Carissa plunged her dagger through the heart of the first wolf before slashing across the face of a second one. And then Algernon crashed through the pack on his horse, trampling a few wolves before he dismounted the horse.
Another wolf began to lunge at Carissa, until Algernon nocked an arrow and shot him. Four more were felled in the same manner. One wolf rushed towards Algernon, and Algernon took his bow in hand before bringing it down on the wolf's head. The bow splintered, breaking into two.
Another wolf charged Algernon, and he stabbed the creature with one jagged piece of wood.
The remaining wolves left, their dark forms disappearing into the night. Perhaps they'd smelled more fear elsewhere. After all, it didn't seem as though Algernon were very afraid at the moment.
Algernon glanced at her, his jaw tight, his bare chest slicked in blood and black fur.
Dizziness swept over her, and Carissa fell to her hands and knees. "Well? Aren't you going to help me?"
"I shouldn't."
Carissa's gaze shot to him. What was he jesting?
Algernon's eyes smoldered like heated coals. "After what your husband did, he deserves to suffer." His gaze swept over her bloodied form. "But I suppose you don't."
Elon? What had Elon done? Fear clutched her, turning the blood in her veins to icy slush.
Algernon approached before kneeling beside her. He had little enough fabric left to clothe his own body, so he began ripping Carissa's sleeves and wrapping the strips around her calf.
Carissa placed a hand on Algernon's arm, and he paused. "Algernon, what happened?"
He sucked in a sharp breath, pain and grief flaring in his expression. And then it winked out.
Understanding crashed over her, and she tightened her grip on his shoulder. "Is Kybelle... Did you find her?"
Algernon's jaw quivered. "Most of her."
Carissa thought of the blood she'd smelled earlier, and her stomach twisted. "Oh, Algernon. I'm so—"
"Save it, Carissa. I don't need your pity when it's your husband that—" Algernon shook his head, blinking rapidly as his eyes became glossy with tears.
Sorrow clumped in Carissa's throat. What could she say to that? Elon had allowed this, yet surely he'd known what had happened to Kybelle. Could he not have prevented her death? Or at least warned them?
Algernon swallowed and finished wrapping the rest of her wounds in silence. As he finished tying off the cloth around her shoulder, the steady thump of horse hooves filled the forest.
Algernon's horse neared them, its eyes wide enough to reveal a sliver of white around its dark iris. It appeared spooked but relatively unharmed.
Algernon glanced over his shoulder at the horse, then his gaze returned to hers. "Can you walk?"
Carissa nodded and began to stand, even as pain seared her calf like a branding iron. She managed to straighten and took a step forward. Agony clenched her, and her leg collapsed beneath her.
Algernon caught her before she could fall and carried her to the horse. As they neared, she caught sight of a limp body, lying across the horse's saddle. The body was completely wrapped in strips of cloth, and Carissa suddenly realized what had become of Algernon's shirt. Blood stains had seeped through the fabric, darkening its green color.
Algernon set her atop the horse and settled the body so it laid across Carissa's knees. Wetness seeped from the corpse to the fabric of her pants, and Carissa swallowed a bout of nausea.
She was half tempted to pull the cloth away to reveal its face, to prove this was truly Kybelle. She'd seen plenty of dead Reapers and a few human corpses, but she'd never been this close to one. How could a living, breathing person by reduced to a husk of bones and flesh?
Algernon mounted behind her, and with a squeeze of his legs, the horse began to walk forward, the rocking motion somewhat soothing.
Carissa began to settle Kybelle more comfortably across her knees, even though she knew a corpse couldn't feel. She glanced up at the pitch-black sky, and the beat of her heart froze. She couldn't see the moon; how was she supposed to know whether or not midnight had passed?
After a few moments of worrying in silence, she heard a wolf snarl. Despite herself, her heartbeat surged as fear poured into her. Had the wolves found them again? Then she caught sight of them: the pack was clustered around a tree, cornering two men. As they neared, she recognized them as the scouts.
A few wolves turned their way, and Carissa forced herself to take deep, slow breaths. Though it was a struggle, she purged her mind of fear and instead focus on the cold grief balling inside her stomach.
The wolves glanced away, once more fixating their attention on the men in the trees.
Carissa glanced over her shoulder at Algernon. "Aren't you afraid?"
His eyes appeared dead and hollow, despite his smile. "What else can they take from me?"
Pain shafted through her chest, and she nodded. If she'd lost Elon, she'd likely feel the same. Her gaze returned to the two men in the tree. "Perhaps we should help them."
"There's no need for both of us to lose someone tonight, Carissa. We should return for Elon."
His words caused a sharp tug in her heart. He was right; she couldn't lose Elon. But at the same time, if Elon were here, she knew he'd want her to help the men. So what was she to do?
Carissa heaved a sigh. "I'm going to help them. It's what Elon wanted. And with his foresight, surely he would have accounted for this and made it possible for us to save both the men and Elon." Unless Elon had chosen a future where he died and the men were saved, thus sacrificing himself on their account. But surely he wouldn't allow that—not when she still needed him so much.
"Very well," Algernon replied. "I'll remain with you. But what can we do to help them without risking death ourselves?"
Fair point. The men were surrounded by nearly the entire pack.
And then Carissa spotted a discarded satchel, beneath the paw of one of the wolves. One of the scouts had been carrying the Y'thapa in it.
Carissa turned back to face Algernon. "I have an idea." She pointed to the discarded satchel. "If we can throw the Y'thapa to them, they can take it and the wolves will go away. Simple."
Algernon glanced at the satchel, then shrugged. "Whatever you wish, Carissa."
