Evanescent - By Addison Moore Page 0,73

touch her so easily whenever the hell he feels the need. “Coop”—he nods over to me—“you thinking what I’m thinking?”

I was thinking it hours ago, but I don’t call Wes out on being slow on the uptake. He probably thought the same thing, too.

“Yeah, man, I am.”

“What?” Laken looks horrified. “You think they took him?” She draws her hands over her mouth. “You think he’s dead don’t you?” She closes her eyes, and an entire stream of white fog swirls from her mouth.

“It’s not looking good,” I say.

Laken steps away from the two of us and bows her head in sorrow.

I don’t give a shit about Wes and his imaginary line in the sand. Instead, I go over and take up her hand.

“Everything happens for a reason, Laken,” I say pulling her in. Get Wes out of here. I’ll get Hattie and see what I can find. Flynn is a Count. He has a fighting chance if he’s dead, remember?

“You’re right,” she whispers, glancing down at our interlocked fingers. What if they bit him? What then? Laken’s silver eyes shimmer in this dull light.

I don’t know. I shake my head just enough. There’s always Ezrina.

She killed Pearl—twice.

She’ll improve her method. I’m quick to point out. I can only hope it’s true.

It had better be true. Laken turns back to Wes and gasps.

I twist around to find a large looming shadow standing directly behind him.

I recognize those long speared horns, that misshapen head, the body of a man, the face of an ox—Asterion.

Looks like Flynn might not be the only one in need of a resurrection in the very near future.

Wesley

The forest sizzles and snaps around me. A shadow lingers over my shoulder, thick and smothering as a blanket.

Laken seizes. Coop holds out a finger for me to stand still.

A weighted hand crashes over my shoulder, dirty with hair covering the back like an animal.

“Shit.” I close my eyes a moment because I know what’s coming, what’s already here—a Fem, ready and willing to distribute an ass kicking. “Get Laken out of here.” I say it low and careful so as not to incite the creature any sooner than necessary.

Coop keeps his eyes focused on whatever lies behind me. He picks up a stick from the ground and hands it to Laken without taking his eyes off the beast.

“Run.” He roars it out as a command, but Laken doesn’t move.

Coop swipes a knife from his pocket and holds it low against his thigh.

It’s nice to know that neither of them listens to logic and reason when times get tough.

My legs kick out from underneath me. My torso is caught in the air before I ever have a chance to hit the ground. The world spins. I rise to the uppermost branches of the evergreens and look down to find a Minotaur just like the one standing proud in the middle of campus. He looks up at me with his fiery red eyes, his body gleaming like burnished bronze, his feet glow orange like molten steel.

“Fuck.” It comes out with far more fear than I ever anticipated. I’ve never been a fan of Asterion. Truth be told, he’s scared the shit out of me a time or two, and this just so happens to be one of them.

Coop backs up and tackles the beast by the legs, buckling it at the knees from behind, and I fly forward, catching myself on the skeletal branches of a birch. My face and arms get scratched to hell in the process.

I hit the ground with a thud, and the wind knocks out of me by way of my already cracked ribs. If I didn’t know better, I’d think those damn Olivers paid the Fem to inflict a little extra damage.

“Shit,” I seethe, trying to get my bearings as I struggle to my feet. “Laken?” I turn to find her a good distance away on the other side of Coop and the beast.

Cooper staggers from the creature only to have it reach out and yank him back like a ragdoll.

“Wes!” Laken screams in a panic.

Asterion snatches Coop by the ankle and swings him like a baseball bat against the fat trunk of a pine. Coop holds out both arms to deflect the blow, and something cracks, loud as a snapping branch.

Shit. I limp my way over.

It slams Coop down over the floor, and his head bounces like a melon.

Fuck. I watch in horror as Coop lets out a groan, his face bloodied along one side.

Just one