Part 14

They reached the top of the dungeon's steps and began pushing the heavy wooden door closed. It was nearly shut when there was a strong shove from the other side, followed by a deep, furious growl from the ghoul. Zara pressed her back against the door, heels digging into the stone floor.

"It's too strong," Ronan panted, heaving with his shoulder as the ghoul rammed the door once then twice, then a third time. Zara knew they wouldn't be able to hold it much longer.

She wracked her brain, trying to come up with a plan. Some alternative that wouldn't end would either or both of them killed. A clawed hand curled around the doorframe as the creature tried to squeeze itself out of the dungeon and into the hall. With the sun almost completely set, the room was dark and shadowy. The ghoul would have no trouble seeing either of them in the darkness. "I can kill it, if I can catch it off guard I can kill it," Zara said quickly, holding the lantern out to him.

He seemed to understand what she was saying and nodded. "I can buy you a few seconds, but you better not get me killed, Zara."

"What happened to that faith of yours?" she managed, adjusting her grip on the hilt of her sword.

"Oh, so now you decided to lighten up."

She ignored him and raised her sword. The ghoul's arm was still twisting and writhing through the gap in the door. "It's about to be very angry so get ready," she warned Ronan, and before he could ask any questions, she brought the blade down, slicing through the mottled yellow flesh. Its ear piercing shriek raised the hairs on the back of her neck. Thick, black blood, more like ooze, splattered against the stone floor along with the severed arm. "On the count of three, we let the door open. Keep it occupied until I can get behind him."

Ronan nodded, his mouth set into a thin, hard line. "On three then. One, two, three—"

Zara ducked away from the door, pressing herself against the opposite wall. Ronan bolted, taking off at a sprint. The ghoul clambered out after him, slipping on a puddle of its own wet blood. Either blinded by pain and fury, or eager to capture Ronan, the ghoul hadn't paid her any notice where she stood in the shadows. It was what she had been counting on.

She moved quickly and soundlessly after the two of them, both hands curled around the end of the sword. Ronan was leading the ghoul on a chase throughout the great room, toppling over chairs and sliding across the long tables that stretched from one end of the room to the other. She could see the dim blue flame of the thieves' wick as the lantern swung from one hand, the other holding his own sword.

Her training kicked in immediately, her body moving with the fluidity of purpose. She hopped up onto one of the tables and dropped down onto the other side, eyes glued on Ronan as he kicked a chair and sent it skidding across the floor into the ghoul's chest. It stumbled, movement clumsy and sluggish from blood loss. It wasn't out of fight yet, though, egged on by anger and pain, and the desire for flesh.

The creature's back was facing her as she snuck up closer and willed Ronan to keep it exactly where it was. Ronan held his sword out, backing himself into the closest wall. The ghoul seemed to have realized its prey had nowhere to run and advanced slowly. Zara was only feet away. Her pulse pounded relentlessly in her ears as she raised her sword high. Perhaps it had been the breath of determination she'd sucked in, or the slight scuff of her boot as she moved a step closer, but the ghoul seemed to realize she was there. It whirled on her the second her sword began to arc. Instead of the clean cut across the neck she had wanted, her blade sliced across its chest. Deep and fatal, but not enough for an instant kill. With a startled scream, the ghoul thrust out a long, clawed hand and pushed her. The force threw her into the nearest table, knocking the wind from her lungs as she collapsed onto the floor.

"Zara!"

Ronan called out her name in a shocked, panicked voice and he made to move toward her. The ghoul was still in-between them, though, staggering and bleeding. Zara tried to call out to Ronan, to tell him to stay back but her voice was nothing more than a croak as air tried to filter back into her lungs. Ronan lunged at the beast and at the same time, it swiped a claw through the air. Ronan's strangled cry had Zara's heart in her chest. Fear tried to dominate her, but she knew she couldn't let it win. She straightened up, back to her feet. The ghoul was rasping for air, and had dropped down into a crouch, dazed. Panting heavily, Zara brought her sword up a final time and plunged it into the chest and hoped this blow was a little more instantaneous. The bellow that left the ghoul's hungry mouth was deafening. It took a step towards her before crumpling to its knees. One final shuddering breath left its body and then it was still.

Zara's fingers slipped from her blade and she heard it clatter to the floor as she dropped to her knees and crawled over to Ronan. He had fallen onto his side and for a moment, Zara heard a hollow ringing in her ears as she imagined rolling him over, only to find wide, vacant staring eyes. The way Gray's looked in her dream. It cause her to hesitate, but only for a moment, before reaching for his shoulder and pushing him onto his back. He let out a loud groan and relief flooded through her, more immense than anything she'd felt in years.

