Chapter 80: Whispers Of A Queen
The fight was brutal from the start.
The first of the hollow-eyed figures lunged at Lucas, its limbs bending at unnatural angles, bones snapping as it moved. Lucas swung his sword in a clean arc, slicing deep into its chest—but it didn’t slow. It only smiled, mouth stretching too wide, too wrong.
A second one came for me, sharp claws tearing through the air. I dodged just in time, but its nails grazed my shoulder, burning like acid on my skin. I shifted mid-motion, the familiar burst of fur and claws erupting as I twisted, slamming into it with my full weight.
We tumbled across the grass, snapping wildflowers beneath us, biting and clawing like rabid things. My jaws locked around its arm—I should’ve broken bone—but it was like biting stone. My teeth ached with the force of it.
Behind me, I heard Lucas grunt in pain.
I twisted my head, heart skipping. One of the figures had gotten past him, grabbing his wrist mid-strike and slamming him down onto the rocky ground with a sickening crack.
"Lucas!"
I tried to run to him, but another creature tackled me from the side, pinning me, its twisted face inches from mine, breath reeking of rot. Its hollow eyes gleamed. "Give in. Stay."
"Never!" I roared, slamming my claws upward into its throat. Black liquid splattered across my fur, thick and foul-smelling, but it didn’t fall—it only hissed, gripping me tighter.
Lucas was losing.
I saw him try to rise—only for one of the hollow things to grab his hair and smash his head into the dirt. His sword was gone, kicked out of reach. Blood spilled from his temple, seeping into the moss beneath him. His chest rose and fell in quick, desperate gasps.