4. Mari

Chapter four

Mari

M ari, Mari, help me .

The familiar voice shakes me out of my dreamless sleep.

My eyelids droop, then open again as sleep pulls on me and beckons me back. I will them to attention.

Please, help! Ava's voice. Is that her? Sitting up stock straight, I glance around the camp.

Patti is out cold, and there is no noise other than the slight popping from the coals in the fire.

Mari, can you hear me? I ' m stuck.

It is Ava. My head snaps to the source of the sounds, sending me shooting out of the wagon, hitting the ground barefoot. I ' m coming.

An instinct itches the back of my throat to call out, to yell for her, but I let the sensation die back. Just in case. In case something else is with her.

My heartbeat thunders in my ears, a chorus of adrenaline and anxiety, using it like gasoline to a fire as the spark lights the fuse. To help, save, fight—whatever needs to be done.

Trees pass by me in a blur as I move toward the source of the cries. Sweat pebbles my body in a cold, slick sheen that reflects the moonlight.

I'm here now, the voice so close I could reach out and touch it.

The forest has blocked out the moon, and I look into the distance and will my vision to distinguish a shape. "Ava," I whisper. "Where are you? I can't see you."

Mari, I ' m here. I can ' t see you .

"Hold on. Keep talking, and I'll find you." I'm nervous but thrilled and relieved I've found someone, relieved that I'm not alone.

I wipe at the cold sweat sticking to my forehead before moving closer. Small beams of moonlight break through the trees, cutting holes in the darkness like blades.

Something moves ahead, causing the leaves to rustle. My heart jumps, and I move into the light, letting my position known.

"I'm here. Come out," I whisper.

The branches quake again, and I peer into the dark woods.

A shape moves, and soft footsteps crunch through the underbrush. I ' m here, Mari .

The voice, once distinctly Ava's, takes on a more sinister one. Something steps into the clearing, but it's not her. Holy shit, it's definitely not her.

I go cold as the creature reveals itself to me. Massive stag horns stand feet above me. The beast is bulky and covered in black, leathery skin that covers everything up to its black-tipped claws. It has red, beady eyes that flicker like candlelight—fueled by hell itself. A slash for a nose and a menacing upturned mouth, unnaturally so, like it was cut into the flesh with a jagged knife—pure chaos and unbridled violence.

A smile crooks on the corner of its jaw, revealing rows and rows of sharp teeth, stained yellow.

Oh, fuck, oh fuck. I need to go. Mari, run.

My head screams at me to move, to get as much distance from this creature as possible. But my heart, my stupid heart, still hopes it has Ava.

The demon opens its inky black maw, and all my doubt shatters into a thousand pieces. Come closer, Mari . The voice, now a distorted version of Ava's, sends chills down my spine.

I don't hesitate; I don't think twice. I turn and run.

The creature's shrill voice calls me. Come back, Mari. Don ' t you want to save me ? Ava's voice, but not her. The creature barrels through the forest toward me, steamrolling over trees and rocks like they don't exist.Like they were made of glass.

This thing is evil and magic. I know how to deal with humans, but not this.

I'm quick and athletic, but I feel my resolve waning. The spark of adrenaline I was given earlier fades, and my endurance breaks.

Come back, Mariana. I thought we were friends . Its voice is a taunt, a threat that crawls under my skin.

It's so close now, too close. If I were willing to look back, I might see the outline of its horns standing stark against the moonlight.

The heavy blade in my pocket knocks against my leg, and I reach for it, pulling it from its sheath and letting it sing into the night sky. The metal in my hand is cool and comforting .

Worst-case scenario, I get to poke a few holes in this asshole before it finishes me off.

It's so close that I hear its heavy feet thunder on the ground behind me. How is it moving so quickly? What in the fuck am I going to do?

Dread washes over me, fogging my clarity. Forgetting myself, I catch my bare foot on a root, hurling me to the ground. I roll, using the momentum to position myself into a defensive stance, the knife clutched in my hand, my lifeline.

It still sings, ringing a metallic tone, lighting the midnight air with power and need. The need to be wielded, to punish, to avenge; maybe it's just a feeling. Maybe it's just my head. No matter. It unlocks something in me, dissolving my fear, and instead of questioning where the sensation comes from, I use it.

The crashing of the beast through the trees sets every nerve ending in my body to attention. I hold my position, deciding to expend my energy fighting rather than running. You ' ve got this—a few well-positioned jabs, and you win. It's as simple as that.

The creature slows its approach like it can sense where I am. Its massive frame catches on the moonlight, and I choke back a sob. What is this thing? How did it know what Ava sounded like? Is it in my head? I force out the rush of thoughts and questions, clearing my mind and finding the focus and intensity I need to do this job right.

I know how to use a knife. I shift the blade in my hand, fisting it to the side of my palm. The beast walks into the clearing, the moon lighting it up like a beacon.

I run at the creature full force, my bare feet absorbing some of the sound, shielding my approach. Its back is turned, so I pick up speed and use the force of my body to knock into the thing. It doesn't budge, but I'm close enough and have the element of surprise. I sink my blade into the area just below the ribs, where the kidneys would be if this were a human.

The beast shrieks, a blood-curdling sound that rings in my ears, the way your ears ring after lighting off firecrackers. I pull the knife back out and slam it in on the other side.

It's batting and clawing at me, but I have the drop. I sink to one knee, avoiding its flailing arms. Then, I swipe my knife over the Achilles tendon.Black blood splatters over my clothes and skin.

It crashes to the ground with a hard thud , still screaming. I loom over the creature, becoming the predator I am, the predator I've made myself into, wheeling back, and readying the blade for one final killing blow.

Before I can, the massive nightmare beast sinks into the earth like it's being turned into sand. It melts into the ground, leaving nothing but black-stained earth.