Accompanied by a party of armed Arkangels, Jocasta led the trio into the forest bordering The Ark. The hunters marched ahead of them, guns at the ready as they traversed through the dense foliage. A brisk wind announced itself by blowing through Sebastian's clothes. The cold had a firm grip on his skin. Gritting his teeth, he shivered and tightened his jacket around himself.

He wasn't sure where the Arkangels were taking them, but he was starting to share Dorian's sentiments.

The entire situation was beginning to give him a bad feeling.

With every step he took, the stronger his suspicions grew. Surely a gargoyle or a gryphon wouldn't be causing Jocasta enough trouble for her to ask this favor of them. They also weren't known to reside this deep into the forest. Something else was waiting for them beyond the trees.

Sebastian wasn't looking forward to meeting it.

But if they had any shot of convincing the Arkangels to ally with them, then he would have to take care of his problem for her. Swallowing hard, he jammed his freezing hands into his pockets and continued after the hunting party.

Beside him, Imogen and Dorian theorized what kind of threat they might've been up against. Well, it was mostly Imogen theorizing and Dorian shooting down her ideas as soon as they popped up. It reminded Sebastian of a game of whack-a-mole.

"Maybe it's a vampire."

Dorian snorted. "You mean Nightling? No chance."

"Werewolf then?"

"Would've smelled them miles ago."

"Alright, then what is it then?"

"I have the same amount of information as you."

Groaning, she moved away from him and caught up to Sebastian. Nudging his shoulder, she lowered her voice. "What do you think it is?"

He shrugged. He wasn't in the mood to talk. His brain was too preoccupied with creating hundreds of scenarios where they all died at the hands—or claws—of a monstrous creature.

They were pretty deep into the forest now. The trail the Arkangels had embarked on eventually gave way to thick, ankle-height grass. Trees clustered together, forcing the group to weave between their skinny trunks. Sebastian kept close to the hunters. Jocasta walked in the middle of them, protected like royalty.

He arched an eyebrow at the woman.

He hadn't expected her to be the leader of the Arkangels. For years, the image of a ruthless, nasty-looking man had filled his head whenever he thought about the people who hunted his kind. While Jocasta did give off a menacing aura and a sense of power, she also didn't come across as the leader of a murderous group of zealots.

What is her story?

Shaking his head, he forced the question to the back of his mind. Her story wasn't important. She wasn't important. Not really. He needed her troops—that was it. They weren't allying to become friends or acquaintances. He didn't need to know about her, and she definitely didn't need to know about him.

"Alright," he finally said. "We've been walking for half an hour. Where are we going?"

Jocasta halted the party with the simple raise of a hand. Turning slightly, she smirked.

Sebastian scowled. "Listen, lady, I'm going to need some answers. And quickly. Or the deal's off."

"You're quite the firecracker."

"I'll show you a firecracker."

Imogen stepped in front of him before looking at the woman. "We just want to know what exactly you're asking of us. A bit of a heads-up would be appreciated."

Jocasta ignored her and kept onward.

The trees opened up to the base of a small mountain. A stagnant pond sat nestled between a waterfall and a shelf of boulders off to the side. The mouth of a cave opened at the bottom of the precipice. Shadows filled the inside. The hunters stopped again. Sebastian watched with narrowed eyes as he saw them fidgeting with the triggers of their rifles or the pommels of their swords. A few shifted their feet uncomfortably. Sweat beaded on the foreheads of a few.

Sebastian squinted at the entrance of the cave. He spotted a few skeletons.

He couldn't tell if they were from an animal or a human being.

A chill tickled his spine. Gulping, he faltered.

"What the hell is in there?"

"A manticore," Jocasta finally answered. Her features tensed as she remained behind her bodyguards.

"A what now?" Imogen asked.

Dorian dug his bare foot into the dirt. His eyes shifted around like pinballs. "A manticore," he repeated. "Big, nasty creatures. They're rare and keep to themselves for the most part." He glared at Jocasta. "Why do you want us to kill it?"

