She Who Sees Through Darkness

Part Twenty-Eight

He clambered towards her and lashed out with one enormous paw. She jumped backwards, stumbling in her snowshoes, and cut clumsily at his neck. The razor-sharp barbs on the side of the butterfly spike tore a shallow gash in his flesh. He snarled and slunk sideways, beady eyes fixed on the tip of her weapon.

He knows what it can do. Vasilyev telegraphed his motions so obviously a human could have seen them—for whatever Dr. Harper had done to her, she knew that 'human' no longer applied to her. A monster made by humans. I'm sorry, Borghild. She flipped the switch. The head of the spike glowed red. Despite her physical weakness, she felt as strong as an army.

"Come at me!"

Muscles bunched in his hindlegs as he charged. Katrina lifted the spike, but Vasilyev's intuition remained human enough for him to dodge. Only by turning herself was she able to sink the red-hot harpoon into his shoulder. Vasilyev roared and turned, easily ripping the weapon free of her hands.

Now he stood between her and escape. She had only the river at her back, and getting wet meant a slower death than at the paws of a bear. Flesh sizzled around the spike as it slowly sunk deeper, but the battery charge would already be dying, and second-generation Descendants healed fast. She couldn't count on that to kill him for her. I need a weapon.

She pulled Shawn's knife from her belt and opened it up. The nine-inch blade felt like a toothpick in her hands. She held it up all the same. Dimly, in the back of her mind, something roared.

The bear reared back onto his hindlegs, making him taller than two grown men. Katrina jumped backwards as he crashed down. One snowshoe hit ice and threw her onto her back. Savage jaws reached for her foot, and she kicked out with all her strength, slamming the metal snowshoes into his face. Roll, she thought, but exhaustion had stolen her speed, and she couldn't get clear.

Pain exploded through her chest as Vasilyev slammed a paw into her chest. Ribs splintered, the shock paralyzing. She drove her knife at his leg, opening a shallow gash. Vasilyev didn't seem to notice as he leant down, pressing the air from her lungs. Part of her knew this was the end, but she couldn't accept that, not after everything she'd been through. She wanted to fight—

His enormous weight was flung off her body in a flurry of frantic wingbeats. A roar echoed in her ears. Katrina felt short, sharp teeth tear scaled flesh from her shoulder. A heavy paw slammed into her skull, knocking her head sideways. Blinding pain filled her face.

"Payaa!" Katrina screamed, pushing through their mingled thoughts. The wyvern advanced on the bear. The blow she'd struck had left deep, bloody gashes in Vasilyev's back, but those were already closing. Payaa had the disadvantage on the ground, even discounting how Vasilyev's magic amplified his strength. "Get out of here! Fly!" She wanted to ask why, but she knew the answer: Payaa wasn't the kind of person to stand by and watch anyone die, no matter what they had done to her. That's strength. Strength born of kindness. Like nothing I've ever had.

Instead of retreating, Payaa sunk her teeth into the bear's neck. Katrina felt her push him, attempting to get him at an angle where her talons could get at his intestines. Vasilyev pushed back, knocking her was stronger. He pushed himself up on his hindlegs, knocking her down as he rose to his full height.

No, Katrina thought. She'd hurt the wyvern enough. She'd be damned if Payaa died for her. Cursing at the pain, she jumped to her feet. "It's me you want, you bastard! Me!"

He turned towards her and advanced, blotting out the moon. She tried to drop into a fighter's crouch, but a wave of pain coursed through her shattered chest, and she doubled over. Payaa felt her pain and roared, drawing the bear's attention to herself, even as she struggled to stand and the blood pouring from her face blinded her.

Katrina made herself move. She was light on her feet, lighter than any thinking creature in the world, and she threw herself between the bear and Payaa before he could strike. "Stay away from her! I'm warning you!"

The bear lunged.

I am Indigo, Katrina thought. A scream of pain escaped her as she whipped her arm around and threw.

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