The Hunt of the Grimalkin (Erresuma Book 1) by Dani Swanson (books to read romance TXT) 📗

at me so crazy?” Robin yelled out to Thea as she pushed back the hood to better reveal her face.

“I’m sorry,” Thea said softly, “I don’t remember you.” she stated with complete hesitation. The fear was back and rising into her throat.

The girl stared back at Thea blankly. “Thea, I’m your best friend, how can you say you don’t remember me?”

Chapter Seven

 

Thea climbed out onto the bank, sopping wet. Robin got up from where she was sitting, ran over to Thea, and wrapped her arms around Thea’s waist, hugging her tightly. “I haven’t seen you for months!  I didn’t know what happened to you.” Robin rested her head on Thea’s shoulder as she hugged her. Thea stood there with the water running down her face, her arms hanging limp at her sides.

She had been so confused and scared that she didn’t know how to respond. Could Thea even trust that this girl was her friend?

“I’m sorry…Robin? I don’t know you,” Thea said sternly. She blankly stared at the redhead, who looked hurt as she slowly moved away.

“How can you say that?” Robin asked in a soft voice that cracked at the end of the question.

Fig continued to rub against Robin’s legs as if he were trying to tell Thea he knew her. Thea tilted her head to the side and was fighting back her tears of frustration. She didn’t know what to believe anymore.

“What do you mean you don’t remember? What has happened to you?” Robin asked in a concerned tone. “You told me that you were leaving to go to market one day and then, you never came back. I went to your cabin, and you were just gone. People said you were kidnapped by the Kingdom of Owls. I’ve been so worried...” Robin’s voice trailed off at the end of her thought.

Thea stared through her, for the moment distracted from her own history; off in the distance of the forest she was watching a shadow move through the trees. “I have to go,” Thea said slowly as she watched the shadow disappear.

Robin looked over her shoulder towards the trees. She saw the shadowy figure coming towards them too.

“Trust me. Please, come with me,” Robin said urgently.

Not sure if she should trust Robin but positive that she didn’t want to confront the shadow, Thea nodded. The two women grabbed their things from the bank and jogged back to the road.

“My home is just down the way,” Robin said in a breathy voice.

The shadowy form had made it to the edge of the trees and was headed towards the lake. Its mass was growing, as if it were engulfing everything around it, drawing everything into its darkness. The air turned cold and burned their lungs as they ran down the road. Fig growled as he darted ahead of the girls. The cat undoubtedly knew where they were going, as he veered off the main road and down an unmarked path. Thea started to panic; it was harder to breathe and her head was pounding at her temples.

There was a house in the opening of the trees at the end of the path. Thea didn’t look back again, but pushed to make it to the house. They ran through the door and Robin threw the latch. They fell into a pile on the floor, heaving chests and sweat running down their faces. Fig stared at the door, growling with his fur on end. Thea held her breath and listened. She heard the same slow scratch on the porch’s wooden floor that she had heard in the dark at her own cabin. The air was frigid and the hair on the back of Thea’s neck was standing on end. She looked to her right and saw Robin slowly getting up and grabbing a sword from the side of the door. She put a finger to her lips to signal Thea to stay quiet. Robin rose to the window ledge and peeked out to her porch. Her eyes got large with fear as she backed away from the window with small half steps. “Grimalkin….” She hissed out in a breath. Robin raised her sword above her head and waited, her focus on the door. Thea froze and stared at the woman with a vacant gloss over her eyes.

Scratch.

Scratch.

Scratch.

“Grab that,” Robin motioned with her head to a wooden staff next to the book case. “Thea! Grab that!” Robin hissed at her. Thea took a deep breath and shuddered herself back to reality as she cautiously grabbed the staff. She was beyond terrified. She looked over at Robin and followed suit by raising her staff in the same way.

“Open the door,” Robin mouthed to Thea.

Before them stood a large hazy figure that looked like a cat but was the size of a horse; it filled the doorway. The shadow bent its head down and peered into the house. The eyes were fiery red and burned through Thea’s soul. She was frozen in her place, full of fear. Thea had a flash of a surreal memory, of being consumed by a lion-like figure in a whirlwind of thick black smoke, which had spun around her, and had seeped into her mouth. She then started to levitate. Thea felt a sharp pain in her temple, she then shook herself back to the present threat. Robin lunged forward plunging her blade into the shadow; her red hair blew back with force and she had to squint her eyes; the shadow evaporated into a mist. There was a cackle of laughter off in the distance followed by the cry of a crow. The two girls looked at each other, gasping for air.

Robin smirked at Thea. “Never a dull moment in Erresuma.”

CHAPTER EIGHT

 

Thea crumpled into herself by the book case, trying to catch her breath. After a moment,