Fulcrum of Light (Catalyst Book 2) C.J. Aaron (unputdownable books .TXT) 📖

stretching slightly to alleviate the stress that had built in his idle muscles. His watch had proceeded the same as the previous night. Senses on alert, he scanned the moonlit grove for the slightest signs of movement, listening for the smallest hints of noise.

Again, the night was silent. Even the wind seemed hesitant to disturb the uncomfortable stillness that settled in after dark.

Ryl had searched for any sign of disturbance from the night before. He'd grown accustomed to the yellow orange glow of his fellow tributes. His vision was now devoid of any life, any comforting glow. Except for the glimpse of the darkened shape that had appeared the previous night only to disappear as rapidly as it had come, the complete absence of life at night was disorienting in its unfamiliarity.

Ryl jumped as the harrowed squeal of an animal ripped through the silence of the night. The wail ended with a sickening snapping sound.

He felt the gooseflesh cover his arms.

Seeing nothing, he quickly scanned the area looking for any anomalies like the previous night. He felt his heart skip a beat as he tracked a black mass retreating from his vision off to the right. He’d hoped the shadow from the previous night was merely a figment of his overactive imagination.

His heart sank at the realization. What he had seen was real. Somehow the unseen figure that moved noiselessly in the dark was visible to him using his mindsight.

They weren't alone.

Andr was at his side before he could move to wake him, the mercenary’s sword sung quietly as it slid out from inside its sheath.

“Did you see anything?” Andr whispered, his eyes rapidly scanned the darkness for any motion.

The night was clear, the stars and moon illuminated the landscape in soft light, yet the thick shadows beneath the trees were impenetrable.

“I saw nothing. It’s been silent since I took over,” Ryl squeaked back, afraid to raise his voice any louder. “Whatever that was, sounded like it came from over there.”

Ryl pointed off to the right of their sheltered cave.

“In the direction of our traps,” he said as an afterthought, his voice trailing off.

“That sounded like a cry of pain from a wounded animal,” Andr relayed quietly.

“Could we have just caught something?” Ryl asked.

“Possibly,” Andr admitted. “I’ve trapped my fair share of game in my days using traps just like I set here. I’ve never heard a noise like that before. Certainly not the snapping.”

Ryl again withheld the information about the black mass he’d seen retreating using his carefully hidden powers, and the fear of what it meant. There was something out there, that he could see, yet not identify. In his mind, he acknowledged that the time to share at least a portion of his skills was fast approaching.

“Quietly fill in the remains of the fire with the dirt from its hole,” Andr instructed with a whisper.

Ryl silently pushed the dirt back onto the pit, smothering the soft orange glow in darkness. It was only a moment before he’d returned to Andr’s side. They both peered out into the silence of the night.

The pair remained together standing watch as the time crawled by. The world around them had returned to the eerie stillness that had preceded the blood-curdling scream.

“I know it’ll be a tough proposition, but you should get some rest,” Andr said. “I’ll wake you if I hear another sound.”

Ryl opened his mouth to complain, but a yawn involuntarily took the place of where his voice should have been. He nodded his head, silently padding his way to the rear of the small cave, stretching out on the ground. He laid the stone spear on the dirt in front of him before pulling the Leaves out of his pack. The empty remains of his splint tumbled out onto the ground.

He was thankful for the stone spear Andr had made for him, confident that it would serve him well if he needed to defend himself. He was certain now that there was something lurking in the shadows. Whether it was alone and had followed them or if they were two separate creatures, he couldn't be certain. Ryl couldn’t understand why he was able to see it similarly to the way he could identify other tributes. Was it the Horde he was seeing, or something else?

Either way, he wanted the Leaves closer at hand.

Chapter 6

With thoughts of redesigning his splint temporarily distracting him from the agonizing wail, Ryl managed to fall into a fractured sleep. He woke at his usual time before sunrise. Andr who was still steadfast at his post, nodded with a grunt as Ryl approached the entrance. His eyes never left their continuous sweep of the surrounding area.

“Been quiet since you slept,” Andr said in a low voice. “You’re up early.”

“I’ve woken at this hour for over half my life,” Ryl commented. “It will be a tough habit to break. Want me to take over while you rest?”

“Thank you for the offer, but no,” he replied with a smile.

The corner of his eyes rested for a moment on the splint and Leaves in Ryl’s hand.

“What do you intend to do with those?” the mercenary inquired.

Ryl thought about his response for a moment before answering. Andr knew there was more to the Leaves than he was letting on. Thankfully, the mercenary seemed unbothered by the withheld information.

“I’d like to modify this splint to make a pair of bracers of sorts, using these as the supports,” Ryl explained.

Andr turned his head for a moment looking at Ryl then the Leaves and splint. A momentary look of confusion flashed across his face.

“I still don't understand why, but I know those sticks are important to you,” Andr grumbled. “Bracers aren't a bad idea though with all the thorny bushes around here. You handle those sticks well and even blunt objects can save your life in a fight. Hidden ones even more. I’m all for it.”

Though he wasn’t looking for permission, Ryl was relieved that Andr agreed with