Dark Huntress

by Nia Night

  I explained as much before making my final decision, staring up at the barrier, that almost transparent, silvery wall rippling between the realms, hanging up to the heavens like a curtain between the trees.

  Kieran’s response to this information was not what I expected. “Are you willing to give it to me?” he asked. “Because the choice is yours, Iliana. I’m willing, but if you can’t let me through, I also understand.”

  Honest to Gods, if the Angel’s reaction had been anything else—a demand, a faltering, anything—I might not have gone through with it. Doing so would be the most impulsive decision I’d ever made in my entire life.

  I drew a deep breath and swallowed. Then I held out my hand. “Okay,” I said. “Let’s go.”

  Without hesitation, Kieran placed his hand in mine, and opened his mind to the sight that was the barrier.

  He watched with a captivating stoicism that I observed as coolly as I could manage.

  The barrier was not just a shimmering curtain that draped the line between this realm and the next, it was a living thing, an entity with a presence. To be near it and know of its existence was an experience of not just the senses, but of the soul, as if one was drawing near to the very fabric of the universe.

  I didn’t know much about what things were like on the divine plain, but they must be equally extraordinary, because Kieran simply stepped through the barrier, still holding my hand, as though he’d done so a million times before.

  As we crossed over, a familiar zing went through my body, reaching every nerve ending, firing every sensation. The feeling passed as quickly as it came.

  We were on the other side.

  The last sunlight of the day was dying with each breath, the shadows growing by the heartbeat. The air was different here, colder somehow despite the temperature matching that on the other side. The daylight took with it any warmth from that sun, but all I needed to do was summon a little fire magic, and it was as though I had a nice warm furnace right in my veins.

  “From here on out,” I told Kieran in the lowest of whispers, drawing near to him and standing on my tiptoes to put my lips by his ears, “you just have to follow me. We need to be very quiet, because running into the Sisters is not the only danger we face here. Silence, stealth, readiness—those are the things I need from you. Do you understand?”

  I watched his throat bob as he looked down at me from his taller height. Kieran nodded but didn’t vocalize. I patted his shoulder and turned toward the landscape.

  The trees were too dense, too dark to see far ahead, but I knew these grounds, as massive as they were, like the back of my hand. It was here that I’d survived the toughest years of my life. Here where I’d trained and fought and killed. Here where I’d been stripped down to nothing, and built into something entirely new.

  I didn’t need to see the Academy to find it. The Academy was always in me, always calling me home.

  Only this time, when I crawled back to her bosom, it would be to deceive and steal from those within.

  I rolled my neck and my shoulders to loosen some of the tension, my senses on high alert. The ground was softer here, and one needed to be careful where they placed foot. There were sink holes that could swallow a person hole, snares that could break an ankle, creatures that could paralyze instantly with a single bite.

  I heard some of the latter skittering and slithering through the trees, the underbrush. This was a wood full of predators, and the only way to survive was to be the baddest of them all.

  I ran my fingers over my Calidi chain, listening to the careful steps of Kieran on my tail. Every moment without interference was a blessing.

  We only made it so far, of course, because this was not a land where one could wander long without a fight.

  I saw the silver eyes through the trees, two unblinking orbs that were fixed on us like missiles, and paused in my tracks. Uncoiling the chain around my waist, I arranged it in my hands and gathered my fire magic to me. I looked back at the beast between the trees, likely a great mountain cat, a creature that resembled those in the mortal realm but was twice the size and five times more aggressive.

  We stared at each other, the beast’s eyes glowing silver while mine burned fiery red.

  The eyes disappeared.

  “There’s a great cat coming toward us right now,” I whispered to Kieran, my voice low and calm. “If we don’t kill it, it will kill us.”

  Kieran drew his sword. “Then I guess we better kill it.”

  20

  These words had barely left his lips when the cat leapt out of the branches, having moved with such silence that I could not pinpoint her location until she was right on top of us.

  Kieran’s sword flashed, but the cat was too quick. She danced back, her maw wide and deadly, a chilling snarl rippling up her throat.

  It was dark, but I summoned my fire magic into a ball in my hand and launched it in her direction. In the glow of its light, her massive size and impressive anatomy came into sight.

  She was indeed a great cat, paws the size of dinner plates. Her fur was a rich caramel, smooth and shiny as velvet. The muscles in her shoulders bunched, the power coiling there, aggression lining every inch.

  Kieran was poised beside me, blade still in hand, calm as he needed to be. I summoned another ball of flame, putting more energy into this one, letting it burn hot and bright above my hand.

  The cat held her position, and for a few heartbeats, time stalled as I let her make the decision of whether or not this fight was worth it. I held her gaze as I waited, my heart steady in my chest.

  It was no small relief when she backed away a step. Then another. Finally, her lips fell back over her teeth, her expression smoothing, and she turned and disappeared into the trees.

  I glanced over at Kieran, who looked back at me, then jerked my chin in the direction we’d been heading, signaling that we needed to keep moving.

