Cassandra had been in thousands of stressful situations. She had been Hol’den for so long, that high stress was the norm. This was different. While her role was usually one of stealth and subterfuge, she had fought with hundreds of drol’ka. Sometimes, she had to get her hands dirty. In those situations, she had never encountered a drol’ka more than an eighth Drol’ka’Choth. The kidnapper, Dillon, was probably the most imposing one she had ever fought. In the past, if her situation were dire…she could just run away. She knew that was not an option, now. She was in over her head.

  “I am Dunn.” the eater introduced himself.

  Cassandra did not engage with him. Her heart pounded and her thoughts were frantic. Half her mind was assessing her surroundings as her eyes darted around. The other half was sinking into despair. It was far from helpful but she couldn't make it stop. She knew her death was near and it was a notion she had never confronted before. There was a certain level of arrogance that grew from being superhuman and ageless. Every battle, every close call, and every successful mission fed her sense of invulnerability. Without meaning to, Cassandra had set herself apart from humans. Humans grew old, got sick, and died. She did not. She had let herself believe she was immortal. That delusion was torn apart and her mind was fracturing.

  She was standing outside of the Tupelo high school. The school was empty of cars, except for a lone bus. She started to flee toward the building but knew she would not make it. Even if she did, it would not deter this monster. The area around the school was flat and open. She had nowhere to go.

  “What is your name, Hol’den?” Dunn asked.

  His words pierced her frantic mind and made their way into her consciousness. Her eyes returned to the ominous figure.

  “Why do you care, eater?” Her saliva was thick and her lips clung together with each word. She licked at them, before addressing Dunn, further. “Enough of these games. Do what you came to do. I will not be tormented by you.” With each word, her fear shifted toward resignation. So hopeless was her situation, she had no course but to accept her death with dignity. “I may become sustenance for an abomination, but it will get no joy from taking it.” Cassandra dropped to her knees and lifted her chin, exposing her neck. “I will not fight it. I will not fear it.”

  “Very well, Hol’den. As you wish.”

  Dunn walked toward her. She closed her eyes and tried her best to remain calm.

  I will not give you the honor of fear.

  With every step, she struggled to retain her resolve. He stepped close enough for her to hear his graceful steps as they strode along the asphalt. She clenched her eyes, willing herself not to cry.

  I will not shed a tear in front of you!

  He got closer and she could smell the fetid stench of old blood and viscera. Cassandra knew she was about to become part of his drol’ka’s defining pungence and her resolve began to wither. I single tear broke from the corner of her eye and ran down her face. She squeezed her eyes tighter, but it only forced more tears onto her face. He got close enough for her to hear his breaths; steady and rhythmic. She felt the warmth of the sun’s rays vanish as he stepped up to her. His long shadow stretched over her.

  “I respect your courage, Hol’den. This will not be painless, but I will make it quick.”

  Dunn leaned forward and slowly stretched his massive mouth open. His breath assaulted her and the warmth of it caressed her face and neck.

  I’m sorry, Jamal. Please, protect them.

  Dunn’s tongue gently prodded her cheek and Cassandra’s eye popped open. She did not intend to open then. It was purely a reflex. She saw two rows of predatory teeth and the darkness of his throat. At that moment, her resolve was blown into a million pieces, and she became fully human again. There were no thoughts, no ideas, no ego. There was only the all-powerful drive to stay alive. She yanked her boot knife free and jabbed it upward without planning to. Mindlessly, she thrust upward and plunged it to its hilt. She left it there as she sprang to her feet, and ran.

  Dunn was not expecting the attack. He looked down and saw the knife protruding just under his left collarbone. He casually grabbed the blade and pulled it free.

  “That was an unfortunate decision. I’m going to take my time now.” Dunn informed her.

  She didn’t worry about hiding or looking for cover. She didn’t look back. She ran as fast as she could. She neared the lone school bus parked in the gravel parallel to the street. Dunn came soaring over her head and landed near the far end of the bus. He turned toward her and took two strides her way. Cass didn’t slow as she veered to the left and dropped down into a baseball slide. Her momentum carried her along the gravel. She rolled onto her side and disappeared under the bus. The moment she cleared the other side, she planted her right heel and was flung back to her feet. She sprinted straight toward the school.

  She covered the thirty-yard gap and jumped onto one of the concrete bollards that lined the front of the building. She landed on the ball of her right foot and let her knee bend. She absorbed the momentum and thrust straight up, combining her momentum with the force of her driving thigh. Cass sailed upward toward the eve of the school’s metal roof. She heard a loud snarling growl and then a booming crunch as the bus barreled sideways across the lot and slammed into the row of concrete bollards. The unexpected appearance of the bus below her pulled her attention. She missed her landing and had to roll onto the roof.

  Holy Hell! He just flung a school bus at me!

