Fox Of Greed (Greedy Fox Book 1)

~~ FORTY ~~

A/N: This took me a bit because the original way I'd written the end of Part 2 was annoying me so I decided to change it up with a bit more action. Enjoy! 

Leraj's POV 

I took a shuddering breath, staring out over the top of her head. "Keep talking," I whispered, urging her onwards.

The words tumbled out of her like a broken damn. "Back in Vaizel, none of the Sins tried to kill me. They attempted to protect me by not putting me in harm's way. And then Guila and Jericho turned on Princess Veronica and her guard. They'd only been in Vaizel to get to Elizabeth before them. I couldn't – I couldn't save her. I tried but it wasn't enough. Then Meliodas, he appeared, demonic as hell. He- he- oh fucking hell, I can't even say it." She took a breath and squeezed me tighter. "Ban took me back to the others. He kept me safe even though he had no obligation to."

The moment of truth. "Why?" I asked.

"Because- because." A strangled groan left her throat.

I grabbed her face, held it tight in my hands as I tilted it up to mine. "Why, Estra, why? Tell me why you think that." My eyes flicked over her face as it scrunched up, terrified confusion in her features.

"Because I think I'm the Sin of Greed."

"Tein ish qualpo."

Her face went slack and her eyes rolled into the back of her. She sagged forward and I caught her quickly under the armpits.

It was time. I hadn't suspected I'd run out of time. I thought I'd have time to prefer for this moment but it seemed I had miscalculated the rate of decline of the spells on her. The festival and Rose Cottage must have triggered old, possibly ancient, memories I never knew about, ones that hadn't been torn to shreds nor taken by me to keep safe.

I slung her over Myra's back gently and walked the horses towards a grove of trees I could faintly distinguish against the night sky. It wasn't big but it was sheltered in all directions. I set up a quick camp, a fire in the centre and a bed made from the horse's saddle blankets nestled on dead pine leaves. The horses I tied to a fallen tree before I crouched down beside Estra's head, stroking her cheek.

She didn't shift. She wouldn't until I gave the command for her to awaken. Hopefully she was having good dreams – she didn't deserve any more nightmares. Her life had basically become one and it was my fault.

Even though she'll probably wake from this hating my guts, at least I would have done the right thing by her finally.

A branch cracked. My head snapped up. My eyes met with the eerie green glow of eyes. I stood slowly, never taking my eyes off the green globes hiding in the dark patches of the pines. My left hand went to the waistband of my pants at the back, where my dagger was hidden.

It bolted just as I whipped the blade out at it. I heard the blade thunk into a tree but I was already off and running, giving chase to the demon who'd been spying on us. It crashed through the grove without thought and I followed it easily out and back onto the stretches of open plain.

There!

It was slim-built, six muscular legs pounding over the grass. I growled as I put on a burst of speed, channelling magic into my fingertips, fashioning them into two inch claws. It leapt over a gully and I leapt too, rolling back to my feet alongside it.

I grabbed it's long, sinuous tail and wrenched it back, burying my left set of claws into it's back. It screeched, a sound pulse knocking me back. Thoughts jumbled, I spent precious seconds on my back staring at the starry night sky. In the distance, fireworks crackled in the air, bathing the land in faint, ominous glows.