33. The Ferrier

Chapter 33

The Ferrier

T heodore had been loathe to enter The Beyond, and by the time I'd convinced him, there were sounds in the forest around us. The shadows saw me swiftly back to the coach. I was glad Katrin had chosen to wait inside as the sounds grew nearer. The horses had sensed the lurking danger and eagerly took off at my command. Katrin did not share the enthusiasm. The slamming of the window was the only confirmation that my order was followed. I could only hope she would heed the rest of my warning as well.

The hounds brayed, and I urged the horses on. If they were remotely similar to the mortal beasts they resembled, they'd have collapsed long ago. But my wicked steeds pushed on, swift and unyielding.

I released the reins, trusting the horses to carry us onward. Taking up my scythe, I stood on the bench and peered over the coach's roof.

Like bone-white arrows they pierced the night. Their sleek fur glowed in the moonlight except their eyes that I knew would be blood red.

Death's Fangs. Demonic dogs bred to find lost souls and deliver them to Death. They were hunters, and now, they were hunting us. The question was, were they hunting me or her? Had Behryn discovered her presence in The Between? Or was this what happened when Death came to collect his due?

A wave of protectiveness surged within me, an effect of the vow, no doubt. Shadows rose up on either side of the coach, mine to control, but their power was not limitless. They couldn't transport the two of us very far, but they could give Katrin a chance to get away if things went south. Best to conserve their energy.

The wind roared and tore at my cloak. Despite the blur of trees passing by, the Fangs continued to gain on us.

There were three in total that I could see. If there were any more lurking within the trees, we might not manage to escape.

Again, I considered sending Katrin away by shadow, but what good would it do her to be alone if I fell victim to these beasts? Without my protection, she would still be lost to Death. The only option was to fight.

The hounds ran in perfect formation, one in the center, leading the pack and two flanking the leader on either side. They were close enough now that I could see the spittle flying from their open maws. Hunger radiated from their blood red eyes.

The leader hung back as the two flanking it surged forward. They gained on the carriage, taking up positions on either side. A scream from within let me know that Katrin had not followed all my orders.

I slammed my hand twice against the roof. "Close the curtains, Miss Fil'Owen."

Holding my scythe in one hand, I gripped the edge of the roof and swung over the side. My foot landed solidly on the small step beneath the door. The beast lunged, and I swiped with my blade, the motion awkward as I struggled to hold onto the carriage. It danced back, easily evading the blow.

When it rushed me again, I lifted my weapon. It opened its dripping jaws, revealing razor sharp teeth. I swung wide and it jumped. Blocking its bite with the handle of the scythe, I wrenched it sideways, throwing the hound beneath the wheel. The carriage bounced as it careened over the demon, but I knew it wouldn't be out for long.

Katrin screamed again. I glanced over my shoulder but the curtains were drawn over the window. Backing up to the edge of the step, I flung open the door and plunged inside. The second Fang hurled itself against the opposite door. Huddled to my left, Katrin looked at me in alarm.

"What are those things?" she asked, breathless.

I pulled my scythe in. If I'd thought it unruly outside the door, it was completely useless inside the cabin. "They are Death's Fangs."

The weapon clattered to the floor. I left it there as I lifted up the cushion of the unoccupied seat, revealing a small box carved into the bench itself. I opened the lid and pulled out two mismatched daggers.

Onyx claws punched through the door, wood splintering as they tore. There was a flash of the Fang's red eyes before it fell. I waited for it to pounce again, but it never came. A glance out the window confirmed the demon had either dropped back or moved elsewhere.

Snarling sounded behind me, and Katrin screamed. I whirled, catching a flash of white before it knocked me down. Claws raked at my chest. Instinctively, I thrust my daggers up, narrowly avoiding the namesake fangs as I split open the beast's abdomen. Black blood poured from the gaping wound and the Fang grew still.

My chest barked in pain as I rolled the demon off me.

"Help me." I panted as I heaved the great beast toward the door. I needed it out of the cabin before it healed.

"You're bleeding."

Katrin looked pale as the Fang at my feet. I leveled her with an unimpressed stare. "That is not helpful."

This seemed to shake her from her shock. She stood with one hand braced on the wall and the other on her chest. Blowing out a deep breath, she bent and helped me push the great beast out the door. The forest still blurred past. I had no idea how far we'd gone, or what area of The Between we were in, but I knew there was still one more Fang to contend with.

I plucked the daggers from the pool of black blood, wiping the hilts with my cloak. Katrin watched me with a mixture of concern and curiosity.

"I'm going to draw out the last of the hounds," I told her calmly. Panic would be deadly for both of us. "No matter what happens, I want you to keep going. Stay with the carriage if you can. If it's compromised, the shadows will protect you." Her head bobbed up and down. "Say it, Katrin."

Her eyes whipped to mine as expected at the sound of her name. "If anything happens to you, I'll keep going."

I held her gaze and exhaled heavily. "You are a terrible liar."

She shrugged sheepishly.

It came out of nowhere. One second she was there smiling cautiously at me from across the cabin. The next, she was dragged from the coach by the great white beast.

"Kat!" I bellowed.

I didn't think. I leapt from the speeding carriage, rolling as I hit the ground in a wave of agony. Sliding to stop, I sprang to my feet. I'd lost my daggers in my tumble from the coach, but I could only think of Katrin as I ran weaponless toward the white beast.

They hadn't gone far. I could see Katrin resisting the foul creature, fighting with all the fire I knew she possessed. Her shadow guards had joined in the fray, but they could only do so much as long as the Fang still had a hold of her. I needed to get her free.

I called the shadows to me, closing the distance in a blink of an eye. I fell onto the demon's back, wrapping my arms around its neck and squeezing tightly. The beast released Katrin almost immediately. I shouted for the shadows to take her, breathing a sigh of relief at the fading sound of her protests.

Without Katrin to distract the Fang, it bucked and jumped, trying to dislodge me. My chest throbbed in pain. As though sensing my weakness, the creature redoubled its efforts. I flew from its back, crying out as I struck a tree and collapsed to the ground.

The beast prowled toward me, its red eyes little more than pinpricks on its bone-white face. Everything hurt, but I sagged knowing the demon's attention was focused on me. Katrin would escape. I ordered the rest of my shadows to aid her and pushed myself up to sitting. Death would not find me on my back.

But it was not Behryn who came on the heels of his demon. Like an avenging queen, Katrin stepped from a billowing cloud of darkness, my scythe raised above her head. She brought it down with a battle cry and a mighty swing, slicing clean through the demon. Black blood sprayed and the beast crumpled in a cloud of dirt.

Her eyes found mine, sparkling in the hazy dawn. The scythe fell from her grasp, hitting the ground with a dull thud. She took one step toward me and collapsed beside it.