The Last Hunter: Collected Edition (Antarktos Saga #1-5)

“I’m not sure,” I say. “But I think it’s an army. I couldn’t tell how many, but some...” I shake my head, trying to comprehend the weight I felt compressing the layers of Earth. “They’re so big.”


As though punctuating what I’ve said, the ground shakes. A rumble rolls past, and I suspect the distant sound is reaching us thanks to the cool underground air—which I can’t feel, but I know the ambient temperature is somewhere around fifty-five degrees—and the acoustics of the solid stone surroundings.

When the rumble fades, Mira asks, “How far away are they?”

“Ten miles to the East,” I reply. “Give or take a mile. Feeling through the continent isn’t exactly a science.”

“Ten miles, and we’re feeling their footsteps?” Mira looks mortified, but then she wipes the fear away and replaces it with determination. “Do I need to guess where they’re headed?”

I shake my head, no. “The FOB. We might have a week, tops.”

“We need to take a look,” Mira says.

This catches me off guard. “What?”

“Recon,” Mira says. “You know, ‘know your enemy.’ It’s what Wright would do. If we know what’s coming, we’ll be better prepared for it.”

She’s right, it is what Wright would say, but I would still argue. “Yeah, but if we take the time to look, we won’t reach the base with much time to prepare anything.”

“I agree,” Kainda says.

I nod. “Thanks.”

Kainda raises an eyebrow at me. “Not with you. Reaching the others a few days sooner will not change anything.”

“It will give them hope,” I counter, though I’m not just talking about Mira. Strangely, I’m referring to the effect my presence will have.

“It does not matter when hope arrives,” Kainda argues. “Only that it does in time. Emilie and Kat will have our forces as prepared as they can be.”

When I still look unsure, Kainda says, “Perhaps that is why Emilie is called Faith.”

It is really hard to argue my point when Kainda is invoking the wisdom of an angel, but even harder when she is acting so differently. Mira’s news about Thor’s demise has truly given Kainda hope. She’s been transformed by it.

I relent with a nod. “Fine. But we’re going to have to move fast.” I turn to Mira. “Can you keep up?”

Mira crosses her arms. “In case you missed it, I ran a race to the geographic pole of Antarctica.”

It’s true. She did. Which is impressive, and she’s obviously in good shape. Despite everything she’s been through—the race, the battles with Nephilim, killing Enki and being taken by the shifter, and then the gnarly band of mythological creatures. She’s holding up better than I would have guessed. She was always tough, but it’s never easy to tell who can stare down a Nephilim warrior and who can’t. Despite all that, she’s not a hunter, and I need to be honest.

“This will be harder,” I say.

Perhaps thinking I’m just bragging, Mira looks to Kainda, who confirms my statement with a nod and the words, “Hunters are weapons, forged in darkness and agony, and are trained to endure pain beyond imagining. Running for days is a simple thing compared to the tortures endured by most of us.” She glances at me. “Some more than others.”

Mira has blanched a bit.

“But don’t worry,” Kainda says, “We understand the softness of outsiders and have learned what it means to be merciful.”

This doesn’t exactly put Mira at ease, so I translate. “Which is to say, we won’t leave you behind. But, you’re going to have to push yourself.”

The weight of everything Mira has learned in the last hour, including Kainda’s intimidating speech about hunters is no doubt weighing on her, along with the fact that this enemy force is bearing down on the FOB, where her parents are currently located. I’m impressed when I see her set her jaw, straighten her back and declare, “Then I’ll push.”

“I have no doubt,” I say, and reach a hand up toward the ceiling. Five of the blue crystals dislodge and fall before being caught by the air. They swirl around in a circle, joining together one at a time until they’ve been forged into a baseball-sized crystal that’s putting off enough light to see by. When the glowing orb lowers in front of Mira’s stunned face, she smiles.

“Hearing about what you can do is one thing, seeing it...” She shakes her head. “It’s still hard to believe.” She reaches through the column of compressed wind holding the sphere aloft and takes hold of it. “What about you two?”

“We can see in the dark,” Kainda says.

Mira rolls her eyes. “Of course you can.”

“Ready?” I ask of Mira, putting as much seriousness into the single word as I can. A ten mile run through the dark won’t be that bad. She’s clearly run further. It’s what I fear will happen after we’ve arrived at our destination, and the sprint back to the FOB that concerns me.

“Which way are we headed?” she asks.

I point to the East.

Mira looks to the East, takes a deep breath and starts running.

Kainda looks over at me. “She’s brave.”