Chapter 48

Ellery

"What is it?"Ryker asked.

I brought my finger to my lips, but it was already too late. These creatures had incredible hearing and a fantastic sense of smell. They'd known we were here before I realized they were.

Ryker sniffed the air, and his forehead furrowed. When he looked at me again, even though I knew it was pointless, I still whispered instead of talking normally. "A black dog… or a pack of them."

It was most likely a pack, as that's how they liked to travel. Normally, when I encountered black dogs, I used my lightning against them, but I couldn't now.

Ryker could, so at least we had that going for us. Kneeling, I removed my bow and quiver from my back.

"Your lightning is going to come in handy," I whispered.

I slid two arrows free from my quiver and readied them in preparation for the coming attack. I'd killed black dogs with my bow and arrows before, but my fingers itched to draw electricity to me and unleash it on them.

It would be a lot safer that way. Until Ryker sees you do it and chops off your head.

I'd rather face the black dogs than the repercussions of him figuring out who the Hooded Robber was.

Carefully, I nocked two arrows against my bow when the first figure crept into view. As the monster moved, its three-inch-long claws ticked against the sticks and rocks embedded in the earth.

These creatures could be as soundless as a wraith, so this clicking occurred because it wanted us to hear it. Which meant it was either trying to heighten our fear or providing a distraction for its brethren.

Despite knowing we could best these things in a fight, a chill encompassed me. It was impossible not to feel the icy hand of terror enveloping my throat whenever they were near.

It was a sensation that happened to everyone; it was the effect the black dogs had over others. The unsettling effect, and not being able to control it, had cost many their lives.

Beside me, Ryker stiffened, and electricity crackled in the air. Little bolts of it flicked between his fingers as the creature prowled closer.

"Not yet," I cautioned. "There's more out there. This one's the distraction."

As I spoke, more of the pure black, too-skinny animals crept into view. Their entire bodies consisted of sinew that moved with easy, fluid grace, but no skin or fur covered their black muscles.

Two thick cords ran from their jaws to their throats; they kept the dogs' heads in place. Two glowing, red orbs burned out at us from their empty eye sockets.

Three more of them prowled out from the shadows, and when the hair on my nape rose, I knew others were trying to sneak up behind us. Turning, I knelt and lifted my bow and arrows while I waited for the shadows to part.

A breeze tickled my cheek, stirring a strand of my hair against it. It wasn't much of a breeze, but enough so I adjusted my aim to accommodate it.

Not much time passed before three more of the always ravenous creatures emerged. This time, I didn't wait to see if more would come. If I did, they'd be on us.

I released my hold on my bowstring and let the arrows fly before pulling another free, turning my bow sideways and firing again while the first two arrows were still in the air. The weapons whistled through the air as they sought their target.

The first two hit one of the black dogs in its chest and straight between its eyes, flinging it backward. The third pierced the throat of its friend.

The one hit in the throat released an inhuman, guttural noise that sounded like it came straight from the depths of Hell. Rearing back, it shook its head before launching at me.

Lightning rained down from the sky; it crashed into the earth as I pulled another arrow and fired at the creature seeking to attack me. This time, I struck it between the eyes, but the third was also mid pounce.

Lowering my bow, I lifted my hands, rotated them in a circular pattern, and kicked up a wave of wind. I spun it into a small tornado that rotated above the earth and rose higher to keep the animal from colliding with me.

Before the funnel could hit the creature, a lightning bolt shot over my head and slammed into its chest. The black dog yelped and its head exploded.

As the dog fell to the ground, three more burst from the shadows of the trees. One loped across the ground, but two rose onto their hind legs and ran at us.

It was disturbing to see them run like that. They were very canine in many ways, but this way of running made them more like immortals.

Lethal jaws opened to reveal razor-sharp teeth as their black tongues clicked up and down in an eager, chattering sound. I shifted the small tornado and hit one of them in their hind legs.

The small funnel whipped around the creature and threw it aside. It crashed into a nearby tree with a loud thud; the entire tree shuddered.

I nocked another arrow and fired it on the other one while Ryker unleashed lightning bolts on three more of them. The earth indented beneath the impact as the remaining dogs splintered apart.

I released my funnel, which disbanded as the energy dissipated. Smoking carcasses littered the ground around us, but I didn't see any sign of more of them still hiding in the woods.

I'd just risen when Ryker wrapped his arm around my waist, spun me around, and took me to the ground. I grunted as the unexpected impact knocked the air from my lungs, and his large, hard body came down on top of mine.

As a black dog soared over our heads, its jaws snapped at the air where we stood only seconds before.