Free Vampire Girl 3: Silver Flame by Karpov Kinrade Page B

would have no supplies. So I plan.
    Later, as we sit around the fire, I pass Tavian his dinner, a stew made from fresh meat he caught cooked with vegetables I foraged.
    And then I wait.
    It takes longer than it should.
    Perhaps I underestimated the dose. Tavian is a big man, all muscle and brawn. But eventually he begins to slur his words and slant to one side, unable to sit up straight. I move to him and help him into a sleeping position. Then, once he's fully unconscious—thanks to some herbs I slipped into his meal—I tie up his feet and hands.
    Part of me hates leaving him here this way. Drugged. Tied up. Without a horse, since I will take his to get back to Stonehill.
    But I shrug off my guilt. He's Fae. He'll find help. And he tried to kidnap me and sell me to my enemies. Surely he doesn't deserve my sympathy.
    Still. He saved my life. Nursed me back to health. And he has treated me kindly. For that, I leave him some food, the bed roll, and his sword. He'll be able to work out of the knots eventually, leaving me enough time to escape.
    I stoke the fire and add wood to it, to keep night critters from getting to him. As I do, my hand plunges too close to the fire, and I pull back, expecting the bite of a burn, but instead, I feel nothing. I see nothing. I turn my hand back and forth, waiting for the tell-tale redness and swelling to show, but it doesn't. As a blacksmith I've had my share of burns, and I know this should have hurt. I wave my hand through the fire again.
    When the fire does not react to my skin, I plunge my hand deeper into the flames, then pull it out. I'm covered in sweat, but not from the heat. My hand is perfect. Not a mark on it.
    I don't know what this means, but I don't have time to dwell on it now. Instead, I retrieve my sword, pack some supplies, and mount the horse. I've lost too much time already. I must be off before the drugs run through Tavian's system and he awakens.
    It's slow traveling in the pitch of night, despite one of the moons being near full. The coverage of trees keeps everything cloaked in heavy darkness, and I have to walk my steed slowly to avoid breaking his leg.
    So I hear it right away.
    The crunch of twigs in the distance.
    The sound of a large body moving through tree and brush.
    The heavy breathing of an animal far larger than me.
    And then there is a great roar, and the horse whinnies and bucks, throwing me to the ground as it darts off into the night.
    "Blast it all to hell!" I whisper through my shaking teeth as I try to right myself. There's another roar. I pull out my sword and squint, trying to see something other than the silhouette of trees in the darkness.
    It comes closer, and it's huge.
    By the time I see it, it's too late. A giant claw flashes toward me, swiping at my head. I duck just in time, and swing my sword blindly, hoping to hit something critical.
    I think I just hit a tree.
    Cursing, I scramble up and put my back against the largest trunk near me. It's the best cover I can find. Raising my sword, I wait for the next attack.
    The beast is fast, pushing itself through bramble and bush without concern. Its girth shakes the ground beneath my feet. It throws itself toward me, a beast made of teeth and fur and muscle and claws. A black bear of the Outlands.
    My sword nips at the bear’s shoulder, but doesn't slow it down.
    Then something else growls in the night.
    And the beast I'm fighting shrieks in pain as something attacks it.
    I scurry away and keep my eye on the bear as I walk backward toward safety.
    A white tiger with black stripes fights the bear.
    The tiger is big, but nothing compared to its foe. But it's fast. And deadly.
    They fight viciously, and I know I should run, but I'm frozen in place, unsure of what to do. This tiger is familiar. I remember dreaming about it when I was unconscious. But it was only a dream, wasn’t it?
    I scramble to find any supplies that might have fallen off of the horse, but find nothing. At least I kept my sword on