threw another.
“Go away! Leave us alone!” I roared.
During my tirade, I failed to realize Thorne was stripping. I spun to find him shoving his pants down his legs. His naked form stunned me into silence.
Goddess save me, but the shifter was finely made. Powerful chest, chiseled abs, lean hips and his—yikes.
I whipped my eyes higher, locking them on his face. Throat going dry, I croaked, “What are you doing?”
“Breaking Alaric’s rules.”
“You’re kidding. You don’t plan to—”
“Yep. Only one place those bastards can’t follow.”
“Why can’t you just…” I puffed out my cheeks, blowing a long, flatulent stream of air to mimic Thorn’s ability to breathe fire.
He narrowed his eyes, far from impressed. “It will draw too much attention.”
“And a giant winged lizard won’t?” I squawked.
“Do you want me to set the fallen victims from Nefarr on fire?”
When presented with the choice of barbecuing ghouls or flying on the back of the beast that once tried to eat me, I stalled.
“Really?” Thorne arched a brow.
I held up my palms. “I don’t even like most of them.”
The groans grew louder.
“Time’s up.” His eyes gleamed in a way I did not like.
“Thorne.” I used my firmest voice. “Listen here. I still have a scar from your—”
Firm hands grasped my waist and flung me over the side of the cliff.
“Ahh!” Terror erupted from my lips.
Air rushed over my body. I flailed my arms and legs to no avail. My stomach flew into my windpipe, lodging in my throat. The ground raced up. Furious howls echoed from the ghouls above me.
Die! Die! I’m going to die!
Iron-hard muscles slammed into my frame. “Oof,” I grunted, bells ringing in my ears.
“Hello, Princess. Going my way?” Thorne’s voice rattled inside my brain, and I dropped back down, plastering my torso against the massive dragon’s back.
Beneath my nose was a broad expanse of midnight scales with a metallic blue sheen.
“Thorne,” I snapped, pressing myself tighter against his ridged spine.
“Yes,” he answered, sounding far too pleased with himself.
“Remind me to stab you tonight while you’re sleeping.”
“Aw, Princess. Now you don’t really mean that.”
“You shifted.”
“I did.”
“And I’m on your back.”
“You are.”
“Why am I on your back instead of in your claws?”