the cave shuddered.
evie stiffened in claude's arms just a moment before the low rumble filled the air. a groan of rock and earth, deep and ancient. claude's body went rigid, his grip on her tightening instinctively.
then the entrance collapsed.
stone and mud crashed down in a deafening roar, sealing off the exit. thick clouds of dust exploded outward, swallowing the dim firelight, plunging them into darkness.
evie coughed, twisting instinctively to shield her face against claude's chest. she heard tofu's frantic chittering somewhere near her boots.
claude didn't flinch.
he stood perfectly still until the last pebble clattered to the ground.
then the real sound started.
a low growl.
many of them.
eyes began blinking open in the darkness-yellow, gleaming, unnatural. shapes slithered into view, slick with mud and moss. hunched bodies, too many limbs, gaping mouths lined with jagged teeth.
cave beasts.
not massive, but fast, vicious, and desperate.
evie cursed under her breath, trying to push herself upright, dagger already in her hand. claude shifted, adjusting his hold easily to block her from the beasts' sight.
"put me down," evie hissed. "i can-"
he didn't even glance at her.
he set her down carefully behind him, moving so smoothly it was almost gentle. tofu pressed himself against her ankle, snarling.
"stay," claude said lowly.
and then he stepped forward.
the beasts lunged as one.
for a moment, the world narrowed to chaos-snarling, slashing, the gleam of claws and fangs.
but claude moved like a storm.
cold, precise, unstoppable.
his sword-when had he drawn it?-flashed silver in the darkness. each strike was lethal, clean. no wasted movement, no hesitation. he moved through them like a blade through mist, unhurried and merciless.
evie watched, stunned despite herself.
she'd known, everyone knew, that the emperor of obelia was a monster on the battlefield. that he could cut down armies without blinking.
but seeing it-seeing him-was different.
he fought with the cold detachment of someone who had nothing left to fear. someone who had given up the luxury of mercy a long, long time ago.
one of the beasts broke through, skittering towards evie with a high-pitched screech.
before she could even lift her dagger, claude was there.
his sword pinned the beast through the throat, driving it into the mud with brutal finality.
he didn't look at her.
he didn't say anything.
he just turned back to the others, sword dripping black blood.
evie forced herself upright, balancing on one foot. tofu bristled at her side, growling.
"i'm not useless," she muttered under her breath, face burning with a mix of anger and helplessness.
but her ankle buckled when she tried to put weight on it, and claude caught her again without missing a step.
YOU ARE READING
accidentally yours | claude de alger obelia
Fantasyone, she fell from the sky and into his arms-bloodied, burning, and already halfway gone. he's been chasing the smoke ever since. two, a monster hunter with too much magic. an emperor with too much power. they were never supposed to find each other...