  The demonstration of the Drol’ka’Choth’Den's might fueled Cassandra’s retreat. She scrambled up the steep metal roof. She neared the ridge of the roof and heard a loud thud below her. She glanced over her shoulder and saw the massive drol’ka's form rocketing toward her. Dunn’s clawed hand reached for her, but she let her legs fold under her and she flopped sidelong over the roof’s ridge. Dunn was in the air and couldn’t alter his trajectory. Cassandra slammed onto her back and bounced as Dunn glided past her. The world spun as she tumbled over and over. The rigid corrugations of the sheet metal bludgeoned her as she bounced toward the eve. One last jolt to her ribs and she was flailing in open air. The fall lasted a moment, before the air was blasted out of her lungs and her vision became a kaleidoscope of bursting lights and swirls of shifting colors.

  Cassandra’s consciousness ebbed and flowed.

  “—should—then all—trouble. Now I will—sweet sound of—had to do was—are mine to torme—” Dunn’s words filtered into her awareness.

  Cass opened her eyes and saw Dunn standing over her. Her mouth was agape as she tried to suck in air that was not there.

  “Come on, little fish, breath. You can do it! I want you awake,” Dunn taunted.

  Her hands searched the gravel for nothing and her heels dug tracks as she mindlessly pumped her legs.

  This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

  Breathe. Breathe. It’s coming. Air is coming. Just give it a second.

  Dunn raised his foot and stepped on one of her gravel-filled hands. He ground her knuckles like a spent cigarette. Instinct tried to tug her hand away from the pain, but her hand was pinned beneath his weight. He squatted beside her, his foot still on her hand, and took one of his long pointed nails and stabbed it into the crook of her elbow. The pain was immense. With a final heave, she sucked in a deep breath of air. Just as her lungs filled, Dunn drug his finger down her forearm. His sharp nail was an inch deep into her flesh and it tore through the muscles and blood vessels as he pulled it toward her wrist.

  “MWWWAAAAHHHHHHHH,” Cass screamed.

  She looked up at the drol’ka with too-wide eyes full of anger and hatred.

  “Time to party, little fish.” Dunn spoke as he reached down and gently poked the tip of her nose. "Boop."

  Something large and red slammed into Dunn and flipped him through the air. Cassandra’s eyes followed Dunn’s flight and she watched him smack into the concrete wall of the school. A few feet from her, she noticed the crumbled frame of a CRAFTSMAN riding lawn mower. She rolled her head in the other direction and saw someone sprinting toward her. Her vision was starting to refocus but her mind was still cloudy and she didn’t recognize who was running toward her.

  “No. Get away from me,” she creaked. She felt hand hands grabbing her. “NOOO! GET YOUR HANDS OFF ME!” she squealed.

  “Cassandra—me. It’s—ight. Lis—to me. Stop, Cassandra. It’s me. It’s Jamal!”

  Cassandra stopped fighting and looked up at the man. She went slack with relief as Jamal tucked his arms under hers. He softly lifted her into a seated position. She moaned from the pain of her broken body being pulled about.

  “I know it hurts. It’s going to hurt worse, and I’m sorry.”

  Jamal squatted down and lifted her arm over his head. He slipped his thumbs into the waist of her pants and hefted her upward. With her draped over his shoulder, he sprinted away from the Drol’ka’Choth'Den that had begun to stir.

  Jamal was superhumanly fast and they covered a few blocks on a matter of seconds. He found a storage shed and lowered Cass back to ground.

  “We don’t have much time. That drol’ka will be able to track our scent. Just lie still. I won’t have long to heal you,” Jamal explained. “Cass, when I say run, do not hesitate. You must get back to the others. When I heard your scream, I sent them on to Durant.”

  “I can’t leave you with him,” Cass argued.

  “You must.” Jamal’s tone was stern and cold. “That is an order!" He brushed her hair from her face. "Now relax.”

  Jamal began prodding at her injuries. After a few seconds, he closed his eyes and began to communicate with her body. He started by closing a couple of blood vessels that were bleeding, internally. He then set her broken fingers. The pain was tremendous, but Cass stifled her cries. Once set, Jamal set the bones to healing and he focused on calming the inflammation around the bones and joints in the fingers. While her hands mended, Jamal moved on to her leg.

  “Cass, this is going to hurt. Here, bite down on this.” He grabbed a small wood-handled mallet from a nearby shelf. “Try not to scream. It will only bring him to us.”

  Cass nodded and placed the handle between her teeth. Jamal reached for her leg. He grabbed her knee with one hand, and the other clamped around her ankle.

  “On three?"

  Cass couldn’t hold back a slight whimper as she nodded.

  “One. Two…”

  “MMMuuffff—gheeYAAAA.” Cassandra tried her best to be quiet as Jamal pulled her ankle and knee in opposite directions. She felt the bones grind before they slid back into place. Her vision went bright white and her ears rang from the surging blood pressure as every muscle in her body clenched down. Her head rolled to the side. The mallet tumbled from her mouth as she opened her mouth to vomit.

