Chapter 23

An arrow whizzed by, so close that its whistle echoed in her ear. Lilitha knew she had to run, but her pregnant body felt like a heavy anchor.

She was no longer the nimble creature she used to be, slipping effortlessly between the trees.

Her knees ached under the weight, and her breath came in short gasps—though whether from fear or exertion, she couldn’t tell.

“Stop! Or I’ll sink one right into your back,” a voice shouted.

Lilitha’s feet stumbled to a halt. She could smell them now, a faint scent that suggested they were far away.

But how could that be? Damon’s name was on the tip of her tongue, a scream she wanted—needed—to let out.

Her heart pounded in her chest. Footsteps. Heavy breathing. Then, hands were on her.

“Be careful with her.”

Voices swirled around Lilitha, making her feel numb. She was spun around to face several men, their figures dark against the sunlight.

They smelled odd, not quite human.

She squinted, trying to make sense of the scene, but her brain felt foggy. Weapons. They had weapons. Massive bows and arrows that seemed unreal.

Heavy swords. Their armor glinted in the sunlight, hurting her eyes. Then, someone yanked her head back and gagged her.

Another pair of hands bound hers.

“You scream and we kill you,” a voice growled in her ear.

“Let her scream. Let them come!”

“A female!”

“And pregnant! They’ll come after her for sure.”

“Where’s her tail?”

“You sure she’s not human? She ~looks~ human.”

“She’s not fucking human.”

Lilitha gasped as a man with a black beard turned her around and yanked down her pants. “She’s been caught before.”

“Pity.”

“Move her!”

***

Then, she was being hustled through the trees, a man on either side of her, their arms hooked through her elbows. They helped her over obstacles or shoved her ahead.

She stumbled, struggling to keep up with their pace.

The dread. The guilt. The loss. The weight of her unborn child. It all left her feeling frozen.

Silus. Where was Silus? Damon. Damon. DAMON!

She tried to look over her shoulder, but one of the men slapped her so hard that her ears rang, and she stumbled.

“Careful!”

“She can handle it,” someone growled. “Can’t you, Devil’s whore. How many have you slaughtered? How many have you eaten?” His grip on her arm tightened until Lilitha gasped.

With her cheek throbbing, she kept her head lowered, peering through her hair, searching for Silus among the crowd of Champions.

There were so many. At least fifty choked the forest, and that wasn’t counting those calling to one another through the trees.

Someone shoved her onward and Lilitha landed on her knees in a clearing where more Champions were milling about.

Lilitha’s heart jumped into her throat.

***

Silus was in the middle of them all, kneeling on the ground, gagged, and bound in thick, heavy chains. Chains were wrapped around each horn, Champions straining against them, forcing him to bow his head.

Another chain wrapped his tail tight to his back, pulled taut by a third Champion.

His whole body from his neck to his waist was bound too, his arms clamped tight to his sides. He was hunched over a bleeding wound in his side, his horns caked in dirt and blood.

He couldn’t move, could barely breathe, and yet the humans kept their distance, swords drawn. Three Champions had been wounded.

One had a fatal gash through his belly, his chainmail sliced wide open; another clutched at his bleeding ears, the helm at his feet dented; the third moaned and rolled along the ground, grabbing at his groin.

Two more Champions lay limp and unmoving.

A large man with a ragged, deep scar running diagonally across his face scowled at her. He was as black as Carmella and big for a human.

He was wearing the same shining armor which covered him from throat to toe, except for some gaps at the joints.

Lilitha’s eyes widened as she suddenly understood. South. He was from the south!

“We found her through the trees,” the archer said.

“Any more?”

“No, Captain.”

***

The captain curled his lip as he approached, his armor squeaking. Lilitha reeled back as he leaned over to take her chin, his fingers digging into the corners of her jaw as he twisted her face from side to side.

He spat on the ground.

“Well fed, aren’t you? Pregnant. Excellent.” He looked at his men. “You’ve secured her tail?”

“No tail. It looks like it’s already been removed.”

“Pity. Still, you win some, you lose some.” His eyes glittered at her. “Harmless but still a Diablon bitch. Don’t underestimate her.”

His eyes raked over her pregnant belly greedily. “If there are any more out there, they’ll come for her, if not for him.”

Lilitha turned her eyes back to Silus. He was watching her fearfully through swollen eyes. There was a deep cut in his lip.

His guards were eyeing him warily, and Lilitha wondered how many more he’d hurt or killed before they managed to entrap him.

She felt proud and sad.

But ~how~ had they managed to catch him? Why hadn’t he smelled them? Lilitha looked closely at the nearest Champion.

For he ~was~ a Champion, though his gold and red uniform was wreathed in armor.

There were several southerners, heavy black beards, metal plates gleaming in the sunlight. Wherever she saw bare skin, it was shining strangely, like they’d been oiled up with something.

Something that might conceal their smell.

They’d come prepared.

They had done this before.

~They’ll come for her, if not for him.~

Damon’s voice echoed in her mind: ~We might eat their flesh, but they hunt us down for the joy of it. Ivory is much sought after. It can make a human rich.~

***

Lilitha’s heart hammered. Her head felt too heavy for her neck as she looked over at Silus and his wondrous horns. She thought of Damon and Mateus.

Tears sprang in her eyes at the thought of what the humans might do to them.

She clawed her fingers into her thighs as her bound hands shook with fear. With rage.

How dare they. How ~dare~ they!

Her nostrils flared, and Lilitha jerked her head around. Smoke. Why did she smell smoke? She raised her face and saw gray mist wafting in the air.

She tried to get to her feet, but her bulk kept her pressed to the ground. “No!”

“What’s that, bitch? Did you say something?” The captain sneered at her. “When we’re done there’ll be nothing left of your precious home.”

“Someone’s in there,” she shot back, her voice dripping with disdain.

“I couldn’t care less. They’re not ~my~ people. Get them on their feet. We need to move!”

Lilitha found herself being roughly pulled up.

She caught a fleeting glimpse of Silus being jerked upright before he was swallowed by the sea of people.

The smoke kept billowing, but it didn’t envelop them. The wind was on the side of the humans, and the flames seemed to favor the uphill direction, toward the clan.

It left Lilitha feeling disoriented.

It was as if she was a human fumbling in the dark.

Everything was overly bright. The smoke choked her senses. It completely obliterated the scent of Damon and the others.

It felt as if she was isolated.

Worse—it was as if someone had just severed her arm or leg.

It left her feeling alone. Terribly alone. In a way she’d never experienced before.

And it was painful.

It was as painful as a shattered heart.

End of Book 4