When Darkness Ends (Guardians of Eternity #12)(74)

“I don’t know,” she admitted, sucking in a deep breath once she was sure the rough landing hadn’t cracked any ribs. She was studying the nearby stalagmite that was coated in some strange, shimmering goo when an icy breeze sent a rash of goose pimples over her skin. Suddenly she stiffened, a wave of dread sweeping through her at the foul odor that made her stomach heave. “Ugh. What is that stench?”

“Troll,” Cyn muttered, the word sounding like a curse. “Can you get us out of here?”

Fallon grimaced. Her royal blood meant that she recovered far faster than most fey, but at the moment she felt as if her magic had been sucked dry.

“I need a few minutes,” she admitted.

Cyn nodded, as if he’d been expecting her response. Then, without warning, he was muttering a low curse as he bent down to scoop her into his arms.

Fallon stiffened. “What are you doing?”

“Hellhounds,” he muttered. “Hold on.”

Cradling her against his chest, he barely gave her time to wrap her arms around his neck before he was smoothly running across the cave and into a narrow shaft that was angled upward.

Fallon glanced over Cyn’s shoulder at the large hounds that were entering the cave. They were nearly as big as a pony, with crimson eyes that flashed with malevolent hatred in the darkness. They had huge fangs and dripped acid onto the stone floor with an audible sizzle.

She shuddered. Yeah, it was a relief they hadn’t ended up on a sun-drenched beach, but did the alternative have to be a troll nest guarded by hellhounds?

Obviously it did, she silently conceded, burying her head against his chest as Cyn ducked the dangling stalactites and leaped over cracks in the floor at a speed that made her head spin. It wasn’t until he came to an abrupt halt that she glanced up to discover his face set in a bleak expression.

“Why did you stop?” she demanded, shivering at the nearing howls of the hellhounds that echoed eerily through the small cave they’d just entered.

Cyn gently set her on her feet, pulling a large knife from a sheath strapped beneath his sweater.

“We’re being herded.”

Herded? She frowned, wondering if it was some slang word.

“What does that mean?”

He moved to place himself between her and the opening to the cave, his legs spread wide.

“The hounds aren’t attacking, they’re deliberately trying to force us deeper into the mountain.”

Oh. Herded. Like cattle.

“Why?” she asked, even as a small voice in the back of her head warned she didn’t want to know the answer to that particular question.

“Trolls prefer to eat their dinner while they’re still alive.”

Her heart stopped. Yep. Much better not to know.

“Oh.”

He glanced over his shoulder, his expression more determined than concerned.

“Stay behind me.”

There were more howls joining the first. Three. Maybe even four.

“There’s too many,” she warned.

A slow smile revealed his large fangs, his jade eyes glowing with anticipation.

“Someday, princess, you’re going to trust me,” he promised, then with a lightning-quick motion he was surging forward to meet the charging hellhounds.

Fallon’s breath lodged in her throat as the four hounds swiftly surrounded him, their sharp barks loud enough to hurt her ears.

Cyn turned in a slow circle, meeting the evil crimson gazes. Fallon clenched her hands. It looked as if he were daring them to attack.

It was only when the largest of the hounds leaped forward that she realized he’d been deliberately provoking the leader of the pack.

With a savage snarl the beast snapped his fangs at Cyn’s throat, the acid from his mouth spraying onto his sweater and burning through to the flesh beneath.

Fallon winced, but Cyn seemed unaware of the damage as he grabbed the hellhound by the head and with one massive twist of his hands snapped the creature’s neck. The other hounds hesitated, clearly smart enough to recognize that Cyn wasn’t going to be easy prey.

The pause gave Cyn time to use his knife to cut out the leader’s heart. Fallon grimaced even as she approved of his precaution.

Most demons had to have either their head or their heart removed to prevent them from returning to life.

Tossing aside the bloody carcass, Cyn curled back his lips to flash his fangs in direct challenge.

The hounds whined, clearly wanting to scurry away in fear. But almost as if they were being driven by some outside force, they charged toward Cyn.

With a swing of his arm, Cyn sliced the knife through the nearest hound’s upper chest, sending it to the floor with a snarl of pain. The next two he easily sidestepped, kicking one in the side with enough force to send it sailing into the far wall.

There was a crunch of bones as the hellhound slid to the ground in an unconscious heap.

Never hesitating, Cyn was turning just in time to grab the hellhound who was pouncing on his back. Grabbing it by the muzzle, he crushed the monster’s mouth, slicing his knife through its chest to remove the heart with obvious expertise.

Fallon grimaced at the carnage, but she couldn’t help but admire the smooth skill that Cyn displayed as he tossed aside the dead hound and bent to deal with the one that had healed the wound on his chest and was rising to his feet. With a few more slices of the knife he ensured the beast wouldn’t be getting back up again.