  “You did good,” Jamal comforted. “The pain will be gone in a moment.”

  Jamal closed his eyes and let his mind travel down her tibia. He made the broken ends begin to suture back together. Once that process started, he repaired the torn muscles and the swollen tissues. Cassandra felt the numerous pains fade away. She noticed Jamal's hands lift from her leg. She looked at him and noticed he was staring toward the shed door.

  “He found us.”

  Cass bolted upright and looked at Jamal. He looked down at her and put his index finger to his lips. He stepped closer to the shed door and listened. His head snapped around and Cass watched him look around the shed. He jumped over to her and grabbed the end of a black pipe that protruded from beneath a stack of wooden trim. He pulled the pipe free, sending many pieces of trim tumbling and clattering against the floor. He jumped back over her, toward the door. Jamal placed his free hand against the door and looked back at Cassandra, as she stood up.

  “Run.” Jamal flung the door open and sprang from the shed. Cassandra was right behind him. She entered the sunlight just in time to see Jamal swing the pipe at the drol’ka. Dunn was already facing Jamal and had no problem countering his attack. With a casual swipe of his massive hand, he knocked the pipe wide. Dunn twisted with the motion and his off-hand came in behind the pipe. The hand stayed open as Dunn drove his palm into Jamal’s chest. The blow lifted the Pen’Kai off the ground. He let himself roll backward to avoid Dunn’s raking claws. Cassandra began to stop, but Jamal glanced at her. His glare made it clear that she should be gone by now. Cass turned her back on him and ran toward the yard’s picket fence. Tears streamed down her face as she willed herself to leave him behind.

  Damn you, Jamal. Damn you for making me leave you.

  Her body was far from healed and every step sent another pain shooting or throbbing. Without slowing, she grabbed the top of the fence and vaulted over it. Her landing was far from graceful and she stumbled, but managed to keep moving. An explosion of pain erupted from her ribs and her legs became jelly. She allowed herself a brief moment to steel herself against the pain. Jamal’s mind-speak entered her mind. He urged her to get away. She rushed to her feet and continued toward her safe house.

  Running is useless. I can’t outrun him. Even if I could, he would track my scent. Come on, Cassandra, don’t slow down. You have to get back to the safe house.

  A constant barrage of growls, yells, grunts, and groans emanated from the battle she fled. She tried to ignore the crashes and bangs caused by Jamal and Dunn’s fight. Every sound made it harder for her to keep pushing forward. Jamal had been the Pen’Kai that recruited her into the Hol’den. He had become the father she never had.

  What kind of child can just run away from their parent? I have to go back.

  As if Jamal had sensed her thoughts, another powerful push of his words flooded her mind.

  I am okay. Do not worry about me. I am buying you time. This eater is strong, but I am faster than he is. If you are concerned about me, then hurry up and get away. It will be easier for me to run away than to continue allowing him to think I am struggling. GO!

  Cassandra headed the words and forced her concern away. Knowing Jamal was okay made Cass feel lighter. The pull of doubt was gone and she could focus on what she had to do. She rounded onto the highway and sped toward her house. She shoved her hand in her pocket and clicked the button on her automatic garage door opener. There was a clank from the overhead door motor kicking on . She trotted off the pavement and cut through her front yard. She slowed enough to duck under the still-opening door as she pulled a keychain from her pocket.

  Cass slid the key into the padlock and twisted. She let the chain and lock fall to the concrete as she crawled onto the only selfish thing she ever gave herself. Something she name Amy; her 2019 Kawasaki Ninja H2R. She shoved the helmet over her head and guided the key into the ignition. The engine rumbled as she twisted the key. She revved the engine as she impatiently waited for the garage door to give her clearance. With a final rev, she engaged the clutch and tapped her baby into gear. The rear tire shrieked as the rubber broke traction and the real wheel twisted angrily. She dumped the clutch and shot out of the garage with the front of the bike lifting off the ground. She rode the wheelie straight into the middle of the road, where she released the throttle, pulled the rear brake, and leaned into the momentum shifting onto the front wheel. The force caused the center of gravity to pivot over the front wheel as the rear wheel took its turn in the air. For a moment, the bike stalled with the back tire in the air and her looking down over the front tire. Suddenly, she nudged the rear of the bike around and it fell toward the asphalt. She pointed the front wheel down the highway and gave it some gas. The back tire screamed as it slammed onto the road and Cass launched into another wheelie. This time, she rode it through the first three gears. By the time the front tire settled onto the road, Cass was going eighty miles per hour. She had a good stretch of straight highway and she let the motorcycle rocket along.

  Let’s see you catch me now, you ugly fucker!