The Forgotten VIII: The Hunt

Tharon arrived with the first clap of thunder. I was glad Aisling slept; my presence confused her enough. This hairy, horned idiot would push her over an already shaky line.

“Eli! You’ve done it, pretty boy! You’ve pissed off the Darkness!”

Someday, I’ll figure out how the bastard can come and go from the castle while we cannot. Until then, I humor him.

“And what exactly have I done, Tharon?”

Tharon laughed. It sounded like he was losing air. “The woman, idiot. She should be screaming for mercy, begging you to either leave or kill her. But you’ve never even spooked her, pretty boy. You left our Master no other choice.”

I know what I say will damn me to final death, but I don’t care.

“He is not my Master.”

Tharon looked pained. “Don’t say that, boy. The last one who denied him is … lost.”

Lost? I snort with derision even though the demon seems genuinely shaken. Now that I see him more clearly, he looked dull, more gray than usual. Was he unwell? Was it even possible for him to be sick?

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you, pretty boy. If you won’t do your job…” Tharon vanished.

“What dd that mean?” I ask the empty banquet hall.

Seconds later, I hear what the horned bastard meant.

Deep, blood-soaked growls. Claws clacking along the stone floor. One bark.

“No…”

The Darkness had called a Hunt. For her.

I race for her chamber, hoping against hope that the hounds haven’t tracked her scent. Behind me, the growls are more insistent. There are two, possibly three hounds. The Darkness normally sends more, but this time there was no need. When you can’t leave the hunting ground, why send extra?

The hounds won’t stop until their chosen quarry is drained of their power. If they catch her, she’ll die. I can only see one way out of this.

I bang on her door. “Aisling! Please! I need to speak with you!”

She opens the door and my breath catches in my throat. At that moment, I know I’ll give my life to keep her safe.

“Eli? What is it?” She gasps when she hears the barking. “What is that?”

“Inside.” I nudge her back into her chamber. I breathe in the scent of her skin, her growing fear, and I feel the first twinges of true rage. “Listen to me, Aisling. When I leave this chamber, you have to lock the door. Lock it, and do not open the door until you hear my voice again. Promise me. You’ll keep this door locked no matter what you hear.”

She’s terrified, but she nods. “I promise. Those sounds … what’s out there?”

Without thinking, I pull her to me. My lips brush against hers. “Don’t worry, Aisling.” I say, even though I’m afraid. “I’ll handle this.”

I leave, pausing outside her door until I hear it latch. I hope it’s enough. Using my teeth, I lay open my wrist and let blood drip onto the floor as I run. I didn’t know much about being scary, but I knew the scent of blood would override any scent those hounds had been given.

“Kill me if you want … you can’t have her.” I snarl, and the hounds howl as if in response.

I run, hearing them behind me, down every corridor in the castle. I will turn and fight them as far away from her chamber as possible. My wrist is already healing, so I run faster.

My goal is the study, long bereft of any books. I reach it before the hounds do. Working quickly, I smash one of the tables with my bare hands, ripping off two of the table legs to use as weapons. The howling turns to barking as the beasts draw closer.

I can do this…

The Darkness sent three hounds, and I can smell my own blood on their blackened lips. I back through the door of the study, hoping to bring the hounds through one at a time.

The first lunges and I catch it in the chest with one of the table legs. It screams in agony, and I use my weight to drive it against the wall. The beast collapses to the floor and I quickly grab its head and break its neck.

The other two lunge together. I beat them both back with the remaining table leg, but one catches my leg and bites deep. I scream, but manage to get the hound off me. I throw it against the stone wall, stunning it. The last hound screeches in fury and leaps, but I ram the table leg into its neck, almost decapitating it. The hound that wounded me struggles to its feet, but I’m on it before it can attack again.

They forget. My teeth are pointed, too.

“You have … to do better.” I growl. I close the study door, hoping the bodies of the hounds vanish the way Tharon did. But in case they didn’t, I rip a tapestry from the wall and stuff it along the bottom of the door.

My leg is still bleeding as I drag myself back to her. When I’m close to her door, I call out, “Aisling … it’s over. You’re safe now.”

“Eli? You sound … oh my God … you’re hurt!”

She loops my arm over her shoulder and helps me into her chamber. “It’ll be okay, Eli. I’ve found things we can use for first aid … we need to stop that bleeding.”

She lays me down on her bed. I want to argue, tell her I’m fine, but the pain and the loss of blood make it difficult to speak. Her touch fills me with peace like I’ve never known. She fusses, putting pressure on the wound. She tells me I’m going to be okay, and after I rest, I can tell her what happened.

I smile despite the pain. “Aisling …?”

She leans down so she can hear me. “What is it?”

“I love you.”

She’s quiet, and I feel one of her tears strike my back. “Oh, Eli … I love you, too.”

I’m going to die for this. I know I am. But if I can find a way to free her, it’ll be worth it.