  We moved as swiftly and quietly as we could manage, and I could sense us drawing nearer to the wall that surrounded the Academy. If we could make it that far, we’d trade certain difficulties for others. The creatures of the wood gave the dark stone wall around the facility a wide berth, so we wouldn’t have to worry about an attack from the feral beasts within, but on the other hand, this berth was afforded for good reason.

  The Sisters who lived within the wall were just as feral. The baddest of the bad, as it were.

  On we continued, amidst the shadows and darkness, around the trees and through the night.

  Then the fucking hole swallowed me.

  I should have known better, should have been more careful. How many times had I been warned of the deadfalls in the wood? How many of my fellow Sisters had been claimed by just such clutches, disappearing into the unstable ground and falling for several feet before landing at the bottom of a narrow pit.

  As soon as I took the step, I knew I was going over. I tried to slow the momentum, my arms wheeling, my hands reaching out for purchase and finding none. Then I was falling, my body striking rocky edges, snapping through branches, barbs tearing into my skin and drawing blood.

  The scent of blood, that would draw other things.

  When I finally hit the ground, I was shaken up enough that all I could do for several seconds was stare into the darkness. Agony tore through me in various locations. My tailbone sang pain like a ballad, my left shoulder hung at an unnatural angle. My head hurt from where it had struck something, and warm blood trickled on my arms, from my ear and chin.

  I drew several deep breaths, trying to focus solely on assessing the damage, on biting through the shock. After not too long, I was able to test my movements, and decided that the worst of the injuries was the dislocated shoulder.

  Once I had the courage, I summoned my fire magic, creating an orb of burning light in front of me, bringing illumination to the situation. Indeed, I was bleeding, my clothing ripped in several places. I was able to sit up, so I did, and though I knew I would not like what I saw, I tilted my he
ad back and sent the orb of light up.

  And up it went.

  And up.

  And up.

  And up.

  A string of curse words went through my head. I must have fallen nearly fifty feet, through a narrow gap in the earth that was too tight for much other than the width of me to squeeze through. I couldn’t see the trees beyond, or hear Kieran, or anything else from up there.

  I took a few more deep breaths to soothe away any rising panic, knowing that the very first thing to remember in tough situations was to keep your cool. I would need to climb out of here, that was the only option. And with a dislocated fucking shoulder, no less.

  I let the string of curse words come out of my mouth now in a release of energy. Then I set my mind to the task of relocating my shoulder. The pain of having it out of joint needed to be abated. My forehead was already slick with sweat from the agony, and my stomach was starting to turn. If I could get the joint back in the socket, I could decide upon the next immediate action.

  That was another survival skill I could thank the Sisterhood for teaching me; when in a tight situation, just decide on the next action. And then the next, and so on. Keep your head about you, and take action.

  I was already in a sitting position, from which I should be able to relocate the joint if I could rotate my arm enough. The walls were tight around me, so I scooted as close to the wall on my right as possible, as it was my left shoulder that was dislocated.

  I straightened my back, gritting my teeth against the pain, and used my right arm to brace my left, angling it at ninety degrees. My shoulder screamed with this action, and a groan escaped my tight lips. My breathing became ragged, my jaw clenched tight. Slowly, I rotated the arm outward until I felt tension. The joint moved. It was excruciating. I cried out. Drew three sharp breaths, and rotated it back.

  Relief flooded over me in a wave as the ball slid back into the socket. My head got light and I dry heaved a couple times with the sensation. Once the shock had passed, the pain of the other injuries I’d sustained held out its hand.

  I cradled my left arm in my lap, tipping my head back and looking up at the climb.

  I felt like crying.

  But fuck all that nonsense.

  These walls were close together, and there were ridges for me to grip and hoist myself up. I still had three perfectly working appendages. I was not going to die here.

  I shivered, and used just a touch of my magic to warm me, knowing I’d need to be careful about conserving my strength.

  Then I gathered my will around me and pushed up to my feet. It felt marginally better to be standing, to know that I could, even if my legs protested and shook. I breathed, forcing them to steady.

  A deep voice called down, barely audible but present. I couldn’t make out the words, but I recognized the timbre. It was Kieran, no doubt, and I will admit that it felt good to know he was there, to know that he knew I was here.

  Now to get down to business. I used my right hand to uncoil the Calidi chain from around my waist, then I tossed it gently over my right shoulder. I looped it from there across my chest and midsection and tucked my left elbow within it at a ninety degree angle. It was not an ideal sling, but it would have to do.

  I found a low ridge and placed the toe of my boot in it, gripping another small outcropping above with my good arm and hauling myself up. The tight space would be both a curse and a blessing. It would take every working muscle in my body, but I was determined to make it to the top. I would not die here in this blasted hole.

  I continued on gripping the rock, finding footholds, pushing myself upward. I used every part of me to brace against the stone walls, and the edges dug into the skin of my shoulders and back. Time became irrelevant. I counted only in inches upward. I couldn’t afford to estimate how much was below and how much was above. There was only exactly where I was in the moment. I’ve always found this sensation to be the most interesting of survival instincts. When there is an immediate threat to one’s existence, the brain blocks out everything else, all the other nonsense we waste our time worrying about, and fixes only on survival. This was what became me now.

