Oracle by Kyra Dune

Nephima , on the other
hand, were more at home in the midst of the chaos. They twisted and turned in
perfect synchronicity, as if they had fought side by side their entire lives.
His daggers moved in a blur almost too swift for the eye to see and she dealt
deadly blows with her katana so smoothly the weapon seemed an extension of her
arm.
         Lorn was not faring so well. He’d managed to get himself
separated from the others and though he was fighting fiercely, already he was
running red with blood from bites and scratches. He’d been trained to fight
men, not beasts, and hadn’t fought anything since becoming Anastasia’s
bodyguard when she was a child.   
         Anastasia
grasped Simon’s arm. “You must help Lorn .”
         “No,” he
said. “I can’t leave you here defenseless.”
         “I’ll
look after her,” Reaper said. He’d been so silent Anastasia hadn’t even
realized he was standing behind them.
         Simon
looked as if he didn’t like the idea any better than she did, but she could not
stand by and watch Lorn fall when a word from her
might save him. “Go. Please.”
         After
giving her a tight nod, Simon waded through the furry bodies toward Lorn .
         Reaper
put his arms around Anastasia from behind. She gasped, stiffening. “What are
you doing?”
         “Creating
a shield.” As he spoke, the air surrounding them took on a faint shimmer.
“Though a rather weak one, I admit. I’ve rarely had cause to use it.”
         Anastasia
did her best to pretend she was not distinctly uncomfortable with having him
touch her. “It will protect us from the creatures?”
         “It
should,” Reaper said. “Provided we aren’t attacked en masse. But I believe the
beasts are too busy dying to do so. You have skilled friends.”
         “I don’t
know as I’d call them my friends.” She hoped the battle would end soon so she
might get away from the feel of his warm breath against her neck. “Simon is, of
course, and Lorn also, in a different sort of way.
But the other three I only just met.”
         “And yet
they’ve join you on this perilous journey to save your life. Curious.”
         One of
the furry creatures leapt at them and Anastasia shrank back closer to Reaper.
But the shield did its work, bouncing the creature back. It shrieked angrily
and ran off into the woods.
         Blood was
flying along the path and Anastasia had to look away. She knew killing the
creatures was something they had no choice over, but the sight still turned her
stomach and made her think of her own possible impending death. She squeezed
her eyes shut, but could not close her ears to the sounds.
         “I know
why Selene came.” Anastasia was hardly aware of what she was saying, speaking
simply to hear something besides the snarls and squeals. “She means to kill me
if the Cataclysm can be stopped no other way. And I’m glad for it. I do not
want my life at the cost of the world.”
         “Brave
words,” Reaper whispered in her ear. “But I wonder will you feel the same when
all hope is gone.”
         Anastasia’s eyes snapped open. She twisted her head, trying to look back
at him. “What do you mean? Do you know there’s no hope?”
         Reaper’s
dark gaze was impossible to read. “I believe the danger has passed.” The shield
around them faded as he stepped away.
         “Wait.”
She caught hold of his sleeve. “Tell me. Do you know what’s going to happen
when we reach the temple? Do you know what Oracle will tell us?”
         “You
should see after your guardsman.”
         Anastasia, realizing she was going to get nothing further from him,
turned to look for Lorn . Small, furry, bloody bodies
littered the path. If any of the creatures yet lived, they must have escaped
into the forest.
         On the
far side of the path, Lorn was sitting on the ground
with his back to a tree. Simon knelt beside him