"I told you," she said. "It's been terrorizing this forest. It steals cattle from farmers in the area and scares off all the local game. Quite frankly, it's a nuisance. If we could get rid of it ourselves, I promise you we would."

But you can't, Sebastian said to himself.

Not a surprise. Even for magicians, defeating a manticore was no easy task.

Sebastian forced down the lump rising in his throat. His pale skin became slick with sweat within seconds despite the frigid temperature around him.

"Your mission is simple really," Jocasta said. "Slay the manticore and we have a deal."

"And if we don't?" He tilted his head slightly. "What if we refuse to fight it?"

"Well, then we'll be forced to kill you."

Right on cue, the Arkangels pointed their weapons at Sebastian and his accomplices. Dorian bristled and bared his canines. Imogen moved behind him, her dragon iron blade inches away from being drawn from its sheath. Sebastian grit his teeth. Suppressing a growl, he urged everyone to settle down.

"We'll do it."

Imogen and Dorian threw him a bewildered look.

"We will?" they both asked.

He nodded. They didn't have much of a choice. They needed the Arkangel's help to combat his father, and if this was the only way to get it, then they had to do what needed to be done. Besides, they survived attacks from well-trained Shades, bloodthirsty werewolves, deranged nightclub owners, and an entire siege on Thania. One pesky, little manticore should've been light work for them.

He summoned his vayrir. The obsidian felt heavy in his hand. He frowned. It never felt heavy. Shaking his head, he stepped forward.

"Let's go kill us a manticore."

#

The manticore, in fact, was not light work. Not in the slightest.

Upon accepting the task, Sebastian, Imogen, and Dorian stepped into the open. The hunters opted to remain just outside the tree line. According to Jocasta, the Arkangels couldn't afford to waste any more lives fighting the beast.

Figures, Sebastian thought. He never expected them to fight with him anyway.

The trio approached the cave with caution, weapons at the ready.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Imogen whispered as they grew closer and closer with every shaky step.

"Nope," he said. "But I don't suppose you have any better ones."

She didn't answer.

The three of them arrived at the mouth of the cave and stopped. Wind from outside rushed in, creating an eerie echo as it screamed down the cavern. The metallic smell of blood and wet fur filled the air. Sebastian covered his nose, his eyes watering. Either the manticore was terrible at hygiene or it had been eating a lot.

Probably both.

A nervous breath left his lips.

"What now?" Imogen asked. "Do we just wait for it to come out?"

"It's daytime," Dorian said. "It's probably resting." His face darkened. "We'll have to wake it."

There was no way they were fighting the beast in its cave. That would be the definition of a suicide mission. No, they'd have to draw it outside its enclave and hope to kill it out in the open.

"Any ideas?" Imogen asked. She tossed her dagger between her hands, eyes shifting about nervously.

Dorian shrugged.

Sebastian held his casting hand out. The purple mark branded into his palm turned orange for a split second as he performed the quick sequence for a blasting spell. A bolt of light shot from his hand and screamed down the cave, lighting up the walls for a brief moment as it traveled down the long corridor.

Then it disappeared.

Imogen faced him, eyebrows lifted. "What was that?"

"An announcement."

A low growl sounded from within the cave. The trio froze, their eyes wide.

"Well," Dorian gulped. "Looks like it worked."

Sebastian glanced at Jocasta and the Arkangels. They were a safe distance away—uninvolved and safe. Watching like cowards. He resisted the urge to flip them off. This was their problem; the least they could do was help. Shaking his head, he faced the cave.

Slow footsteps grew closer as the beast approached. He made out the beast's silhouette in the darkness and shivered.

Sebastian backed away from the opening of the cavern. Imogen and Dorian followed suit. They stepped back out into the grass-covered clearing and waited for the manticore to reveal itself.

A deafening roar ripped through the air.

The manticore was here. And it wasn't happy.

