Night Fae (Dark Fae Kings #3) - Meg Xuemei X. Page 0,65

I could never get used to the carnage.

I turned away from the brutal sight just as Cerberus and the white hound lunged at me, their crimson eyes glowing, their jaws wide open, displaying long, sharp fangs. Cerberus was compelled to hunt me unless I freed him.

A grenade went off. One of my companions must have thrown the explosive device in panic. It only blew up hard dirt, leaves, and plenty of twigs. The hounds tore through the chaos toward me.

“Don’t use a grenade again!” I shouted as I leapt and landed on Cerberus’s back. He reached for me with a vicious snarl. “And do not touch this black hellhound!”

Without missing a beat, I pressed Netherbane against the inner torque around the hellhound’s neck, the end of my blade pushing into his pelt. He bared his fangs and tried to shake me off his back.

Be still. Trust me. I pushed my thoughts into his head as I sliced through the collar that bound him. Dark sparks shot up my arm, erosive pain crawling over my skin. I gritted my teeth and endured the burn.

The torque opened with a snapping sound, and Cerberus tore it off his neck with a growl of rage and gratitude. He whipped around like a black hurricane and hurled himself into the white hound as the hybrid swatted at me with his blade-like claws.

I moved like liquid and slid off Cerberus’s back, not planning to get in his way while he was about to vent his pent-up anger the only way he knew how—with violence.

A hellhound’s temper was notoriously terrifying. Without the collar limiting him, Cerberus could easily take care of the hybrid. I left the battle of the beasts to him.

As I searched out my brother and my companions, they stepped gingerly from behind the trees, their shaking hands gripping their weapons. I nodded at my team with appreciation as I noticed that they’d patched my brother up with the first-aid kit I’d brought. Charlie’s knife had nicked the skin of Nox’s neck.

“Is this over?” Richie asked tentatively as the team gathered around, or more precisely, stood behind me to watch the hellhound beating up the hybrid.

The two hounds—one pure and one hybrid—snarled gutturally as they tore into each other. A black blur crashed into the white form, blood splashing where claws met flesh. Then they no longer spun around each other but locked jaws. The slashing and tearing sounds reflected the brutality of nature and survival.

The hybrid was sly. It broke free suddenly before the hellhound could pound it down, feinted a frontal attack, then whipped around and bit into Cerberus’s rear.

The hybrid struck, its claws slashing and aiming to tear open Cerberus’s insides from behind.

I could jump into the fray, but I knew Cerberus wanted this kill. He demanded it, and I wouldn’t take it away from him.

With a ferocious snarl and mighty force, Cerberus hurled the hybrid away. He then leapt in an arc, almost flying, while the hybrid was still spinning in the air. Cerberus caught the hybrid, his jaw closing on his opponent’s throat and ripping it open. He extended his blade-like claws and sliced through the hybrid’s other head.

Light dimmed in the gray hound’s crimson eyes, and it ceased to move. Cerberus raised his black head to the sky and howled.

The hair on my arms stood on end.

My companions shuddered behind me; their fear palpable.

I glanced at them over my shoulder. “You guys need to practice quiet breathing. We’ll also need to cover our skin with mud and plants to disguise our scent before the third host of huntsmen comes our way. We don’t want them to locate us right away.”

But then, on second thought, masking our scent to throw the huntsmen off our trail might not make any difference, as the game was already rigged.

“I still can’t fucking believe that dickshit pulled a stunt like that,” Megan said. “The throwing star was too good for him. I’m sorry, Evie; I failed you. I didn’t guard your brother well.”

“I never thought that wimp would turn on us,” Richie murmured. “I should have paid more attention. I should have protected Nox better.”

“He was so stupid,” Nox spat. “Commander Evie is the best, and no one beats my sister!”

“Dumb people don’t think they’re dumb,” Jill said.

Cerberus stopped howling and turned to stare at me. Tension and fear poured off my companions in waves, and they all thrust whatever they had in front of them—be it a rifle or a knife—to discourage the