“It’s all right,” I said, even though it wasn’t. “Even if a shadowfiend is already there, we can get everyone inside to safety.”
My mounting fear for the mortals propelled my feet. Part of me wanted to run ahead and warn the village, but I couldn’t leave my family behind. There was nowhere for them to hide. The river could not save them. The woods could not hide them. The chasm was especially dangerous now.
At least in Teine, we had walls and doors and buildings without windows.
We kept charging forward. Down and down and down we went until the vague forms in the shadows solidified into the familiar houses of my village. It was eerily silent compared to the chaos of the city. All I heard were our collective ragged breaths and my own thundering heart.
Palms slick, I snatched a stick from the ground and crept forward at the head of our little pack. Once again, I was armed with nothing but wood, but there was something oddly calming about it. This was a dance I understood.
The thunk of heavy steps sounded nearby. I stopped short and widened my arms to stop the others from moving forward.
Something raced around the corner. I braced myself and gritted my teeth and started to swing my—
A man thundered toward us with wild eyes. I lowered my stick and caught him by the arm before he could go charging off into the mists again. He trembled as he swept his gaze across us, though it was almost as if he didn’t even see who we were.
“Shadowfiends,” he whispered. “Two of them. At the back edge of the village, near the trees.”
My eyes widened. That was near our house. We’d need somewhere else to hide until this was all over.
Ifit would ever be over.
“They’ve already killed at least six of us,” he started to sob.
I pressed my finger against his lips and shook my head. With wide eyes, he suddenly stilled.
“Is there anyone else outside?” I breathed.
He nodded and held up his hand. Three.
“Only three? Everyone else is inside a building?”
Once again, he nodded.
“Where?” I dropped my finger from his lips.
“In the courtyard. I tried to get them to move, but they’re too scared.”
“All right. We’ll go to the courtyard, grab them, and then hole up inside the pub.”
“We need weapons,” he hissed. “I’m going to the fae city to get some.”
I glanced over my shoulder at the city burning orange, lighting up the mists. “Albyria is worse off than we are.”
He scowled and wrenched free of my grip. “What do you think you’re going to do? Bash a beast in the head with a stick? I’m going to the city. Swords are the only thing that can save us now.”
Before any of us could argue, he took off. His footsteps were too loud. Grimacing, I grabbed my family and drew them close to the building. A moment later, the sound of thunderous steps drowned out his. I pulled the others after me and crouched low.
A moment later, a gurgled scream sounded his demise.
Mother clutched my arm. Nellie sniffled. Val hissed in my ear. Still, we pressed on, and when we reached the square, we found three humans huddling beneath Oberon’s statue. I recognized them. Teine was a tiny place, and every face had been burned into my memory. A girl my age, who had been one of Oberon’s choices for a wife. She was with a younger boy and her mother. Their faces were pale, and their eyes were distant. Clearly shellshocked.
I knelt before them. “You can’t stay out here.”
No response.
Together, the four of us hauled the humans from the ground and dragged them to the pub. We got them inside just as a roar bellowed from somewhere nearby. The shadowfiends were out there, hunting for more blood. I slammed the door, barred it, and then slumped to the floor, wondering how we would ever, ever get out of this alive.
Seventeen