— Jacke Jaywood, “Beasts, Men, and The Hunter’s Dilemma,” page 234
Emily’s blood turned to ice.
The creature’s pointed ears flicked, and its muscles bunched beneath its mangy fur. It was ready to pounce.
Emily quickly raised the pistol with her shaking hands and pulled the trigger. The flash lit the darkness, but there was no sound followed.
The bullet struck the dirt, kicking up dust beside the Sangrevoro. The creature darted to the side with unnatural speed, slipping into shadow.
Emily spun, trying to follow it. She fired again. And again. And again.
Miss.
Miss.
Miss.
The Sangrevoro was playing with her, darting wildly, like it knew how the gun worked.
And then it lunged.
Emily barely saw it coming. She twisted, gasping, hurling the pistol as she stumbled back. The weapon spun in the air, and the Sangrevoro jerked back, snarling silently.
Emily sprinted into the barn and screamed fruitlessly for Mina.
She raced for the ladder. Her hands hit the rungs, clutching them tight, only for a heavyweight to crash down on her.
The Sangrevoro slammed her to the ground, her breath pulled from her lungs. Pain exploded across Emily’s back as the creature tore into her with its claws. She screamed, but not a single sound escaped her lips.
Emily thrashed, rolling beneath the creature’s weight. She struck at it with her fist, but it did nothing. The beast pinned her down, snarling. Its claws tore again, slicing through fabric and flesh.
Burning fire erupted beneath her skin as the beast carved into her torso. Emily could feel it. Every nerve burst as it dragged its claws through her stomach and across her breast. Blood spurted out, and soaked her.
Emily raised her arm to shield herself, but the monster’s jaws clamped down like a vice. It’s teeth sank deep into her muscle and crunched her bones.
The blinding pain ripped Emily’s mouth open into a silent scream.
The Sangrevoro thrashed her arm around violently, wrenching it, tearing it.
She couldn’t think. Her strength was fading, her vision darkening. Emily swung her fist desperately, but it wasn’t enough.
The Sangrevoro released her arm for a split second, just to crunch down on it twice as hard.
The pain shot to Emily’s heart, and something deep inside her ignited. Fire surged through her veins and into her palm. Her hand ignited with light, heat searing from it as a sudden blaze of fire erupted from it.
Emily slammed her hand against the Sangrevoro’s side, and a blast of fire and telekinesis exploded against it like a hammer.
The Sangrevoro was thrown back, smashing through the wooden walls of the pen. Flames leaped from the shattered beams, licking toward the ceiling.
Then, all Emily could hear was the blood-curdling scream ripping through her throat.
Sound exploded around her, but she could barely focus on it. Her cries echoed through the barn, and she sounded like a dying animal.
She was dying.
Emily tried to crawl, to move, but pain shot through her limbs. Her arm was a torn mess of red flesh. Blood ran hot and fast down her arm, her stomach, and her back. She could feel it dripping into the crook of her armpit, down her sides, soaking into her clothes. Her body shook violently. She was too weak to stand. Tears streamed down her face. Her breath came in sharp, broken gasps.
The fire grew all around her. It roared up the walls, licking the rafters, sparks bursting toward the roof. The hay was devoured in an instant.
The sheep panicked. They bolted, fleeing the broken pens, rushing past her in a frenzy of white fur and hooves. They thundered out of the barn their bodies brushing against her as they fled.
The Sangrevoro stumbled, snarling like the ravenous animal that it was. A glowing handprint was seared into its face like a brand, the burn twisting the skin into an angry red welt. It turned back to Emily, barking viciously. It crouched low, muscles coiling tight, and with a silent hiss of rage, it pounced.
Emily’s eyes went wide, and she braced for the impact.
Mina flew through the barn doors like a phantom. In a single, fluid strike, she slammed into the Sangrevoro. Her knife drove deep into its neck. She twisted her body, dragging the creature to the ground, the impact shaking the earth beneath them. The Sangrevoro writhed, and snarled, lashing its claws out. Mina pressed her revolver to its skull and pulled the trigger.
Blood sprayed across her wild face. Her fangs were bared, and her clawed hands trembled with rage.
Two more Sangrevoro burst into the barn after her.
Mina reached for the sword on her back. The sheath snapped open, and in another smooth, fluid motion, the blade arced through the air, slicing the first Sangrevoro in two.
Mina continued with the momentum and drove the blade deep into the second Sangrevoro’s chest. The creature howled in agony, and Mina only drove the sword deeper. She stepped onto the creature’s skull, pressing down hard with her boot.
There was a wet, crunching pop as bone caved beneath her heel. Blood splattered across her legs, and her boots, and soaking into the dirt.
Mina wrenched her sword free, blood dripping from the blade, her breathing ragged and sharp. She stood there, backlit by the growing flames.
Emily was crying, her body shaking uncontrollably. Her chest heaved as she fought to breathe. Blood soaked her everywhere. Her face was pale, her eyes wide.