  Along with my body, my throat ached. It was so dry that my tongue felt thick in my throat, as if the adrenaline of the fall and the subsequent pain had zapped the moisture right out of it. My long golden hair was in a braid, but some of it had come free and hung in my face, which was slick with sweat. I grunted as I pushed with my feet and reached with my hands.

  Another inch.

  And another.

  Another.

  There was no end. I would never reach the top.

  No, those thoughts were wrong. They were unwarranted. I had to stop them in their tracks. I would reach the fucking top, Gods damn it.

  I pushed higher and higher, then paused for a rest, panting. My breath rasping through my lungs was the only sound except for the thudding of my heart. I swallowed, tilted my head back, and looked up. Nothing but darkness, above and below.

  My head dropped forward and the muscles in my ankles and thighs, my fingers and wrists, protested. I knew I ought to continue, so I allowed myself ten deep breaths.

  Then I continued upward. I couldn’t be sure how far I’d gone, but I knew it was far enough that I could not afford to fall again. A little further on, a voice floated down from the top.

  “Iliana?” called Kieran. “Iliana, can you hear me?”

  My very first reaction was to shout back, “Shut the fuck up! You’re drawing attention!”

  I resisted the urge. I didn’t have the energy. I’d need every bit if I was going to make it. Gaging by the distance of his voice, I figured I had at least thirty feet left to go. I tried not to let this number weigh on me, but a tear of frustration slipped over one cheek before I gritted my teeth again and reminded myself to accomplish the Gods damned mission.

  And right now, that was to get out of this Gods damned hole.

  When I heard a hissing from somewhere beneath me, and thought of all the things that existed in these woods, all the poisonous snakes and insects, I renewed my efforts. There were species of ants here that could paralyze every muscle in a person’s body with a single bite, and then lead the rest of the colony back to the body, where they would harvest the valuable bits, biting off chunks of the person and carrying it away as the victim lie immobile, watching.

  And this was just one of the horrifying possibilities.

  I continued climbing and climbing and climbing. It took every ounce of physical strength, but that was nothing compared to the mental battle.

  No matter how hard I strained my eyes, I could not see the light at the end of the tunnel.

  And, yet, the only way to survive was to have faith that it was there.

  21

  When the air hit my face for the first time, I would have cried out in joy had I the energy.

  Strong arms went around me in the next instant, hauling me up and out of the hole and onto the surface. I knew the arms belonged to Kieran, but could do little but pant and bathe in the immense relief washing over me.

  Kieran held me against him for a moment before releasing me. I shoved him away because of the pressure it put on my bad arm, and didn’t miss the bit of hurt that flashed behind his expression.

  “Thank the Gods,” he said. “I didn’t know what to do. I thought you were gone!”

  I pulled myself up, remembering where I was and that deadly crevices in the ground were not the only hazards.

  “I couldn’t fit down there,” Kieran continued, clearly rattled. “I kept calling out to you and not hearing anything, and I can’t see shit out here because it’s dark.”

  I held up a hand to halt his rambling. I hadn’t expected him to come in after me or find a solution, because I’d known the situation dictated that there was no one who could help me but myself. I did appreciate that he hadn’t left me, though, as it had no doubt taken me a couple of hours to make it to the top. Then again, it wasn’t like he knew where he was
or how to get out of here, so I supposed part of it was his own survival instinct.

  That was too much contemplating on a subject I didn’t give a shit about.

  “It’s cool,” I said. “But you should have kept your voice down.”

  Kieran held up his hands and shook his head, as if this reprimand surprised him. I couldn’t care at the moment if it did. I was still injured pretty moderately, and now I was also exhausted, and we were in one of the most deadly forests that existed in the realms, with a mission beyond that that would have been difficult when in peak condition.

  “Do you have water?” I asked.

  Kieran dug through his pack and produced a canteen. I took it and drained it, knowing that we had more, and that I needed a good amount. I hadn’t been wearing my own pack when I’d fallen into the crevice, because I’d taken it off to grab a protein bar. I finally ate the damn thing and drank a little more, making haste of the task before insisting that we continue on.

  My eyes had adjusted to the darkness, and I could just make out Kieran’s face. “Are you sure we should continue?” he asked. “Perhaps we should head back and recover.”

  It would be a lie to say that I hadn’t considered this, but the truth was, there was no heading back. We were already in too deep, and things like the cougar and the fall and the deadly giant ants were par for the course. If we left now we would not be coming back ever, and that was if we made it out in the first place.

  “Do you want to get the child?” I asked. “Is it not of dire importance?”

  “Of course I do,” he answered. “Of course it is.”

  “Then we push onward. Let’s go. Keep your guard up, and obviously, watch where you place your feet.”

  The Angel stared at me a moment, and I caught a flash of apprehension that gave me pause. It was the first time since I’d met him that I’d seen doubt in his eyes, and I tried not to wonder at it. Didn’t he know that a little tumble wasn’t enough to keep me down? If there was one thing the Sisterhood and the Academy had given me, it was resilience. I fell all the time, but I got back up. I always got back up.