A Shadow in the Ember (Flesh and Fire 1)

Quickly readying another arrow, I aimed and fired, over and over as a horde of the creatures swarmed the ship and the men as the horses reached the edge of the bluff. The one who rode out front rose even higher, snagging my attention as I nocked another arrow. Nyktos leapt from Odin, twisting in midair. He landed in a crouch, and for a moment, I let myself be a little impressed by that feat.

And a little envious.

“He’s a showoff,” I muttered and then pitched forward as Odin bore down on him, leaping into the air—

Nyktos raised a hand, closing it into a fist, and Odin…Odin became nothing more than a shadow—one that wrapped itself around Nyktos’ arm, sinking into the skin around the silver band.

“What the hell?” I whispered, my eyes wide.

“That’s the first time you’ve seen him do that?” Ector asked from where he stood on the other side of Rhain. “Neat party trick, huh?”

“How is that even possible?” I asked.

“Odin isn’t your normal horse,” Ector replied.

“No shit,” I retorted.

Nyktos spun, catching my attention. The silver band glinted on his biceps as he caught a dakkai in one hand, lifting the enormous creature. He slammed the thing into the ground, planting a booted foot against its throat and reaching across his chest to unsheathe the short sword with a blade that glinted like onyx moonlight. He brought it down with a quick thrust, and the dakkai was no more.

Bele landed near him, striding forward, cloak lost somewhere. The stallion she’d ridden on raced away from the docks, joined by the other horses as they got out of the dakkais’ path. Bele reached back, unhooking the arrow at her hip. Her long legs were encased in either breeches or tights, arms bare, but no bands adorned them. She was too far away for me to make out the details of her face. Nyktos must’ve said something to her because her laugh reached us on the wall, sounding like wind chimes. Guards stilled along the wall as she picked up speed, launching into the air and coming down on the dakkai with her fist—no, with some sort of weapon. The dakkai shattered, and she landed where it’d once stood.

“I think I’m in love,” Ector said, and I felt like I might’ve fallen a little in love, too.

Rhain snorted.

A dakkai shot across the docks, launching into the air. Theon kicked out, knocking a dakkai back and thrusting his sword, shoving it deep into the creature’s chest.

“Now I think I’m in love,” Rhain murmured as Theon spun, slicing through the dakkai he’d kicked.

I loaded another arrow and spotted Nyktos once more. He planted a booted foot in a dakkai’s chest, pushing the thing back with stunning strength and sending it skidding several feet. Saion took it down as he turned, thrusting his sword into another.

Bele seemed to be having a grand old time as she made quick work of the dakkais clamoring for the men on the ship—sailors who now stood transfixed. Letting go of the string, I watched long enough to know that the arrow had struck the head of one of the things before reaching for another arrow.

“There’s more!” a guard down the wall shouted. “Coming inland.”

Nyktos turned as several dakkais broke the surface of the bay, clamoring over one another as they spilled onto the docks, their claws snapping more sections of wood.

One of the dakkais rushed Nyktos from behind, and I shifted my aim, releasing the arrow. Just as the Primal spun, it struck true, taking out the dakkai.

Nyktos’ head jerked up. With unnerving accuracy, he turned to where I stood.

My hand shook as I broke his stare and reached for another arrow. I doubted I’d get a thank you for that.

“Several just made it up,” a guard shouted, racing down the wall. “They’re heading for the gates.”

“Go!” Nyktos ordered.

Bele took off running. She quickly disappeared around the corner of a building as shouts of alarm filled the air. I rose from the parapet to see dozens more swarm the docks, scrambling out from the bay like a tide of death.

“Good gods,” Rhain rasped. “There are too many.”

Heart thumping heavily, I snapped forward, taking aim. I struck one, and three more took its place. My wide gaze scanned the docks. I saw Nyktos shove a dakkai back as another crashed into his side. A shout lodged in my throat as he stumbled. I fired an arrow, striking the dakkai. “Why isn’t he using his power? Why aren’t any of them using the eather?”

“Dakkai can sense eather—they feed off it. It’ll draw more to them,” Rhain said, throwing an empty quiver aside. “They’d be fucking swarmed.”

A harsh breath punched from my lungs as I looked at my nearly empty quiver.

“The wall!” a guard shouted. “On the wall!”

I looked down, and my stomach plummeted. A dozen or so dakkais were scaling the wall, punching their fists into the stone and breaking off enough of it to gain purchase on the otherwise smooth surface.