Mina was at her side in an instant. She dropped to her knees and reached for Emily’s arm. The moment her fingers closed around the torn flesh, Emily’s scream tore through the barn.
Mina winced but didn’t let go. She studied the wound. Blood gushed in steady streams, staining the ground beneath them.
“Damn it,” Mina growled.
There was no time. The fire was spreading fast, licking up the walls, and devouring the beams. Heat pressed against their skin. The sheep had already fled, but the fire would consume the barn soon enough.
Mina hooked an arm under Emily’s shoulders, lifting her as gently as she could. Emily cried out, her body arching in pain, but Mina didn’t let her go.
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“I’ve got you,” Mina said, unable to hold back the rage in her tone. “You’re safe.” She dragged Emily outside and set her down on the grass. She then rolled up her sleeve and unwrapped the bandage tightly binding her arm. She wrapped them around Emily’s arm, tying it tight, cutting off the bleeding.
Emily whimpered but didn’t pull away. She couldn’t. Her body trembled, her strength long gone.
Mina’s hands were all over her, assessing, searching for other injuries, and only causing her more pain at every touch. “Does it hurt anywhere else?” she asked.
Emily opened her mouth, but all she could do was muster the strength to cry.
Mina pressed her palm to Emily’s forehead, brushing back damp hair. “Stay with me, Emily. I need you to stay awake, alright?”
Emily could barely hear her. Her heart was pounding so loud in her ear that she couldn’t focus. It was too fast.
“You’re safe now. You’re safe.”
Back at Mina's house, Emily clenched a towel between her teeth, biting down hard. She flinched.
"Hold still," Mina said as she stitched her wounds.
Emily sat on the wooden stool, hunched over the washtub. Blood dripped steadily from her forearm, plopping into the red water. Some of it dripped onto the edge of the tub and crawled down to the wooden floor that was already streaked with it.
Mina sat close and threaded the needle through Emily’s torn flesh. The bite wound was deep and jagged, and the more Emily flinched, the harder it was to close the wounds. Every breath she took was a shallow, desperate gasp. She wished she could just pass out, but every touch to her tender and raw skin sent a sharp jolt of pain through her nerves that only served to keep her awake.
Mina pierced her again, with the needle, and pulled it through. Emily’s toes curled in her boots, her back arching with the jolt of it. The towel slipped from her mouth, falling with a soft splash into the basin of bloody water. Her shoulders trembling as she cried. Tears burned hot trails down her cheeks, mixing with the sweat clinging to her skin.
“Hold still,” Mina said sharply. “Almost done.”
Emily’s eyes squeezed shut, more tears spilling free. She didn’t believe that. Mina had said it so many times in the last hour that the phrase had lost all meaning. The process of patching her up had been long, and painful, and every minute of it Emily prayed for death. She was forced to endure as Mina carefully pierced her skin hundreds of times over to stitch the two massive gashes down her back, the long cut across her stomach, and the deep slice across her breast. It was nothing but endless pain, and no amount of herbal remedies that Mina was applying was helping to numb it.
When Mina finally finished stitching Emily’s arm, she pulled a roll of clean bandages from her pack and began wrapping the wound tight. She tied the fabric in place with a final tug that made Emily’s entire arm throb.
Emily was left panting. Her mouth was as dry as dust. Her throat burned. Her entire body ached.
“You’ll be alright,” Mina said for the hundredth time. Her tone hadn’t changed. It was burning with anger and frustration, and each word was like a lash that stung Emily harder. “You’re lucky it missed anything important.”
Emily groaned weakly as she leaned against the tub. Her entire body throbbed with agony. Each breath hurt. Each movement shot fire through her limbs. If this was luck, she didn’t want it.
Mina stepped back, giving Emily a moment to breathe. She wrung out a damp cloth from the sink, and pressed it lightly against Emily’s wounds, wiping away the crusted blood. “I told you to stay in the loft.”
Emily’s stomach twisted into a knot. She’d known this conversation would come, but she wasn’t ready for it, not when she could barely hold herself together. “I’m sorry,” she whispered in a hoarse voice. “I just… I wanted to help.”
“You’re not ready,” she said flatly.
“I thought I could—”
“You aren’t ready,” Mina snapped.
Emily silenced herself and nodded. She couldn’t even look Mina in the eyes. Shame was burning under her skin. “I thought I could help,” Emily whispered again.
“This was meant to show you what to expect,” Mina said, setting the cloth down by the sink. “You weren’t supposed to—” She paused, and took a long, deep breath. “When I tell you to do something, you do it. No questions. No hesitation. You got that?”
Emily nodded again, another wave of tears burning down the sides of her cheeks.
“Say it,” Mina growled.
“I… I understand.”
Mina’s sharp eyes studied her for a moment, some of the tension in her shoulders easing. She started packing up some of the medical supplies. “You did alright, pushing through the pain. That matters. But we’ll need to work on strengthening your tolerance.”
“Does… it not hurt for you?” Emily asked after a pause.
