Spring (Evermore Academy #2) - Audrey Grey Page 0,65

look on his face—which I’m pretending is respect, not smoldering fury—is worth it.

He begrudgingly falls into place behind me, although I know he’ll make me pay for that comment later during training. Staying true to my word, I throw him a few darklings to finish, enough to hopefully sate his bloated ego.

To my right, Mack does the same. Cutting through the straggler darklings like a pro. She’s chosen twin katanas, and they sing through the night as she strikes, never missing her mark.

Snarling shapes streak between the trees toward us. The scent of the Evermore has driven them into a frenzy; their black eyes are nearly rolled back in their head with an all-consuming hunger; their inhumanly sharp teeth gnash the air.

Mack and I make sure they never get close enough to endanger our Keepers. I release bolt after bolt of my crossbow, surprised by how different—how amazing—it feels to use the weapon against real darklings.

Even Ruby makes herself useful, bringing me back the used bolts. She’s convinced herself we made a bargain and I’ll be giving her an apple Jolly Rancher for each one.

The landscape slopes slightly upward as we near the end of the pool. My heart sings with pride as Valerian and I fall into a lethal rhythm, our movements synced almost like they’re choreographed.

Mr. Willis once said some Keepers and shadows form such tight bonds that, during battle, they become of one mind, an unstoppable force.

At this moment, I feel like Valerian and I could take down the entire world.

The obelisk looms close, the protective golden shield’s glow a beacon of hope that cuts through the darkness around us.

“Almost there!” I call, driving the group forward.

We’re past the reflecting pool and racing across open ground. More darklings begin bleeding from my periphery, but we’re so close that I push aside the whisper of panic tingling between my shoulder blades.

Across the lawn, figures move toward the monument. I make out a few other shadows I recognize and their Evermore Keepers fighting their way toward safety.

In the distance, the first tendrils of silver hint at dawn’s approach.

But it doesn’t matter because we’re nearly there. Twenty feet separate us from victory. We’re so close to the structure that I can see the Spring Court flags whipping from their posts circling the monument.

Ten feet.

Five.

Yes! The golden shield undulates so close I can touch it. Pivoting so my back is to the shield, I catch Valerian’s eye and jerk my chin at the safety zone. “Go!”

He hesitates, torn between keeping me safe and letting me do my job. But he must know how important this moment is, with everyone watching us, and he leaps into the protective circle. Asher does the same.

“Summer, get your beautiful ass inside this circle!” Mack orders.

I wink. “After you.”

I watch her barrel through the translucent shield, ready to leap after her—

Where’s Ruby?

Heart racing, I scour the darkness. There. She’s standing on top of a dead darkling, struggling to reclaim the bolt and completely oblivious to the two darklings scuttling on all fours toward her.

My first bolt takes out the closest creature. I wound the second, but my aim is off and my bolt hits its shoulder, hardly making a dent.

Crap. I lunge for the creature, sword drawn, and take it out with a downward strike seconds before it reaches Ruby.

Blood splatters my face, oddly cool and sticky. Fighting the urge to retch, I grab Ruby and toss her onto my back.

Singing and completely oblivious to the danger around us, she dives to add another bolt to the quiver resting on my waist as I rush to the safety zone.

“Ooh, what’s this?” she coos, like when she discovers a piece of half-eaten candy she hid and forgot about. “So pretty.”

A foul stench reaches my nose.

I turn to go, but Ruby flutters in front of me, dangling a silver, bell shaped device. Rotten air reeks from the tiny holes in the side.

“Why is there orc bait attached to your belt?” Ruby asks.

“Orc what?” I hiss as I snatch her mid-air and begin to run toward the others. Mack, Asher, and Valerian are pressed against the magical curtain . . .

Why are they yelling?

The shield must cut off sound because I can’t hear them. I can, however, feel the ground trembling, as if something impossibly large is running straight for me.

Crap.

The second I whip around and take in the huge creature lumbering toward me, my heart slams into my throat. Pale green skin. Boulder-sized muscles and giant hands capable