Two girls. Two secrets.
Only one can survive.
Years before Nelle Wychthorn plans her escape, Tabitha Catt may unearth something in a Horned God's lair that is the key to freedom.
Desperate to save her beloved aunt from a dark curse, Tabitha is out t...
Anyone else would have turned and ran the other way at the nightmare streaking toward the boy, but Tabitha didn't. She kept going, kept yelling, desperately trying to reel the dog her way.
I forgot everyone else, everything else. My heart pounded wildly. "TABITHA!" I roared.
Fuck. Tabitha!
But Irma's sudden terrified scream tugged me to spin around. "Varen!"
Irma's cat eyes were wide and filled with panic. She staggered, shunted, and swaying amongst the melee of frantic bodies trying to push their way back from Jurgana's dogs. Blood dripped from a wound on her forehead. Her hand reached for me. "Varen!"
One moment she was there, the next she went down, disappearing beneath treading feet. She'd fallen and the stampede of people trampled over top of her.
I could hear her shrieking in agony.
"Irma!"
Shit, shit, shit—
I was cleaved in two—Irma or Tabitha.
I stabbed my swords into the soft earth, and lunged into the mess of limbs, elbowing, and shoving them back. Irma was on her front—bare feet, dress shoes, and high heels trampling on top of her. I leaned low and grabbed a hold of her arm, dragging her upright. Her dress was ripped and dirty, and one of her high heels had come away. Mud smeared her face and limbs. Bruises and new gashes wept blood on her arms and hands.
She clung to me, sobbing, her sleek hair in disarray around her face, tears ruining her mascara.
I wasn't a complete bastard. My heart squeezed with worry. I wouldn't want anyone hurt, even my very ex-girlfriend. But my mind was on Tabitha. I had to get to her. I was taking a step back, trying to shake her off, when Irma sobbed, "Varen!" She looked up at me, her eyebrows nudging together with bewilderment. She was hurt and terrified I was leaving her. She clung to me tighter as I tried to unhook her death grip from my arm.
"Irma, I've got to go!" I barked.
"Varen, please..." she implored me, her red-rimmed eyes releasing more tears.
Suddenly Rosa pushed her way to us. "Irma!" She hooked her fingers around each of Irma's hands curled around my arm. Rosa looked even worse than Irma with her frizzy curls sticking every which way, and grime and blood smearing her round cheeks, but she wasn't mentally coming apart. She was determined and clear-thinking.
"Shit, Battagli, you okay?"
"Irma, I've got you," she replied instead to my ex-girlfriend, her voice gentle. She tugged Irma away from me. Rosa's brown eyes blazed as her gaze snapped to mine. "Go! You're needed!"
***
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