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Chapter Six

'Sian,' I hissed. 'Take this.'

KASSIE'S PULSE HAMMERED in her ears while she stared at them. Holy fucking hell, they're so close!

They had to be the freakiest things she'd ever seen; just under five foot, with broad shoulders and long arms that came close to touching the ground. They had large pointy ears that stuck out and an almost flat head with tufts of fur or hair. Their wrinkled faces had short muzzles, visible canines when they snarled and slanted eyes that glinted black in the moonlight.

I COULDN'T TAKE my eyes off them. All of them held weapons; maces, evil looking cudgels, pretty much anything heavy with spikes, blades or stakes.

So not the welcome wagon, I thought grimly.

The top heavy creatures would have looked almost comical if it weren't for the murderous intent they readily displayed, swinging their weapons and grunting or growling to each other while keeping those beady narrow eyes locked on us. Beside me Audi snarled again, the fur around her shoulders and down her spine beginning to bristle. Staring at the number of them caused a horrible moment of clarity; surviving this is going to be a mission.

Well then start planning, snapped the rational voice in my mind.

Right.

I mentally slapped the silly voice that ran shrieking in hysterical circles in my head and locked it far away in my brain. Only sane sensible thoughts allowed. Frantic ideas for survival pinged about in my head and I jumped on the closest one.

'Loi, we should use Sian like a sniper, can you to get her to a safe spot?'

LOI GROANED INWARDLY at Cat's suggestion. 'Technically, I think I can, but that'll start this.'

'It's not like they have good intentions,' Kassie called softly. 'And someone has to start it.'

Loi tensed her stomach against the sudden urge to vomit and turned to look at Sian, who stared back with a stern expression.

'Let's do this. The boulder behind us can be my starting point.' Sian bared her teeth in a vicious smile. 'I'll shoot, you slash.'

Loi exhaled slowly, readying herself and nodded, pursing her lips. 'Let's do it.'

Her stomach felt like it plummeted to her feet when the two of them stepped away from Kassie and Cat and began to walk to the boulder.

KASSIE SHIFTED CLOSER to my back while we prepared to cover each other. I pulled the other dagger out and crouched, ready. The creatures in front seemed to take that as their signal and surged forward.

A HUGE SWORD, possibly a claymore, swung toward her. Loi jerked back out of its arc and before the owner could swing it again, lunged, thrusting her sword into the creature. Shuddering in disgust at the sensation of penetrating live flesh and the splatter of blood, she wrenched the sword out, watching the creature fall dead to the ground. Adrenaline flooded through her, blacking her vision for a moment and she fought hard against the urge to run screaming from it all.

Kill or be killed, that's the way it works.

Keeping that grim thought at the forefront of her mind, Loi swung her sword at the advancing creatures and focused on the boulder.

Got to reach it!

SIAN RELEASED AN arrow and felt, rather than heard the thud when it struck a creature's forehead. A wave of nausea swelled at the sudden realization she had just killed a living being.

Snap out of it, her rational voice roared; this is survival of the fittest. Kill them!

Thoughts on track, she wrenched another arrow from the quiver and shot a creature advancing on Loi. The boulder looked close enough now. With a quick cautious glance around she sprinted the final distance and scrambled up on it.