Change of Darkness (The Change Series Book 3) by Jacinta Jade (best new books to read txt) 📕

in and out of its reach, trying to find a weakness in its defence. But while he was quick, Siray saw that he was having trouble contending with the lightning-fast reflexes of the sandiota’s pincers—he could only do a minimal amount of damage with each strike before he had to back off to save his own head or stop a limb from being severed from his body.

Siray unconsciously held her breath as she saw one grasping claw reach for Baindan’s head, and she exhaled in relief as Baindan flattened himself to the ground beneath the large swinging appendage, razor-sharp edges whipping over his ears with just a handspan to spare. The claws of the sandiota provided the creature with an excellent defence, and just one mistake from its opponent usually proved their last.

All this Siray saw and understood in an instant. Right before every hair on her body rose to the alert. Glancing backwards, she saw the oreto had somehow dragged itself to its feet, its underside bloody and torn. She didn’t know if it was the super-sensitive hearing of the yeibon, or if she had actually felt the air in the pit shift from that direction, but she had enough warning as the oreto made a final, half-delirious charge at her to make a decision.

Moving swiftly towards Baindan and the sandiota, Siray gave a whinnying scream, as if she were maddened by battle. Her cry had an instant effect on Baindan and the sandiota, who both paused to glance her way.

There was no way she could have known how stunned both animals were at the sight they witnessed bearing down on them. A red blur with a tossing head and mane, hooves pummelling the dirt as her strong body drove itself towards them, eyes and nostrils wide. Indeed, by the flickering light of torches casting their glow on her, it seemed as if a flaming yeibon spirit were advancing upon them.

But Siray did see both beasts’ eyes widen as she failed to slow as she drew near. Even as she gathered herself, she saw Baindan leap out of the way, saw the sandiota’s limbs with its crushing pincers coming swinging in for her body.

But she leapt before its claws could reach her, springing up and over the sandiota, her rear hooves clipping its head as she soared through the air above it.

She came crashing down on the other side, her torn shoulder deciding it wouldn’t take the weight of her body on that leg, and she stumbled at speed into one of the pit’s walls, barely managing to turn her head before she crashed into it, her body bouncing slightly off the dirt wall before she dropped, stunned, onto her side.

Baindan was next to her in an instant, his muzzle soft against Siray’s much larger and wet face. She raised her head, giving a quick snort, before carefully turning and looking over her shoulder for their enemies.

But there was no more danger. Siray struggled up to her feet, Baindan’s large cripwof eyes intent on her as they both shifted to observe the bodies of the oreto and the sandiota in the flickering light of the torches. Siray inhaled sharply.

She had known the oreto had been close behind her when it had made its final, vengeful charge at her, and she even thought she might have felt its breath on her rump just before her leap. She had hoped that her idea to goad the oreto into charging would make the opposing pair collide, giving her and Baindan time to regroup, but the strategy had worked even better than she’d imagined.

The oreto, coming in at full speed from behind her, had obviously lowered its head for the final attack. After Siray’s leap to safety, the oreto’s horns had punctured straight into the thick body of the sandiota, its long horns penetrating all the way through the sandiota’s dense muscle to pierce the critical organs.

And so there they lay, both dead, one impaled on the other.

Siray felt her head droop, her body suddenly limp as the adrenaline rush that had sustained her during the fight ended and exhaustion began to take over.

That was when more light flared up around the edges of the pit, a sudden clear brightness after the shadows that had surrounded Siray and Baindan during the fight.

Siray jerked her head up, alert for another attack, her heart pounding. She didn’t relax when she heard the voice begin speaking either.

‘Well, well. Seems there was excitement in here tonight too.’ Captain Raque’s dry tone was unmistakable, and Siray looked up at him, glaring as much as her yeibon form would allow her. For an instant, she was tempted to Change into her sevonix form so she could growl up at him and bare her teeth, maybe even leap up to rip him into shreds, but she wasn’t so foolish as to try it. Besides, Baindan was communicating his hatred of the captain well enough for them both, with his lips drawn back and muzzle rippling, his teeth bared and dripping, while his ears were laid flat.

Raque merely laughed down at them and gestured to the soldiers who were standing around the pit, each with a torch in hand. ‘I’d pull you both out, of course, but unfortunately, my men have to deal with some bodies first and ensure no one else is thinking about attempting an escape.’ The captain waved a hand at his men, and they began to disperse, taking the brightness of the torches with them. ‘You both just settle in until morning, then we’ll see about getting you out.’

Baindan’s answering growl was impressive, but the captain just chuckled again and backed away from the edge of the pit, departing from view along with the remaining light, and leaving Siray and Baindan alone with the stiffening bodies of the creatures.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

VOICES. Siray tried to wave them away, as if they were nuisance bugs that she could shoo off with her hand. That was what really woke her—the