My blood froze as a creeping, unearthly cold lurched by. I knew I couldn't see anything beneath my eyelids yet there was a vague shimmering in the corners of my vision. Never coming into focus, always lurking on the edges watching, waiting. My horse stiffened beneath me as I schooled my face into blankness. Even the rustling of the leaves seemed to recoil, to wither and freeze.
The cold thing whispered past, circling. I could see nothing, but I could feel it. This ancient freezing mass that circled us again and again.
"Interesting," a raspy, hollow voice whispered, "A human girl."
I tried not to jolt as the thing laughed, the sound like nails raking across stone.
"It's been a while since I have met one of your kind," it murmured, "Skin as thin as paper and bones that are too easy to grind between my claws. How your ancestors would scream when I drink their marrow and feast on their flesh. How I would lick their bones clean."
I tried to block out that horrible voice, thinking about anything, anything but the frosty mob that kept circling. A starry, unclouded night sky, peaceful and glittering and endless. Summer sunrise. A refreshing bath in a forest pool. Meetings with Aslan, losing myself for an hour or two in his body, in our shared breaths.
"You desire to be with that mortal boy. To start a life with him, raise a family of your own," it said, whispering past my ear, "Yet you are here, with the fate of Asteria resting on your shoulders. A mortal girl whose two kills could end the lives of all faeries. A puppet master playing with its puppets." It laughed again, almost incredulously.
"So young yet already a deadly weapon herself."
A fresh swell of rage rose in my chest but I harnessed it on a tight, tight leash as I said, "You know nothing about me."
The thing hissed as it stopped it's circling.
"I know all your secrets girl," the creature wheezed, "I know your plans to bring Asteria to its knees and your plans to assassinate the Imperial-"
"Stop," I said but the creature just chuckled, sending waves of cold air hinted with the smell of decay towards me. I shivered. It was so cold that my teeth chattered.
"I can also see your fate girl, you are destined for great things," the creature said resuming its circling, "It's too bad I will have to devour Asteria's salvation ... or downfall." The creature paused and I could feel it smirking at me. "Too bad indeed."
And with those words, my eyes flew open as I jumped off my horse, landing into a roll. I had my bow drawn in an instant aiming towards the direction of the attack. I spared a quick glance at my once beautiful mare, now lying limp in her pool of blood. Three long gashes marked her flank, deep enough to reveal her bones and internal organs. I had no doubt I would join her if I had not dodged. Bile rose in my throat as I forced my gaze ahead, to where the creature appeared.
It was a giant bat, or what might have been a bat had its back end not been a snake's body, twisting and writhing about itself with horrific ease. It slithered towards me, leathery wings dragging against the ground.
"You foolish girl," the creature seethed, "didn't you know what would happen when you acknowledged me?"
I didn't reply as I pulled the bowstring further back, my eyes never once leaving its depthless black ones. My heart was thundering, so loud that I could hear it in my ears, feel it pulsing through my body as I kept my hands steady, watching the creature cock its head and smile. And with a chilling shriek, it launched itself on me.
Clawing desperately at the moist soil, I darted between the trees, wishing I'd memorised more of my surroundings in the few moments I had while riding, knowing full well that wherever I was going could lead to a dead-end, where I would surely—
A horrendous shriek pierced through my thoughts, followed by the sound of raking dry leaves and twigs caused by the creature's sharp claws. I didn't dare a glance over my shoulder as the ever-nearing stench of it told me enough about how close it was. I didn't have the breath for a sob of relief as I found a fork in the pathway which led to a thickly woven undergrowth. I veered sharply left.
I had to get as much distance between us as possible; I had to find a spot where I could find an advantage. The creature roared again before the sounds of falling trees and the flap of wings filled my ears.
Another fork—I veered left again. Perhaps if I took as many lefts as I could, I could make a circle, and somehow come up behind the creature, and—
No, that was absurd. I'd have to be thrice as fast as the bat-snake creature, and right now, I could barely keep ahead of it. I slipped between two narrow trees as I made another left, only to slip and fall into slick mud. Cold, reeking, smothering. I wiped it from my eyes as I pushed myself up. I ran for my life.
I reached a straight, flat path and threw my strength to my legs as I bolted down its course. I finally dared a look over my shoulder only to realise that the creature had started flying zig-zagging between the tree trunks. My fear became wild and thrashing as the creature gave another screech, hot on my trail.
A loud thud indicated the creature had landed and was probably close by. I almost missed the slender gap between two large boulders thanks to the look I used before, and I gave up valuable steps as I skidded to a halt to squeeze myself through the opening. It was too small for the creature, but it could probably shatter through the stones using its faerie strength. If not, its fangs could do the trick. But it was worth the risk.
But as I made myself to pull through, a force grabbed hold of my right ankle. No—not a force, but the boulders. The crack was too small, and I'd so frantically thrown myself through it that I'd wedged my ankle between. My back to the creature, and having to balance on one leg, I hobbled carefully to turn a little, to see as it approached. The smell—the smell was growing worse.
I pushed and pulled, but my ankle was wedged tight and it was starting to throb.
The ground reverberated with the thunderous movements of the creature. I could almost feel its reeking breath upon my body, could hear those fangs and claws slashing through the air, closer and closer. Not like this. It couldn't end like this.
I clawed wildly at the rocks, twisting, tearing, and tugging at anything to pull me through. The creature neared with each of my desperate heartbeats, the smell nearly overpowering my senses.
I tried pushing away the boulder, just a fraction, wriggling, kicking, and sobbing through my gritted teeth. Not like this.
The ground shook again and I stumbled, catching myself with my hands before I hit the ground. A stench wrapped right around me, and hot air slammed into my body. Its claws clicked together.
Grabbing onto the boulder, I pushed and pushed. It couldn't end like this. No, I needed to see my brothers, my father, Aslan one more time before I was gone.
But there was a leathery hand that gripped my throat, choking me from air as my ankle finally came free. It's elongated fangs inches away from my throat, I came face to face with the creature.
I could feel the blood draining from my face as I gasped for air, clawing uselessly at the creature's hand. But it just grinned at me, its teeth gleaming as it enjoyed watching the life slowly drain out of my body.
"You're different girl, unlike the other humans," it hissed, forked tongue darting in and out of its mouth, "I will fill my belly with you. I will devour you. And I will take my own sweet time doing so."
I squeezed my eyes shut, the world crumbling on the edges of my vision. I had stopped fidgeting the moment the creature widened its jaw, wide enough to swallow me whole.
Yet just as I thought I would give in, when I nearly let myself slip away, my hand had reached for my quiver and plucked an arrow, plunging it deep into the creature's heart. I couldn't help but feel a pang of glee as it choked—choked as black blood filled its mouth, warm as it dribbled out between its lips. The arrow which I had used to stab it protruded from its chest, more blood gushing from the wound. I didn't know if the creature had healing abilities like other fae do, but I felt no guilt, no remorse as I stood up from the ground and drew an arrow.
I savoured each step I took towards the creature, my head still spinning as I watched it writhe in agony. Perhaps I was as much as a monster as the creature to feel no emotions as I took my aim, but the woods had taught me well enough to never pity your kills.
I stopped in front of the creature, the arrow pointed at it as the creature wheezed a laugh. "I have been wrong about you, human." It wheezed again, spitting out blood. "When the time comes, follow your heart and live—live to see everything well."
And those were its last words before I watched as my arrow whizzed through the air, a flash of wood before it went clean through its eye.