Carissa dismounted the horse, only for pain to shoot up her leg. She could barely walk—how was she supposed to hobble towards the wolves and toss the men the satchel with the Y'thapa?
Algernon dismounted beside her. "I'll go. As stated previously, I have nothing to fear at this point."
"Algernon—"
Algernon lifted her back onto the saddle and grabbed the broken bow. "Stay here, Carissa. Don't let Kybelle fall." He turned and began striding towards the wolves.
He slowed when he was close enough to brush their tails, and Carissa caught her breath. One of the wolves glanced back at her, and she inwardly cursed before focusing on taking deep breaths. She mustn't be afraid—even if it was fear for Algernon rather than herself.
As Algernon crept closer, one of the scouts glanced up at them. "What do you here?"
Carissa cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted. "We're trying to save you!"
The men in the tree shared a look. What? Did they know something she didn't?
"Is all well?" she asked.
The man nodded. "Yes. We're simply surprised you'd sacrifice your husband on our behalf. It's past midnight."
Carissa's heart ceased to beat, her lungs refused to expand. Past midnight?
The entire pack turned around, eerily synchronous. Their gazes fixed on her, their ears perking up. They wove around Algernon, completely ignoring him.
Algernon began running towards her. "Carissa!" A few of the wolves snapped at him, likely smelling his fear.
Carissa tried to take deep breaths, but her heart was pounding so loudly she could scarcely hear anything else. They were going to kill Elon. And it was all her fault.
The wolves picked up their pace, and Algernon began fighting them with his broken bow. "Run, Carissa!"
She dug her heels into the horse's flank, and it bolted down the road, Kybelle bouncing against her knees. Carissa placed one hand on her back, so she didn't fall off, and leaned into the horse's neck.
After a few moments, she recognized the road. The horse was headed where it knew it'd be safe: home. Carissa considered pulling the horse around—she couldn't abandon Algernon, after all. But she wasn't certain her fear would stop until she'd seen Elon. Perhaps she'd be more of a hinderance to him than a help. Perhaps she should just ride back to camp.
She glanced over her shoulder and found a few wolves nearly keeping pace with the horse. From this close, she could see the black fur of their muzzles wet with blood. Could it be Kybelle's blood? Her stomach wrenched sharply at the thought.
She fixed her gaze forward again. There was little she could do, aside from hoping the horse was fast enough.
When Carissa glanced back again, she found a few of the wolves had fallen behind. The horse was obviously weary—its chest heaving and its coat slick with sweat—but it seemed the wolves were tired as well.
A few moments more, and most of the pack had fallen behind, obscured by the cloud of dust the horse left in their wake. There were only two wolves close by now. One of them put on a burst of speed, coming close enough that it nipped at the horse's hind quarters before darting away.
The horse released a distressed whinny, its pace briefly slowing.
When the wolf wandered closer, Carissa began unhooking the reins from its bridle. She coiled the reins in her hand, and when the wolf stretched its neck to nip at the horse, she lashed out with the reins. The metal end of the reins struck the side of its face, making it stumble. It slowed, crashing into the remaining wolf behind it, and they both fell to the ground.
The horse's continued to run, its breath wheezing. Just when she feared it might collapse, she caught sight of twinkling lights in the distance. The caravan. They'd made it.
Carissa straightened, her clothes damp and sticky against her skin. Dizziness flooded her, and she clung to the pommel of the saddle. She was panting, her breath appearing frothy against the darkness. Only now did she feel the cold bite of the night.
"Well, about time." Elder Itura emerged from a tent. Her eyes narrowed as they landed on Carissa. "The others. Where are they?"
"I..." The world began to wobble, and Carissa sucked in a breath. Just as she began to feel herself fall, a pair of arms closed around her.
"I have you."
She glanced up into Elon's eyes, and the tension fled her body. He was safe. She'd made it back in time.
Elder Itura gasped. "What? How did you escape—"
Elon began striding away from the woman. "The others will return before morning, Elder. I need to tend to my wife."
Dark silhouettes of tent passed them, light glowing against the canvas. Elon didn't hold her tightly but carried her so that her side barely touched his chest. Likely to prevent her from bleeding all over him. She didn't care. Elon was safe, and that was what mattered.
Coldness engulfed her leg, and she startled. She hadn't even realized they'd stopped moving. Where was she?
Elon's calloused fingertips brushed against her cheek. "Stay with me, Carissa."
His other hand ran down her leg, warmth spreading across her calf. She sighed as the pain dissipated. Elon tugged her shirt off her head, and she flinched as it tugged at her wounds. When Elon tossed the shirt aside, she was almost shocked at the large blood stains. The night air was like ice against her nearly bare torso, making her shiver.
Elon was kneeling next to a stream, cupping water in his hands. He poured it over her shoulder, then her back. His hands ran along her skin, reknitting her flesh.
She noticed him tense slightly, and sympathy surged through her. Obtaining the wounds had been painful, and she had no doubt that healing them was as well.
Carissa pressed a hand to his chest. "Elon, are you—"
He lurched away from her touch, nearly falling backwards.
What was wrong? What had she done? "Elon?"
He drew in a steady breath and straightened. "Forgive me. I was healing you, so I didn't think to use my foresight, and—"
"Did I hurt you?"
The long ensuing silence answered her question. Heat ignited in her chest. "What did they do?"
"Cariss—"
"Show me."
When he didn't move to do as she'd asked, she crept closer to him and pulled the front of his shirt up, revealing his chest. Patches of angry red covered his skin. Some parts had blistered, swelling up with yellow liquid. Its appearance reminded her of her cheek, after saving Aleck from the burning building.
Her whole body grew hot—the very air searing her lungs. "They burned you."