“It always hurts. But you learn to push through it. You ignore it until it doesn’t matter anymore.”
Emily looked down at her bandaged arm. It still throbbed. She didn’t feel strong. She didn’t feel brave, she felt broken. “I don’t know if I can,” she whispered.
“You can. And you will.”
Emily didn’t answer.
Mina reached into her bag, searching for something, though Emily couldn’t focus enough to see. “Wait here,” she said, irritated. “I need more ointments. We’ll bandage the rest of you once they’re applied.” Mina stormed out of the washroom. The front door opened and slammed shut so hard the house shook.
Bracing her good arm against the edge of the tub, Emily pushed herself upright. The pain was immediate. Her legs quaked beneath her. She leaned heavily against the sink as she struggled to hold herself together.
Slowly, she straightened her back, biting down hard as the movement pulled at the freshly sewn flesh. Her lip trembled. She gripped the edge of the sink until her knuckles turned white, using it to brace herself as she leaned forward to peer at her reflection.
Her lip quivered as she stared in somber silence at the black threads crisscrossed over her raw, red flesh. They looked hideous. She turned, and painfully twisted her neck to peer at the ones on her back. They were almost perfectly perpendicular to her shoulder blades, two long gashes that nearly reached her waist. Just when Emily thought she couldn’t cry anymore, tears streamed down her cheeks. She had just started to feel normal again. She had fought so hard to feel human. And now this… Scars like these would never go away. They disfigured her. Emily turned back around and glared at herself. This was her fault. She did this to herself. It was a stupid decision to go down there, and she hated herself for it. She had thought she could handle it. Thought she could help. But instead, she’d only made things worse. She balled her fists and took a long, slow breath. Was she going to look like Mina one day, with enough scars to look like a pin cushion? Just thinking about it got Emily’s heart racing again.
She was pathetic.
Mina growled as she marched along to the general store.
She only made it halfway through town before the rage bubbling inside caused her to take a sharp detour toward the outskirts of the valley. It was quick. She found a large boulder, and screamed in frustration as she punched it in half. Pain rocketed up her arm, but she didn’t care. She slumped to her knees and took a deep breath.
There were too many thoughts swirling around in Mina’s head for her to make sense of anything. She was an idiot. An idiot for bringing Emily along, for putting her in that position. She didn’t know why she thought it would work. She had made a promise to herself, before she begun Emily’s training, and she wouldn’t do to her what her master had done. Not until the girl was ready.
She was far from ready, and it was her fault.
Maybe she was being too soft. Too supportive. It was what she had wanted her master to be, but now she wasn’t so sure if it was the right thing to do. She didn’t know. She didn’t want to think about it. She needed time to cool down, gather her thoughts.
Mina inhaled sharply, exhaled, then lit a cigarette and continued on to the general store.
The front door opened and shut again, more gently this time.
Mina stepped back into the washroom and paused for a moment, staring at Emily as she cried uncontrollably. She placed two bottles on the counter beside the sink. One was tinted a faint, murky red, while the other was pale and sickly, almost the color of bile.
“You’ll get used to them,” she said softly, unscrewing the lid from a small jar of ointment.
Emily didn’t answer. She sat down hard on the stool again, curling in on herself.
Mina dipped her fingers into the ointment, and the scent of herbs and ash filled the air. She knelt beside Emily and began gently applying the salve to the raw skin.
Emily flinched, biting back another whimper, her eyes squeezed shut.
“The scars,” Mina murmured. “They aren’t as bad as they could be. You’re lucky.”
“I don’t feel lucky,” she whispered.
“They come with the job. Let them be a reminder. To be better.”
Emily choked. “A reminder of how stupid I was.”
Mina didn’t answer and instead reached for the bottles and pressed them into Emily’s hands. “Drink these. You need rest.”
“What… what are they?”
“Healing remedies. They’ll dull the pain, and help the wounds settle. Once your strength returns, the magic in your veins will do the rest. But until then, these will have to do.”
Emily didn’t feel like she’d heal, but she obeyed. She took the first bottle and drank. The taste was sharp and bitter, coating her tongue like old copper. She winced, gagging slightly as it slid down her throat. The second was worse, sour and oily, leaving her mouth slick and her stomach churning. But slowly, she felt it. After all the painkillers Mina had given her, the pain was finally dulling, just enough for her to breathe.
Mina then carefully wrapped Emily in bandages and fastened a sling for her to rest her injured arm in. Finally, she helped Emily up and guided her slowly into the living room. She eased Emily onto the couch, and Emily’s head sank into the pillow. Her body ached, but her heartbeat had slowed, no longer thundering in her ears. She was breathing again. Almost normally.
Mina pulled a blanket over her, tucking it in gently. She didn’t say anything, but her hand lingered for a moment, resting softly on Emily’s shoulder.
For the first time that night, Emily’s body stopped trembling. Almost immediately, her eyelids closed, and as the sun rose, she finally went to sleep.
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