While it blinks black, beady eyes at me, I stretch my lips in a wide grin, faking way more confidence than I feel and making sure to flash my fangs as I say, “Hey there.”
At first it doesn’t move, so I twist to the side, stretching my neck to reach my fangs toward its nearest leg.
That jars the creature into motion, and the whole thing rises up on its hind legs, kicking its front ones up like a wild stallion. Before it can stomp back down—and crush me with its massive hooves—I roll to the side, out of the way.
The beast lands with a heavy thud, letting out an ear-splitting crow.
For a second, it looks around, realizing it’s lost me. I do a quick scan for my lost dagger, but I don’t see it anywhere. I don’t have time to look. I’ll have to use my built-in weapons instead.
I scramble to my feet, ready to get my bite in before it finds me again.
“Grace, no!”
Gretchen rushes past me and dives onto the hippalectryon’s back. Before I can react, she sinks her fangs into the feathered neck.
Instead of disappearing out from under her, the thing simply sinks to the ground. It collapses into an unmoving heap, eyes open and unblinking.
Wow. It’s dead. Really dead.
I meet Gretchen’s gaze over the beast’s back.
“You don’t need to be a killer,” she says. Her eyes shadow—with pain or maybe memory. “Try to wound them or knock them out.”
She jerks her head toward the sea of monster bodies left in her wake. When I look closer, I can see most of them are still breathing. I know it really affected Gretchen when she realized she had killed her first monster. I’m sure she doesn’t want me or Greer to experience that.
I smile sadly. “You can’t protect us forever.”
She studies me for a moment before turning away. “I know.”
Then, she’s off, back into the fight, as another creature steps in front of me.
This one looks mostly human—a sickly pale woman with a mouthful of gnashing teeth. A pair of broad, dark wings rises up behind her, almost fading into the green-black of the world around us. But what catch my attention are the long claws extending from each finger, like a set of kitchen knives.
My gaze freezes on her hands. The rest of the battle fades away into the periphery until the only thing left is the dull grunt and clank of other fights and the glinting of green light on blade-like claws.
My dagger is lost to the dark. I have nothing but my fangs and my novice fighting skills to protect me—and what little courage hasn’t fled at the menacing look in her eerie orange eyes.
The winged woman moves toward me, and I have to fight the instinct to back away. Self-preservation is hard to overcome, and I’m on the verge of running. Fleeing.
I feel a hand at my back.
From the corner of my eye I see Greer standing at my side.
“I’ve got you,” she says.
I nod. “Thanks.”
Together, we step forward. Some of my courage returns. With my sister at my side, I know I’m safe. And I’ll do whatever I have to do to keep her safe too.
CHAPTER 2
GREER
My heart stutters. This is the creature from my vision. Every detail is the same, like a memory come to life. Earlier today, sitting at Grace’s dining table, I saw this monster nearly slice my sister into shreds. My head throbs and my hands shake as Grace and I go after the hideous woman with blades for claws.
Seeing a vision and believing it’s true are two completely different things.
I didn’t want to believe it was true.
“You go right,” Grace mutters. “I’ll go left. Maybe we’ll confuse her.”
Sucking in a sharp breath, I start right.
The picture of my vision fills my mind: Grace, with this creature’s claws at her throat. I feel the same terror now as I did when I first saw this moment. Memory and reality blur until I can’t tell which is which. I only hope the rest of the vision comes true as well.
I glance around and realize Thane is nowhere in sight. The other fights have spread out beyond my range of vision in the faint light of the abyss.
In the vision, Thane saved her life.
Panic sets in. How can he save her if he’s not near enough?
My stomach heaves.
“Greer!” Grace shouts, tugging me out of memory and into reality.
And the reality is that I’m the only one who can help her now.
The clawed woman has turned to face Grace, leaving her back vulnerable to me. I watch, stunned, as the creature reaches out and wraps one hand around my sister’s throat. I stop thinking—stop remembering—and lunge forward. I grab a wing with each hand, ripping apart with all my might. My fear makes me strong—not as supernaturally strong as Gretchen, but strong enough. Beneath my palms, I feel the crack of bones snapping.
The beast turns on me with a howl. Without releasing Grace, it swings one arm wide, knocking across my temple and sending me stumbling back to the ground.
The world around me blurs and I squeeze my eyes open and shut in an attempt to clear the picture. I can’t save Grace if I can’t see.
Desperation drives me. I push to my feet, fighting dizziness and nausea as twin sets of Grace and the clawed woman—bladed hand still around my sister’s neck—move in and out of focus. When the two images finally converge, I gasp as I see the claws of the other hand moving toward Grace’s throat.
I try to shout for help, but the nausea overpowers me and I bend over, clutching my stomach.
I look up, my vision spinning, expecting—fearing—that I’ll see Grace eviscerated by the woman’s claws. Instead, I see Thane running. Sword held high, he swings it in a sideways arc, connecting the flat edge with the woman’s head.