The Soul Eaters (The Thin Hex Line Book 1) by Gwyndolyn Russell (e reader txt) 📕

hand to go off on a whim for no good fucking reason! It doesn't matter if that valkyrie is hurt, dying, or dead. It's probably never going to come back! If it hasn't already, then it won't be. It's gotten the exact thing it's always wanted. To be on this damned planet."

"Shut your fucking mouth, you stupid raven!" I pointed at her. "You don't fucking know her! You don't know a damned thing about her! She's doing what she thinks is best and what she's used to doing! If she's hurt, then I have to find her and help her!"

"No, you fucking don't. Fenris isn't your responsibility. It can take care of itself."

"She may not be my responsibility, but she's my friend. She's family."

"I'm sorry to interject," Nostra frowned, then put up a question mark. "Why are you referring to Fenris as 'she' instead of the usual 'he'?"

I just stood there and stared at him. Had I really been doing that? I found it hard to believe. I always referred to him as a male even if he technically had no gender. It was the first assumption when we met, so I just stuck with it. It didn't feel right calling him an it. The thought of it upset my stomach. Made it feel like he was just a tool, or a machine, not a living, breathing creature.

"Oh, yeah, you did." Yaaranam said it as if it made her point. "Why's that, Lieutenant? Emotions getting the best of you? Is Fenris more to you than you let on?"

"Fuck you. Fuck off." I snapped at her. "It doesn't fucking matter. I'm going after him."

"Jackal, we should return to camp with our supplies." Nostra said. "Besides, it's dark, it's hard to see out here and we aren't well armed. If anything, we should retrieve a vehicle to travel faster."

I thought about it. He was right. A vehicle would be great. Cover more ground.

"Fine. Let's head back."

"Which way is that?"

"Oh! I have the cartographer." Nostradamus pulled out the device and turned the screen on.

"This way!" He pointed and marched on, using his flash light to keep our path lit.

FORTY-ONE

They groped through the dark, sticking close together. Johnny hugged himself against Reaper's waist. The rifle had been taken from the boy and given to Ruby to replace the one he had lost. They tried to head back the way they came, but all the trees and shrubs looked the same in the dark. With no map, nor a radio to call for help, they were on their own.

Surprisingly cold in the humid climate, they trudged on. The jungle came to life in these darker hours. Birds and apes called back and forth. Roars and cries sang through the night. They couldn't tell what was near and what was far. The sounds blended together in some strange conglomeration of brown noise that dulled the senses.

"This is bad." Ruby whispered.

"I don't even think zoos are this noisy." Reaper stated.

Tahoe, the new pet, flailed around on the ground just in front of them. It clicked its tiny jaws together and took off. It scaled a tree and leaped, gliding through the air to another. It danced again to keep their attention.

"I think he's trying to take us home." Johnny said.

"Sir, are we really going to follow a bird?" Ruby questioned.

"Well, it lead us to Johnny. It may know the way back."

"Do you think birds are dumb?" Ianisse asked.

"No! That's not what I said!" Ruby defended himself. "That's just a wild thing. Your bird is different."

"How are we different?"

"Your bird obviously uses your brain."

Reaper held up a hand to stop the conversation.

"That's just false!" The bird squawked, wings flapping. "We are two separate entities!"

A grumble made them shut up. The ground trembled with low resonating thuds.

Tahoe gave a questionable roar.

Another grumble, this time louder.

Reaper waved for the others to get down. They ducked into a few bushes, faces to the dirt. Reaper was tucked under a rotten branch, peering out into the shadows. Johnny was tucked under his arm. Covering his own mouth.

Something crashed down just a few feet in front of them. They could just barely make it out in the moonlight.

A tall, lanky creature. Long, thick legs, no arms and an oversized head. Even its three-toed feet looked too big for it. It hopped in place and spun in a circle. It gave a high pitched roar up to something lurking behind it.

Another one rammed its side into the first, giving it a rough bite to the back of its armored neck. The two bit at each other for a minute.

Then came the grumble that shook their bones. An enormous foot sunk into the soil inches in front of Reaper.

They could smell the rotting flesh. That stench of death looming around them.

Another thud. The beast steadied itself to sniff the air.

A few more thuds. Another one stepped out of the shadows. This one was even bigger than the other one. Its face mangled with metallic bone shining in the moonlight. One of its eyes was cracked, split open with a crimson light shimmering down the side of its face. Teeth were missing from those gigantic, bone crushing jaws.

It grumbled low, but they felt it worse than the last.

Johnny nearly cried out. Reaper put his hand over his mouth to help keep him quiet.

The two giant beasts clicked their jaws together and growled as if they were having a conversation.

They sniffed the air together. The one closest to them lowered its head to sniff at the bushes.

Its hot breath wreaked something awful.

Ruby gagged, tasting vomit in the back of his mouth.

It shoved its nose into the bushes. Inches over their heads.

Trembling like never before, they laid as still as possible. Reaper quietly tucked Johnny's head under his chest. Kept his own head low.

The larger beast took interest now, joining in on smelling the bushes.

One of its teeth was nearly the size of Ruby's torso. Conical with the slightest angle back towards its throat. Those nasty things