This was a trick. As sure as fairy magic, this had to be a trick.
“Whatever you’re thinking,” Osmund said, “I know you will protect my back. I’ll do the same for you.”
Keeping his thoughts centered on Osmund helped. It gave him a clear goal and a focus.
“Right,” Elric responded. The uneasy feeling was bearable enough to push aside as he braced for battle. “We fight for Wynn.”
“For Wynn,” Osmund echoed.
The reaper charged through the brush like a bull ox. Its fiery eye blazed in the dim light as glistening saliva dripped from its yellow fangs. The red eye that Elk had injured in the earlier battle was now swollen shut and crusted over. Its shaggy black hair clumped together with dried blood from the wound at its side. Yet, even wounded and half blind, the reaper moved with power. It didn’t care if it suffered or not. It had one goal: to bring its prey to its master. The reaper opened its wide jaws and snarled at them.
It leaped at them. It was too big for them to stand and fight it.
“Jump!” Elric shouted, and he threw himself forward. Osmund ran in the opposite direction. The reaper charged between them, then spun around and stalked toward Elric.
The monster kept its head low as it paced forward, its constant growl rumbling in its long throat. Elric took a step back as the beast pressed closer. And another.
“Elric, the pit!” Osmund called.
Elric took one more step back, and his heel momentarily slipped on the loose dirt at the edge of the open trap. Heart racing, he steadied himself and charged forward with a feral yell. The shout strengthened his courage. Elric swung the sword down across the reaper’s shoulder as hard as he could. Black blood poured out of the fresh wound and soaked the crusted-over gash that Elk had given the beast.
The reaper swung its arm out and knocked Elric into the brush. It hit the ground hard as the creature shook like a wet dog, its foul blood spraying into the air. Osmund powerfully swung his ax, and buried the weapon into the hip of the beast.
It let out a scream that felt like knives piercing through Elric’s ears. His heart went cold and he let out a cry of pain as he tried to cover his head to protect against the noise. Osmund tried to pull out his ax, but it was stuck. The reaper grabbed the smaller man, sinking its claws into him. Osmund shouted in pain.
The monster bit down on Osmund’s shoulder. Osmund cried out in agony. The reaper held him in his jaws and shook him, then flung Osmund toward the pit. He disappeared over the side.
“No!” Elric screamed. He scrambled toward the pit but the reaper grabbed his leg. He felt the claws sinking into his flesh like white-hot knives pulled from a forge. With all his strength, he shoved his sword up, and pierced the beast’s chest. He felt his blade hit bone, and the beast screamed again. It pulled away from him, cradling its new wound.
“You will not find her, and you won’t take me,” Elric said as he fought his shaking knees to stand. He held his sword loose at his side.
“But I did find her. My master has her now. And soon he will have you.”
The words sounded within his own mind as the creature gave him the same snarled grin as when they had faced each other through the shield.
“The plan has worked perfectly.”
“You lie.” Elric shook his head, as if he could shake the beast’s terrible voice from his consciousness. “Your reaper friend is dead, and soon you will be too.”
And with those words he dropped his sword.
With his heart in his throat, he ran. He only had one shot at this. He’d outsmarted the beast once. He had to do it again. Elric gritted his teeth and ran faster even though his leg was on fire. He could hear the snorting breaths of the beast as it howled and limped behind him. He could smell the foul breath of the beast rolling over him, but it did not catch him.
Only a little bit farther. He prayed the ropes would hold.
Turning the slight bend in the path, he saw the patch of leaves ahead of him. Elric ran as fast as he could toward them. His foot met the lattice of branches hidden by the leaves. He coiled his body as he felt the branches sag under his weight, and when they sprang back he launched himself toward the braided rope.
He felt the reaper’s claws rake his hip as he stretched forward to grasp the rope. His fingers wrapped around it, and he clung on with all his might. He swung forward over the elf trap.
There was a shattering crash, and the reaper screamed in fury.
Elric clung to the rope, swinging on the vine as he watched the reaper fall into the pit below and land on the pikes.
The terrifying scream fell silent for good.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONEElric
THE BELL TOLLED, A LOW and mournful sound that resonated through the woods as Elric swung on the rope above the pit. Carefully he climbed down, using his momentum to reach the edge. He caught a branch of a nearby tree to steady himself as he landed, but almost fell backward as the pain in his wounded leg shot through him. With his stomach fluttering somewhere up near his throat, he pulled himself clear of the pit. He resisted the urge to look back over his shoulder at the grisly scene below. He wanted reassurance that the monster was really dead.
But there was no time for that. He had to get to Osmund.
Deep in his heart, he prayed Osmund hadn’t met the same fate as the