His eyes fluttered open. "I'm alive then?"

An incredulous bark of laughter escaped her. "Yes, you idiot!" she breathed. Her gaze swept over him, quickly checking for the most serious of his injuries. The front of his shirt had a slash through it, red blood seeping through though not nearly as much as she'd feared. She sat on her knees, legs folded underneath her as she leaned over him and ripped his shirt the rest of the way open to see how bad his cut was.

"If you wanted to take my clothes off, all you had to do was ask," he suddenly murmured. "No need to go ripping them off."

She rolled her eyes, but this very Ronan-like statement gave her even further assurance that the man in front of her would live to see another day. "Just be quiet, huntsman." She'd uttered those same words to him countless times throughout their journey, yet this time there was none of the same irritation, instead just a tenderness there she hadn't meant to show. Still hard to admit, Zara cared more for him than she would have liked. She hadn't felt such fear for another person's life in a long time. Ronan tried to sit up but she pressed him back down. "Just wait a minute, let me see how bad off you are."

"A scratch. Nothing more," he scoffed, although he didn't try to move again.

"A scratch, huh?" she chided him as she pulled off her pack and dug inside for her canteen and a cloth. Zara was suddenly without her usual steadiness as she poured a little water onto the fabric, spilling a little more than she'd meant to on the floor.

Ronan was watching her intently, the expression on his face not one she had seen him wear before. The sky outside the room's high windows had grown dark, but the moon had risen and a pale light filtered into the room at an angle. She cleaned the blood from the gash on his chest, though it appeared the ghoul had just managed to clip him. The cut wasn't long, from about the top of his left ribcage to the center to his abdomen. While the flesh was red and angry, she realized Ronan wasn't all that wrong. A deep scratch, but not nearly as bad as it could've been. Had he been another inch closer, there might've been nothing she could've done to save him. And the thought of Ronan no longer existing made her feel a strange sort of pain in her own chest. Not just because without him, the mission would be without purpose. Other reasons, one that poked and prodded with insistence begging her to acknowledge them.

"You may need me to stitch that up later," she said quietly, avoiding his eyes. "That was a risky plan, I could've gotten you killed."

His hand suddenly caught her around the wrist, stilling her motions. Her pulse jumped at his touch. "But I didn't get killed, did I? Here we are. Both alive," he said gently, the warmth of his fingers on her skin and the softness of his voice instantly taking her back to the moment that had shared in the cave. Unable to avoid it any longer, Zara lifted her face to look at him. The intense look in his eyes made her stomach twitch a little, she who had faced monsters, had faced death. She who had once been a Red Cape. And now here she was, faltering at the touch of a huntsman she had been so sure she hadn't particularly liked that much.

"I trust you, Zara," he tugged on her wrist with the slightest movement. She allowed herself to be pulled closer, breath catching in her throat. He placed her hand against his cheek, the stubble pricking her fingers. Then, he was threading fingers through her hair, and his breath was warm against her lips. The anticipation was intoxicating. Zara's eyes fluttered shut and not a moment later, she felt the soft, teasing brush of his lips against hers. It sent a jolt of lightning rushing through her, and she wanted to melt against him, to become lost in him, to for once allow herself the strength to become close to another person.

His lips were warm and soft, and he kissed her with the utmost care...as if afraid one wrong move would spook her. She felt his fingers slide to the nap of her neck. He murmured her name against her lips as he pulled away. She felt a rush of warmth, although not quite enough to overwhelm the uncertainty that still lingered. What were they doing? And should they even have been doing it? Zara had faced the unknown dozens of time in her life, both inside and outside of the forest. This unknown, though, was different.

Her eyes opened to find him watching her reaction curiously with his startling eyes, and her cheeks flushed. She let out a breath and turned her attention to ripping a strip of fabric from the end of his shirt. "Sit up. Let me cover this for now," she said. Ronan obeyed, propping himself up against the wall as she wrapped the wound and her fingers trailed lightly across his skin.

"Zara," he said after a moment.

She glanced at him, his dark curls falling over one side of his face and she longed to reach out and push them back. She shook her head, not giving him a chance to finish. "Not now. We still have a banshee to kill and a magical object to find," she reminded him, not quite ready to discuss the matter of her feelings with him yet. She wasn't sure she had completely figured them out for herself. "Maybe you should stay here, and rest."

Ronan rolled his eyes and answered her by pulling himself to his feet. "Just a scratch, remember?" He gave her one of his crooked smiles. "Besides, you're not doing this alone." He stretched out a hand and Zara allowed him to help pull her to her feet.

"Together then?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

She felt the gentle squeeze of his hand. "Together."