Chapter 37
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
Briar
“Oh no,” I whispered.
I had to help Knox against these things. Leaping to my feet, I planted them against the ground while I created an energy spell that swelled in my palm as the power of the earth fueled me.
The dark green color of the spell startled me. I’d never created one that color before; they’d always been white, but I didn’t have time to ponder this new development as the eagle swiveled toward me and Knox landed gracefully on all fours.
He glanced over his shoulder at me as the second eagle swooped down on him. When the first eagle came at me with its talons extended, I threw the spell. The fiery green light caught the creature in the neck and knocked it to the side a little.
When it banked to the right, its wing caught the top of a tombstone; the impact sprayed rocks everywhere as it shattered. I threw up my arms to protect myself from the debris as the phantoms shouted, “She is a caster!”
I had no idea why they were so annoyed by that when two giant birds were trying to eat us, but their indignation briefly drowned out the eagle’s screams and the howling wind. I couldn’t handle their incessant clamor as the first eagle turned back toward me while the other homed in on Knox.
In complete beast form, Knox raced through the gravestones as the second eagle dove at him again. Instead of punching it, Knox seized one of its talons as the second talon gripped his head.
“No,” I breathed, but as the word slipped from me, Knox swung up with his massive toe claws and buried them in the eagle’s belly.
The creature screamed, and the first, which had been coming back toward me, twisted its head to look back at its friend. Tipping to the side, the bird shifted its path and swung back toward Knox with a grace I would have believed impossible for the gigantic beast.
As Knox sliced down with his toe claws, blood and guts spilled out of the eagle. The bird screamed so loudly and with such distress, I felt a twinge of sadness for the creature; it was following its instincts and trying to feed, but I’d far prefer to see it die than us.
The first eagle screeched with what sounded like sorrow as the second one flapped and twisted to dislodge Knox. He didn’t let go as he sliced further down the eagle’s belly.
“No!” I screamed when the first eagle bore down on them.
Before it could also attack Knox, a roar filled the air and the shadow dragon swooped overhead. With its mouth wide, the dragon released a wave of black before crashing into the bird and knocking it off course.
The second eagle hit the ground and tried to rise before flopping down again and going still. Its wings moved as the beast climbed out from under it. When the beast shook itself off, blood sprayed everywhere as the first drops of rain fell.
The first eagle hit the ground shortly after.
As its large body bounced through the cemetery, it knocked over headstones as it went.
It started to rise, then let out an awful, keening noise.
Slapping my hands over my ears, I tried to shut out the sound, but it was impossible as it flopped on its back, kicked its talons in the air, and flapped its wings.
No matter how hard it tried, it didn’t rise. That awful sound continued until its talons abruptly shot up and its wings fell open at its sides.
The shadow dragon landed beside it and used its beak to tear flesh from the bird’s belly.
“It eats,” I breathed.
I was so focused on the dragon that I didn’t notice Knox approaching until he shifted back into a man. The blood coating him ran in pink rivulets down his chest as it mixed with the rain. His muscles vibrated, his claws remained elongated, and his pupils slitted.
While the eagles didn’t cause panic to grip my belly, seeing him like this, on the verge of losing control, terrified me. When his hand wrapped around my upper arm, his claws clicked together as he ushered me through the cemetery to where Magnazius remained, watching the scene unfold.
I had the absurd realization he was a very well-trained horse, considering he’d stayed through all of that. Then the loud chatter of the dead filled my ears again.
“What did he shift into? What was that?”
“Who is this man?”
“He’s like no shifter I’ve ever seen before.”
“What is he?”
“And what did the dragon release on the eagle?”
I’d like to know the answer to that too.
“Wha… what…” I swallowed to moisten my dry throat before speaking again. “What did the shadow dragon unleash on it?”
“Despair.”
Knox’s voice was more guttural and distorted than usual. His fangs remained extended even though they weren’t visible.
I jogged to keep up with his brisk pace. “What?”
“Despair. The sorrow of this land created him, and that is his weapon.”
“That’s… That’s…” I craned my head to look back at where the shadow dragon was devouring its prey. This creature was truly something that never existed in the kingdoms before my mother created it. “That’s unheard of.”
“Maybe at one time, but not anymore.”
His clipped words drew my attention back to him as we stopped beside Magnazius. Gizzi scurried up my leg to perch on my shoulder.
Knox’s claws bit into my waist, but I didn’t complain as the rain came down harder, washing away more of the blood covering him. When he lifted me off the ground and plopped me on the saddle, I recalled he’d lost all his clothes when he shifted just before he swung up behind me.