The Great Hunt (Eurona Duology, #1)(85)

“Go back,” he whispered with urgency. “I’m begging you.”

She put her hands on his shoulders to raise herself to his eye level. Her voice shook from the strain, from the cold water chilling her skin. She spoke urgently. “It won’t attack women.”

The men stared at her and then glanced at the beast that merely stood ashore, watching intently.

“The woman, its maker, she told us. It was created to hunt and kill and feed on men. She’s trained it.” Aerity gasped for breath. “It was completely harmless toward us in the warehouse. Gentle, even.”

Deep seas . . . Paxton looked at Tiern and Lief, whose minds seemed to reel with this information as quickly as his did.

“I’ll go ashore and calm it—” Aerity began.

“No, you won’t.” Paxton shook his head, remembering how the beast could slash a body open with a single swipe of its paw. He couldn’t stand to think of Aerity that close to the beast, no matter what she said. “Be reasonable.”

“You be reasonable,” she shot back. “The beast has never attacked a woman or child. Think about it!”

“It killed one of the Zandalee, didn’t it?” Lief asked.

Paxton’s jaw set with a tangle of emotion as he realized what Aerity said was true. “The beast swatted the Zandalee when she shot him. I saw it. He went after the man behind her instead.”

“By the tides,” Tiern whispered. “All those times in the towns . . . it only killed the men!”

“Even so, you must still be careful, Princess,” said Lord Alvi, never taking his gaze from the beast. “It knows it’s being hunted by us. It will react badly if it feels threatened, female or not.”

“I will be careful,” Aerity promised.

Under the water, Paxton felt her hands skim across his chest, and fought the urge to savor the sensation. Her fingers stopped when they reached his weapons. He let her unsheathe the small dagger and slip it in the waist of her leathers. His eyes bore into hers, and she stared back just as firmly. He would let her have the knife, for what small protection it might bring, but he had no intention of allowing the beast access to her. His hands tightened around her waist.

“We will all approach it,” he said to her. “Together.”

She bit her lip and exhaled through her nose. “All right, fine. Then we’ll spread out a bit. But don’t even think of trying to push me aside when we get close.”

Paxton gave no response. He thought of Aerity standing in the warehouse, her arrow pointed at that woman. The deadly, capable look on her face had resonated deep inside him. “You should know,” he told her, “the beast’s weakness is the patch of skin at its neck.”

Aerity spared him a look of surprise at his forthrightness before staring at the beast closely. “It has no neck.”

“Exactly,” Tiern whispered. “Damn near impossible to kill.”

“It’s there,” Paxton assured her. “Under its mouth, but it tucks its head.”

Lord Alvi nodded, looking from the beast to their group. He touched the four fingertips of his right hand to his forehead before raising them to the skies. “May the stars be with you.”

“And the seas with you,” Aerity said.

The four of them slowly moved forward through the rocky water. The beast prowled back and forth over the shore, watching and waiting. Paxton had never known the beast to behave this way. Almost thoughtful. He’d also never seen it in the light of the sun, which was now setting. This watchful version of the beast made him even more nervous than the animalistic one he’d encountered before.

They were hip deep in the water, a mere twenty steps from the feared creature.

“Lief and Tiern, take the sides,” Paxton said.

“Surround it,” Lord Alvi agreed.

Tiern’s eyes were wild as he nodded. They silently moved wide to either side, the beast swinging his head toward each of them, snorting.

Aerity moved forward, garnering the beast’s attention again. Paxton grabbed her arm, and the beast let out a ferocious growl that split the air. It forged forward, splashing one paw into the water. Aerity raised her palm toward it and let out a series of three clear clicks with her tongue, causing the beast to stop abruptly.

The massive creature watched her with loud breaths, and then it sat down.

All three men stared, astonished. Paxton even dropped the princess’s arm in surprise.

“It worked,” Aerity whispered.

Paxton’s heart, which had nearly stopped, was now hammering. He couldn’t believe it was possible that anyone could control the beast, much less the soft and gentle female by his side. He felt humbled to his core, but as Aerity took a cautious step forward, fear surged again. He withheld the urge to grasp her once more.

“Slowly, Aerity,” he whispered.

She had locked eyes with the creature, and gave a slight nod.

“Keep the knife poised in your hand,” Paxton told the princess. He watched as her hand clutched the handle of the small, sharp blade.

Slowly, so slowly, with movements barely discernible, the four of them began to form a circle around the beast. Time stretched on. The skies dimmed. The beast remained sitting, tense, its hackles of neck fur shooting upward, watching Aerity as she spoke to it in low, firm tones. Paxton tried to make out the soothing words, but he was certain they were a different language.