Grab My Hand

Nigel quickly finds his way beside me and helps me bandage up Therion's wounds. I can't bear looking at the ocean of blood streaming out of his body or the corpses surrounding us. One more glance, and I will break. So, I stare intently at the dagger I hold between Therion's nose and upper lip. The small patches of fog that appear every time he breaths out hold me together. It is a sign he is still with me. He is still breathing. He isn't giving up on the fight.

When I notice that Nigel is done patching up my husband, I put my dagger back behind the band strapped around my thigh.

A rumble so loud it makes my ears ring and shakes the ground. Small pieces of rock tumble down the edge of the landing of the mountain. I pull Therion tighter against me.

"What was that?" Nigel asks hesitantly. His long blond hair gets carried by the dry breeze. The fae warrior has his left hand on the dagger strapped to his side. His eyes travel the enormous pieces of grey stone, painted with blood.

"It's what Therion was here for," I explain with a painfully raw voice. "That rumble sounded yesterday night, as well. They left to look into it." I sniff my runny nose and pull my mate closer to my chest. His breathing is almost non-existent, but I take comfort in the fact that I can feel it stroke my bare skin if I focus hard enough. I press a soft kiss on his bloody temple.

"I'm here. Everything will be okay. You will be okay."

Kayol, Clarissa, and Allen all stand beside me with their weapons in hand. Clarissa has her twin swords, Kayol his cutlass, and Allen his crossbow. They're all standing with their backs turned to me. Covering us. I get a better hold on my husband and — with the help of Nigel — rise from the blood-soaked earth. I groan under my husband's weight, but I manage.

"We need to go," Kayol announces. He walks over to me and takes over my husband so I can get on my horse. Once seated in Tarabuja's saddle, Kayol lifts my unconscious husband in front of me. I make Therion lean with his back against my chest, wrap my arms around him to steady him, and grab ahold of the reins.

"He'll be alright, Nives," Kayol nods. I smile sadly at him.

I look over my shoulder in terror when the rumble sounds again. No. It isn't a rumble, I realize.

It is a roar.

A roar so powerful it shakes the ground. A roar so loud that it was audible in the castle kilometers away. The roar sounds again, this time followed by a scraping sound — the sound of metal carving in stone.

Nigel, Clarissa, and Allen, who already hoist themselves on their horses immediately draw their weapons again. Ready to fight. Ready to protect their King and Queen at all costs.

"Go!" Kayol orders as he sprints to his own horse and the beast appears in sight.

No. It isn't a beast.

It is a machine.

Well, part machine.

I gasp for air and can only stare at the thing in fright. It has the body of a lion; a snake-like tongue; rows and rows of razor-sharp teeth; big, curling, black, horns like a demon; big, ripped bat-like wings; and a scorpion tail. A manticore.

As if facing a fucking manticore isn't bad enough, this creature has libs entirely made out of iron.

This thing is made. it isn't from a mom and a dad. It is made. An experiment. A killing machine — literally.

"What the fuck is that?!" Allen yells out in pure horror.

"Go!" Kayol orders again, this time with more force.

I awaken out of my trance and urge Tara to take us away from here. Something she does gladly. She gallops away as fast as she can. Dust rises behind us from the dry grasslands. Clarissa and Kayol are quickly by my side. I glance over my shoulder to see how far behind Allen and Nigel are, which is about fifty meters. Nigel reaches for the double-headed battle ax engraved with runes strapped on his back. Where Allen's horse starts to show signs of having a hard time keeping up with us.

"Watch out!" I scream as the thing comes after them. it jumps at Allen and his exhausted horse. Allen can barely escape the iron claws b throwing himself out of the saddle. He rolls down in the grass. Without any hesitation, Nigel turns his horse around and goes back to get his mate, who is seconds away from being that beast's next meal.

"Grab my hand!" Nigel yells at Allen, who is still on the ground. His voice trembles with fear for the faith of his husband. They both reach for each other but aren't able to grab ahold of and other. Nigel turns his horse around for a second try, while Allen crawls away from the beast feasting on his horse. A look of pure terror plastered on his face.

"Allen!" Nigel yells again, with his arm out for his mate. Allen pushes himself up from the ground, and this time manages to grab the outstretched arm of his husband. Nigel pulls Allen smoothly on the back of his horse and urges it to get them out of there.

"Faster!" Clarissa screams in horror at the two when the beast steps away from the dead horse. His head covered in organs and blood. I gag at the sight of it. "Faster! Get out of there!" Clarissa yells again. Nigel looks over his shoulder to see the beast chasing them. he curses loudly and urges his horse to go even faster.

Allen carefully turns around on the horse while Nigel gets ahold of his thigh. Preventing him from falling. Allen puts a bolt in his crossbow and aims.