A Gift of Three(46)

Its jaws opened in another shriek, its body crouched low on the ground, two arms in front of it, knuckles grazing on the earth, with its hind legs ready to leap up toward me. I couldn’t see the creature’s eyes—its face seemed to be entirely composed of jaw and muscle, attached to an almost bare skull, hairless like the rest of its body.

This time I screamed, dodging to the left and falling into a pool of water. I sent out a barrier of energy, trying to create a dome around myself that would block them. As soon as the barrier took form I realized it wouldn’t be enough—my mind was disordered and weak, too panicked to create anything that might save me. I scrambled to my feet, running on through the water to the nearest ground.

I heard their cries start up again, and the softer movements of them leaping up into the trees. They were enjoying the chase, toying with me, when I knew they could attack and kill me at any moment. I kept running on, seeing the edge of the swamp. Another howl came at me from the left, and I veered off the path to get away from it. I took another leap, but this time was yanked back—something had caught on my nightgown. I turned around, trying to pull it free at the same time. It was caught in the claws of one of them, and the creature yanked it back, swinging me around to face the others.

They had all crouched low in a semi-circle, as if patiently waiting for some signal to leap forward. Their cries had stopped, and all I could hear was my own panting and my heartbeat thudding in my chest. I spun around, back in the direction of the house, but silently, so silently I hadn’t heard a thing, more of them had crept around the back. They were crouched low too—waiting, watching.

I was completely surrounded.

Trying to focus my energy and adrenaline, I threw a barrier as forcefully as I could in the direction of the creatures that blocked the way to the house. It sent two of them reeling back, screeching again, excited that I was putting up a fight. I took my chance—running as fast as I could in the gap they’d left. They gave chase again. Branches whipped at my face and reeds at my legs, but I could barely feel the slices they were gouging into my skin.

Hardly looking where I was going, just praying that I could keep moving until I reached the lawn, I slammed into something hard and solid. Staggering back, I looked up to see the black eyes of the Druid.





Serena





[Hazel and Tejus’s daughter]




Shoving me aside, he threw a flurry of knives into the air—slim blades making contact with the ground and some of the tree trunks with heavy thuds. A split second after the knives had landed, flames flew up in their place, burning blue and silver as if the metal itself had ignited.

The creatures scurried to the tops of the trees that weren’t burning, screaming down at us—their jaws gnashing at the night’s air, running heavily with saliva. I watched in horror as one of them brushed past one of the flames, its body instantly becoming engulfed in the blue fire. It reared up on its hind legs, toppling backward, looking like a human being burned alive.

I turned my face away, ready to run, my legs shaking so much I didn’t know if I could move them. Without a word, the Druid lifted me roughly up into his arms as if I was no heavier than a feather, and started to run in the direction of the house. I tried to resist, insisting that I could run on my own, but he didn’t seem to be listening to a word I said.

Cradled the way I was, I could see behind the Druid to the beasts that we’d left behind. The fires had started to die down, the creatures once again following us with their cries and howls of anguish at being denied their meal. Unthinkingly, I clutched at the Druid’s arms, my nails pressing into his clothing. I could see them gaining on us rapidly, and I cried out in alarm, wanting to warn him.

Suddenly the Druid leapt over one of the islands, skidding to a halt.

“What are you doing?” I yelled, needing him to keep moving. He didn’t reply, but started to march forward at a slower pace. Three of the creatures leapt toward us, and I tried to wriggle my way free of the Druid’s grasp, but he held on, his grip like stone. Helpless, and wild-eyed with horror, I watched the creatures leap in mid-air—before being knocked back into the swamp water with a heavy splash.

“They can’t cross,” the Druid muttered without breaking his stride. The howls continued as the creatures clawed at the thin air but were unable to cross over.

“Is it a barrier?” I asked breathlessly, my chest heaving as I fought to control my breath.

“Something like that,” he replied.

“Serena!”

A shout went up, and I turned my head to see Jovi and Field moving toward us—Jovi running, and Field with his wings outstretched, flying low across the grass of the lawn. Before they could reach us, the Druid barked at them, “Inside!” without relinquishing his pace or his grip on me.