The evening sun reflected off the black horns protruding from the lion head poking through the cave. Its body—which was even larger than Sebastian expected—followed shortly after. Matted fur the color of dirty snow covered its lean body. Massive, bat-like wings stretched from its body, small holes riddling the leathery skin. A segmented tail identical to that of a scorpion swished in the air menacingly behind it. Venom-tipped barbs stuck out from the end. Slobber dripped from its maw. Beady eyes stared at the three unfortunate souls tasked with taking it down.

Imogen trembled and moved behind the two boys. "What the hell is that?!"

Dorian scowled. Without a word, he shifted into his wolf form. While he was larger than the average werewolf, he looked like a chihuahua compared to the manticore.

Sebastian recalled his vayrir. His entire body went rigid.

He was starting to think this wouldn't be easy as he thought.

The manticore stalked forward, taking just a few steps before stopping. It rolled its neck, black lips curling back to reveal razor-sharp fangs. As it turned, Sebastian could see marks of previous battles decorating its coat.

Magic would be practically useless against it.

Old-fashioned monster-hunting would be the only thing capable of defeating it.

Sebastian thought back to his lessons with Emile—House Tenebris' resident monster expert—as a kid. Members of his house were meant to be masters of everything relating to the dark arts, which often included possessing extensive knowledge regarding the monsters of the world.

He racked his brain for a lesson about manticores.

His eyes lit up.

"The horns."

Imogen screwed her face at him. "Huh?"

"Cut off its horns," he elaborated. "That's how we defeat it."

She nodded. The manticore roared again. Her hand tightened around her blade.

"Good luck!" Jocasta called out from her vantage point. A smug look had settled on her face like fresh snow on a lawn.

Sebastian rolled his eyes. Ignoring her, he kept his eyes on their target. It had fully stepped out of the cave now, wings flapping. The beast pawed the ground, its claws digging up the loose dirt. Another thunderous roar tore through the winter air.

He exhaled.

"Here we go."

Dorian attacked first. The wolf attacked first, gnashing his teeth at the beast's hind ankles. The manticore swiped a heavy paw at him, nearly taking off his face. Growling, Dorian lunged forward with his jaw wide.

The manticore was quicker than expected. Dodging the attack, it retaliated with one of its own. Its shiny black tail lashed out like a whip, catching the werewolf. Dorian's body slid across the grass like a ragdoll. Quiet whimpers left his mouth as he struggled to get back to his four paws.

The beast turned his attention to the magicians before it.

Sebastian cursed.

"Keep your distance," he told Imogen. "Don't forget to use your shield charm."

"Got it."

The two of them nodded before taking up positions on either side of the monster. It flicked its tail, sending a few venomous barbs flying toward Sebastian. He rolled to the side and popped up on one knee. A shock of dark energy erupted from his palm and raced toward the manticore.

A pain-filled cry left its mouth as Sebastian's attack hit one of its wings. The beast shook its head, its beady eyes narrowing. Then it charged.

His eyes widened.

Diving to the ground, he watched as the beast leaped over him, its four, massive claws skidding through the grass. He quickly got back to his feet with his heart thumping. Heat rushed to his reddening face.

Imogen threw a few stunning spells at the monster. None of them were effective. Sebastian's dark magic barely had any effect on it. Though, one of its wings did seem to be injured.

At least it won't be flying anytime soon.

Sebastian stole a glance at the Arkangels. They were still watching the battle safely from the edge of the forest with no intentions of intervening. He grit his teeth. Cowards. All of them. Gripping his vayrir, he sprinted at the manticore. He wove in and between strikes from its barbed tail before slipping inside. With a yell, he drove his obsidian dagger into its ribcage.

To his surprise, the blade threw blood. Ripping it free, he jumped backward and watched the monster bellow in pain. A stream of red poured onto its fur, staining its off-white coat. It bowed its head as it brought its chest to the ground.

"Surrendering already?" Sebastian grinned victoriously.

The manticore bared its teeth again before launching more poisonous barbs from its tail.

