How to Slay a Beast (Book 1)

Chapter 21

"I hear something," Cyrano said, stopping abruptly. I was about to say something but he shook his head.

"No, don't speak, we don't want it to hear you," he said.

I nodded, drawing my sword slowly.

"If you see blood, assume it is the villain's not yours. You will feel a rush of adrenaline, use that. let it fill you, breath but not too quickly. Focus on each action not your body, be one with your movements but feel no pain. If you are injured you must keep fighting anyway so you are not injured you just rise," he said, nodding in approval as I took slowly, steady breaths, looking around. I could hear something else in the bushes.

"And no matter what happens, I will be here," he said. No matter what meant even if I died. I nodded.

**

"I hear something," Violet said, stopping abruptly.

"It's probably Billy and t.a.s.w," I said, wincing as I realized my abbreviation made no sense.

"Yeah, the monster sounds bigger," Del agreed. 

"What does TASW stand for?" she asked, "Jade?"

"Is that the flat-chested bitch's name? Yeah," I said.

"Richard? What does TASW stand for?" she asked.

"The asshole's second wife," I said, wincing.

"Four years of higher education in Literature gave you such a great command of the English language," she said, shaking her head, "Do you always think of Matthew as the asshole?"
So that was the asshole's first name.

 "Yeah," I said.

"At least you're honest," Del said, dryly.

"Huh," she said.

 I shrug.

"Jade is nice though," Del tells me. 

"I really hear something," Violet said, pointing, "Something is that way."

"It doesn't sound big enough," Del said, "I could hear it breathing."

This time he did let me squeeze his arm.

"I won't let it get you," I said, I was talking to him not Violet but of course she thought I was talking to her.

"I'm okay," Violet said.

"I'll go first, I've got the weapon," I said, "You get ready to run back towards the trap."

"The weapon you don't know how to use."

"Yeah that's the one."

**

"Why can't I see it?" I asked, taking another slow step, my steps were impossibly loud in the brush. I couldn't see but a few feet because of the bushes and the tree branches and the low light. I had never been this far off the paths before. I shivered.

"It's dark, you'll see it soon enough, just breath," Cyrano directed, calmly but his face showed concern for me.

"I'm going towards the noise," I said.

"Go slow, if it knows you're coming it'll have time to prepare," he said, following me.

My foot hit a root and I tripped. The noise in the brush got louder.

**

"Jesus, Merry I could have shot you!" I cried, annoyed to see her holding a sword on me, as I pushed my way through a bush.