the darkness falls around me at night
My chest still aches from where that last beast nearly pancaked me, but I roll my shoulders and try to pretend my heartbeat isn’t in my ears. Deimos speaks, calm as ever, like I didn’t just get up close and personal with a reindeer from hell. I glance over at him, breathing hard, brushing half-frozen blood off my arm.
"I guess I’m out here to prove something?" I say, trying not to sound too dramatic about it. "Mostly to myself. Maybe a little bit to my mom. Always acted like I was liable to faceplant into danger at any moment." I shrug, offering a crooked smile. "Which, okay, fair. I didn’t exactly land on my feet back there. But usually I do. I’ve got a whole average going."
A rough snort echoes from the trees, and I snap my head toward it just in time to see another void-luxere toss its antlers and lower its head, clearly having decided I’m next on the hit list.
"Asshole," I mutter, and before I can second-guess it, I throw my knife.
It spins once, twice, before it buries deep in the creature’s throat. It keeps running, blood spraying across the snow like black ink, but its momentum fails it. The void-luxere stumbles, collapses in a tangle of limbs just feet from me, and thrashes in a final spasm before going still.
I exhale, only just now realizing I’d been holding my breath. My legs are shaking, but I step forward, yank the dagger from its neck, and wipe the blade off against my already-ruined sleeve.
Then I look back at Deimos with a grin. "Much better."
"I guess I’m out here to prove something?" I say, trying not to sound too dramatic about it. "Mostly to myself. Maybe a little bit to my mom. Always acted like I was liable to faceplant into danger at any moment." I shrug, offering a crooked smile. "Which, okay, fair. I didn’t exactly land on my feet back there. But usually I do. I’ve got a whole average going."
A rough snort echoes from the trees, and I snap my head toward it just in time to see another void-luxere toss its antlers and lower its head, clearly having decided I’m next on the hit list.
"Asshole," I mutter, and before I can second-guess it, I throw my knife.
It spins once, twice, before it buries deep in the creature’s throat. It keeps running, blood spraying across the snow like black ink, but its momentum fails it. The void-luxere stumbles, collapses in a tangle of limbs just feet from me, and thrashes in a final spasm before going still.
I exhale, only just now realizing I’d been holding my breath. My legs are shaking, but I step forward, yank the dagger from its neck, and wipe the blade off against my already-ruined sleeve.
Then I look back at Deimos with a grin. "Much better."
Theea
and covers me in silence so bright