He froze. All the needle-thin spines soared past him, thudding into the trunks of trees or the side of the mountain.

All but one.

A burning sensation rippled through Sebastian's arm. Tears welled in his eyes as the limb hung limply at his side. Funnily enough, it was the same arm the poison arrow hit him a few weeks ago in Thania. If he kept this up, he would've built up a tolerance to venom.

At the moment, though, it was taking every ounce of his concentration to stay on his feet.

Sweat trickled down the sides of his face as his vision shortly resembled a Jackson Pollock painting—fuzzy images and colors melding into one image. His throat closed up as he stumbled backward. Ahead of him, he saw the beast stalk toward him.

He also heard Imogen yell while running toward it with her dagger raised high.

He tried shouting at her, warning her to stay away, but he couldn't even open his mouth. His tongue felt like a block of lead and his gums were drier than sandpaper. With the manticore busy fighting Imogen and Dorian, who had recovered from his injury, Sebastian fell to one knee. Coughing, he whipped his head around in search of Jocasta and the Arkangels. He tried calling for help but could only muster a hoarse groan. He fell to his side. The venom was working its way throughout his entire body now. His muscles seized and his heart rate spiked.

From the edge of the forest, he heard the Arkangels laughing. Through his fractured vision, he spotted Jocasta watching him with an unimpressed expression on her face.

"I guess the deal is off!" she shouted.

Had he not been dying, he would've cursed at her.

Lifting his head from the cold grass, he watched helplessly as his friends took on the manticore. Somehow Imogen found herself with her legs wrapped around its neck as she straddled its back. Dorian darted in and around the beast, delivering quick strikes to its legs with his claws. They were doing well without him.

Now his body wasn't the only thing that was hurt. His pride was too.

Clenching his jaw, he willed himself to stand up. Every fiber of his being screamed in agony. His face and shirt were drenched with sweat now. His entire body trembled as he trudged forward, his legs feeling more like anchors than anything.

He wouldn't let his friends take on the beast without him.

There was still a bit of vitalae left in his veins—he could feel it fighting off the venom coursing through his body. It was probably the only reason he was still alive. He was going to make the little bit he had left count.

He threw his hands at the beast, unleashing a quartet of black chains crafted out of dark magic at its legs. They wrapped around the manticore's legs and it howled. Sebastian soldiered forward and yanked on the chains. Dorian continued swiping at it with his claws while Imogen went to work on cutting off one of its horns. Her blade was sawing into the bone, nearly halfway through.

The manticore thrashed and bucked, desperately trying to get her off, but she wouldn't let go. Sebastian's binds kept the beast in place, preventing it from even attempting to fly away.

While its arms and legs were bound, its tail was still free. More barbs launched from the end. This time, Sebastian conjured up a shield charm and watched them collide into the violet wall of shimmering magic. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Jocasta still watching. Her chin was lifted ever-so-slightly, and her hands were clasped firmly behind her back. She reminded him of his instructors during one of his many exams back at Castle Braexus.

He hated those exams.

"How we doing on that horn?!" Sebastian asked. The muscles in his face strained as he struggled to keep hold of his chains. The poison was still working its way through his body. The sweat dripping from his face fell onto his fingers; his grip on the restraints keeping the manticore down lessened.

His head spun. Black spots filled his vision. He wouldn't be able to hold out for much longer.

"Almost...there..." Imogen continued cutting sawing through the bone, the sound grating Sebastian's ears.

The manticore roared one last time before the pointed end of its horn fell to the ground. It collapsed, eyes rolling into the back of its huge head.

Sebastian exhaled. All the energy fled his body. He dropped to his knees before faceplanting into the grass. The glowing, black chains in his hands dissolved into violet sparkles before vanishing completely. The job was done.

But at what cost?

Around him, he heard Imogen and Dorian rush over to him. Everything was fading now. He lifted his arm, but it fell back to the earth like a severed branch. His friends' calls sounded a world away.

Taking one lastlabored breath, he succumbed to the cold darkness encroaching around him.