The Great Hunt (Eurona Duology, #1)(56)

She knew the hunters had come this way. Hundreds of townspeople lined the Eurona River with bonfires, celebrating how they’d helped the hunters give chase. Fools. The beast could not be so easily killed.

Into the trees she went, with her silent company of one. For an hour they trudged as cold rain began to fall and the grounds began to slope upward. Rozaria was not prepared to enter the mountains of Toresta. She was about to turn and go back when she heard murmured voices ahead in the darkness. She stilled, and her companion followed suit.

Slowly, the two women crept forward until they spotted seven men huddled together for warmth. She recognized the head wraps of the drylands, and she held back a chuckle. These men knew even less about how to handle themselves in the freezing rain than she did. At least she could start a fire with her hands if needed. What pathetic excuses for hunters.

“Stay hidden for now,” Rozaria said to the girl at her side, “unless I need you.”

The girl nodded from the depths of her dripping hood.

Rozaria made her way around a thick tree and pulled back her hood just enough to show her face to the men. They stood when they saw her, several grabbing their weapons. Rozaria smiled.

“Hunters?” she asked in Zorfinan. This made them glance around at one another. Finally, one stepped forward.

“Jes. It is not safe here, miss. The beast could return down the mountain.”

“The beast went into the mountains? Why have you stayed down here?” She cocked her head, as if asking out of innocent inquisitiveness.

The men exchanged guilty glances. “We stay in case the beast comes back.”

“Ah. Good. But what a shame that the other hunters have a better chance at tonight’s glory. At least you are safe.”

Now the men dropped their eyes completely. Hiding her glee at their shame, Rozaria forced a fearful look. “Is it as awful as they say? This creature?”

The leader’s head snapped up. He wiped rain from his face. “It is more terrible than the tales.”

“Where do you think it came from?” she asked.

The men began to murmur, “Curse of the Lashed,” gesticulating with their ridiculous signs to ward off evils.

“I see.” Rozaria’s heart began to race, a slice of satisfaction spreading through her. “I will leave you to hunt your cursed foe. I was traveling through when I heard there were brave hunters in this area. I have brought oat cakes. I’m sorry I do not have more to offer.” She pulled a sack of small cakes from her pocket. The man took them, nodding his appreciation. They reached in, snatching the bag from one another and shoving the pastries into their mouths.

Rozaria could not hold back the smile that fought to show. The cakes were made with a special Kalorian ingredient: deadly jungle seeds.

The first man to sputter and cough fell to his knees. Then a second. Now a third. The final man who’d taken a cake looked at Rozaria with dread in his eyes, having figured out the truth. He went for his dagger, rushing at her, but suddenly gasped and looked down at a small hand around his ankle. Rozaria’s hooded companion had moved from her hidden spot behind a tree to grasp him. The man tipped like a stiff tree and landed, dead.

A few of the men still shuddered, convulsing, as the hooded girl stood and moved to Rozaria’s side.

“I will write their final words. Grab one of their daggers and stab each of them through. Hurry, while their blood is still warm.”

The girl obeyed. Rozaria took parchment and a piece of chalk from her cloak pocket, crouching over to block the rain. Her plan was working even better than she could have imagined. Soon, it would be time.











Chapter


28


At the moment, Tiern couldn’t help but wonder why he wasn’t more like Paxton. They had the same parents, the same bloodline, the same job and pastimes. So why was Paxton broad with muscle and tough as steel, while he was thin, chattering his teeth against the cold like a child?

These were Tiern’s musings as he followed Paxton, trying to think about anything but the cold, and not able to keep up with the findings of their trackings. He should have listened to Pax when he told him to stay. They’d only been hiking uphill a couple hours and it was obvious Tiern was a worthless tagalong. He did his best to keep up and stay out of the way, silently.

Every so often they detoured when someone spotted tracks or broken debris. Tiern kept to the side. A hearty gust of frozen wind broke through the trees, sending pine needles shooting down at the men. Tiern stumbled and felt his boot sink into something soft. He immediately recognized the squelch of scat underfoot. He shook off his foot and peered down in the dark. It was the largest pile of animal excrement he’d ever seen, and he had to cover his nose against the vile smell.

“Pax . . .”

His brother and Harrison turned. The three of them squatted over the spot and the Ascomannians stopped to watch.

Paxton’s palm hovered over the pile. “Still warm on the inside.” He then poked it with a stick and raised it to his nose. “Has the smell and texture of a carnivore. Too large to be a bear’s.”

Harrison clapped Tiern on the back, nearly toppling him. “Well done!”

Yes, well done stepping in shite, Tiern thought to himself.

Paxton stood and looked to the men from the coldlands. “We’re on the right track.”