flying across the room. The two of them laughed, and Leena quickly joined them. Kost sighed, but his eyes were light. Warm. Together, we were whole.
A strand of hair fell across Leena’s face, and I reached out to brush it away.
My fingers never made it.
Searing heat scalded the inside of my wrist, and my hand froze. The oath pulsed with magic. Reverberated through my bones and drowned out the beat of my heart. Somewhere in the distance, I swore I heard a feminine laugh. Haughty. Low. I dropped my hand into my lap, and Leena frowned at me.
“Everything all right?”
The pain died as quickly as it had appeared. I offered her what I hoped was a reassuring grin. “Of course. It’s your turn. Why don’t you decide where to move?”
She studied my face for a moment longer before giving up and returning to the game. Ozias and Calem watched her ponder her moves, but Kost stared at me with unveiled concern. I shook my head once. We already knew the culprit was still out there. Bringing it up now wouldn’t solve anything. For a moment, we had peace. A little slice of happiness.
A dull ache throbbed around my neck, reminiscent of a noose. The Charmers would come through. They’d locate the woman and force her to remove the hit. If they didn’t… No one had ever denied the call of Cruor’s Oath. We had no records. No plans. No idea what would happen or how long it would take for my life to be sacrificed in exchange for Leena’s.
I gripped the side of her waist, and she placed a tender hand over mine. We’d find an answer. Before anything bad could happen. Before I lost the chance to be the man she thought I was. I’d promised forever. And no one was going to take that from me.
But even as my resolve rang true, the laugh in my ears sharpened, and magic branded my wrist like a shackle.
Time, it seemed, was running out.
Bestiary
Asura
Pronunciation: ah-sur-ah
Rank: B-Class
Description: An Asura is the size of a small child, with an upright humanlike torso, cow legs, and a cow head. Its body is covered in tan hide, and it sports six humanlike arms. It also has ten milky-white eyes, which correspond to the number of hits that can be absorbed by its shield. When activating its impenetrable defensive shield, the Asura holds two hands palm up toward the heavens, two flat and parallel to the earth, and two pressed firmly against the ground. The invisible, bubble-like dome this creates can withstand any attack for up to ten hits. The number of closed eyes indicates the number of hits sustained at any point during the battle. Asura are slow to move and incapable of physical attacks. Their shields will remain intact if they travel with their Charmer, but since movement requires them to remove their lower two hands from the earth, this weakens the shield.
Taming: Taming an Asura takes considerable time. The Charmer must sit cross-legged before the beast, with arms extended outward, and activate charm. This position must be held for several hours while the Asura chews on wheatgrass and evaluates the Charmer’s power. If it finds the Charmer unsuitable, the Asura will walk away and become untamable for seven days.
Bone Katua
Pronunciation: bone cat-ew-ah
Rank: A-Class
Description: The Bone Katua is one of the ten legendary feline beasts and is russet-brown in color with bone spikes protruding along its spine. Its devil-red eyes have the potential to cause paralysis in prey, making it a supreme hunter. Since the Bone Katua can heal itself by rubbing its fur against trees, it’s difficult to kill. Its yellow fangs stretch past its maw and can pierce thick hides with ease.
Taming: Bone Katua are difficult to locate, often living reclusive lives in mountains populated by dense forests. The Charmer must discover the Bone Katua’s den and take up residence near it, demonstrating a willingness to live fully with nature by eating and drinking only enough to survive and maintaining no contact with the outside world. After several months, the Bone Katua will approach and paralyze the Charmer with its stare. It will then sniff and lick them from head to toe, determining whether they’ve truly dedicated themselves to nature. If it believes the Charmer has, it will sit before them until the paralysis wears off and then allow them to tame it. If it feels the Charmer does not value nature, or has contacted another human or indulged beyond what’s necessary