Several large forms hurtled into the cave. My chest constricted. They were as large as horses but with great, sharp fangs bigger than my head. Dark matted fur shifted like whirling shadows, and their luminescent golden eyes were lit with impossible fire.
Where a horse had hooves, these creatures had claws. Their talons were so deadly sharp that it would only take one swipe to tear a man’s body in half.
“Shadowfiends,” I whispered.
And there were eight of them. My heart nearly faltered as I backed up against the slick wall of the cave, clutching my dagger to my chest. Eight of them and five of us. And I didn’t really stand a chance against them on my own.
Niamh, Toryn, and Alastair lifted their swords in unison, roaring. They sprang into action, sweeping their blades at the creatures’ dark heads. Only Niamh’s sword hit its mark, the sharp edge sliding into the nearest beast’s flesh.
Its head toppled to the ground, blood spraying her clothes.
Toryn and Alastair were flung back when two of the shadowfiends crept up behind them and swiped them aside. They flew through the air, shocked growls ripping from their throats. They soared back into the depths of the cave where the darkness swallowed them whole.
Another shadowfiend appeared at the mouth of the cave, grabbed Niamh by the waist, and tossed her out into the mists.
I swallowed hard, my heartbeat cantering wildly in my chest.
As if sensing my fear, the Mist King murmured, “Don’t worry. They’re fine. This is the pookas’ strategy. Divide and conquer. Get the extra weight out of the way so they can more easily get what they want.”
Blood rushed into my ears. “What is it they really want?”
His shoulders tensed as the shadowfiends began to fan out in the cave, stalking toward us. “You.”
I wet my lips. “Me? Why? Because I’m weaker than a fae?”
For a moment, he stayed so focused on the approaching shadowfiends that I thought he hadn’t heard my question. But then he spoke.
“You really don’t know? No one ever told you?”
A tremor of unease tiptoed down my spine to join the blatant fear gathered there. It was starting to seem like King Oberon had kept us in the dark about a lot of things. This was clearly another one of them.
“Does it have something to do with me being the king’s intended bride?” I asked.
“Pookas survive on human flesh,” he growled as the beast sprang into action. “Stay here.”
The Mist King stormed forward, sword slicing through the air in an elaborate twirl, powered by the intoxicating strength of him. Mist sprang from his skin, engulfing the entire cave in a strange, twisting darkness.
I watched, fear and dread churning in my gut. I could hardly see a thing. Every now and then, the mists would part and a splash of blood would arc through the air. The beasts roared, their screeches echoing through the cave.
Niamh reappeared at the entrance, looking none the worse for wear. She merely sheathed her sword, folded her arms, and leaned against the wall, waiting.
“You’re not going to help?” My fingers twitched around my dagger.
“No need.” She sighed. “He’s almost done. A shame I only got to fight one.”
Suddenly, the mists cleared. The king heaved in the center of the cave, his sweat-soaked muscles pulsing beneath his torn shirt. Blood dripped from his sword, and the shadowfiends were scattered around him. Their matted fur was the only thing that made them recognizable.
My stomach roiled and I twisted away. The sight of so much blood almost took me back to a time I couldn’t stomach to relive yet again.Nellie’s face.
“Those damn pookas,” Alastair thundered as he and Toryn returned. “They threw us a mile away. We missed all the fun.”
Funwas definitely not the word I would have used.
I felt the heat of their gazes on my back.
Toryn spoke. “Glad to see she’s still with us.”
“I wouldn’t have let them touch her,” the Mist King said.