51. I’m a Natural…a Fluke
I’m a Natural… or a Fluke
Rez
Knox leads, and we follow as fast as we can down paths weaving between the trees. I spot a clearing and nearly cry out in relief until he skids to a halt, and I almost slam into his back.
“What’s wrong?” I ask, trying to peer around his back
‘Let me see,’ Zareen says, before my eyes adjust to seeing in the dark. The sight is something I wish I couldn’t see. I’d rather be ignorant; I’ve heard it can be bliss.
“Maybe they are friends,” Lynx suggests.
Knox pulls me around and scoffs, leading us back the way we came. “Did you see who was in front, leading that mob?”
“No, was it Ed McMahon? I heard he used to give out money, and I could really use some to take a vacation from this Hell,” Lynx quips.
‘Queen Harpy and her minions,” Knox growls as we slow down and skirt through the trees a different way, so if we continue, we should show up on the opposite side of the Blood Match ring. Which I’m okay with because I don’t feel like fighting the new group.
“So, what? I don’t understand why we’re running from Emer. Aren’t most of her minions gone? We can take her,” Moni asks, taking a sip of coffee. I swear, I love her. She has her priorities straight, and apparently, her stamina is just fine.
“I don’t mean her school minions,” Knox says.
“They were soldiers, Moni. From what I could see, at least twenty in the trees,” I tell her, remembering her eyesight isn’t as good as a shifter’s.
“Do you think they were for us?” she asks, turning white.
“I’d rather not take chances,” Knox admits as we pass the Blood Matches ring.
The crowd is still going wild, but instead of everyone attacking only Captain Brooks, some have turned on their own. Rebel tattoos flash in the moonlight as they attack those with matching ink.
What caused this?
Humor floods my link, and I glance at Knox with pinched brows as he quickly shakes his head.
‘Just a new Horseman trick, I’ll have to tell you about later,’ he retorts.
Well, whatever he did, if this is his work, it’s for the best since it’s one less problem we have.
Now, back to Brooks and his demise. I want to make sure he’s dead and not an issue for us ever again.
He’s already propped up on a large crate as a few shifters have changed to their animals, physically tearing him apart as screams are ripped from him.
A body part comes flying towards us and lands about ten feet in front of us.
“Oh, honey bees! Is that an arm?” Moni shrieks, her eyes bulging out of her sockets.
“I do believe that’s one of Captain Brooks' human arms, yes,” Knots informs us in a bored tone, as if he’s seen this all before. Oh, wait, he used to work for the Horseman in another life. I bet compared to that, this is boring.
I slow down and focus on Brooks’ human form, just as a giant anteater slashes across his neck, almost severing it completely, and I get to watch the light leave his eyes.
Unfortunately, I feel nothing. Or is that fortunate?
“There they are. Get them!” someone yells, and it spurs us into running once again.
Shit.
“Knox? Is there another portal out of here?” I ask, straight up panicking.
“Cut them off,” Emer yells, and I look over my shoulder to realize we’re about to be surrounded by shifted animals on both sides.
“No. Just the long way to Nova,” he answers, and my hope sinks as my mind spirals for a moment.
No.
I refuse to be captured by that bitch. I won’t miss our deadline.
I’m tired of being stuck here. I’m tired of this being my only option.
I just want normal. Whatever my normal is now, as long as I don’t have to fight for my life every fucking second.
I just want time with my family. A break.
I want time where we can relax and not have to save the fucking world in the next breath.
I want a simple path. We need a place to escape to, a way out of here, and not into a new fire. We need a—
A portal pops open about ten feet in front of us. Did I just summon a portal? Shit, I just—sweet!
“Go! It’s safe,” I yell, feeling relief come over me as I watch Moni and Chester hop in first. Knots and Lynx jump through next. Zeke and JP, along with Ryker holding Reaper, follow.
“Whose portal is this?” Levi asks, stopping in front of it.
“Oh my god. Mine. Just get in,” I yell, pushing him through before doing the same with Knox. I turn to flip off everyone behind me before stepping in backward and feeling myself fall.
A soft patch of grass thankfully cushions my fall, and I take a quick second to catch my breath. I really do need to work on my cardio. As I stare at the sky, I notice a huge problem.
‘Rezzi-Bear?’ Lynx hesitantly calls down our link. ‘Are we alive or dead? Because I think we might have a problem,’ he warns, as I take in the familiar noise of the crickets and katydids.
‘I’m pretty sure it’s a real problem,’ I agree, sitting up on my elbows and staring at the small and big dipper constellation in the night sky.
“OMG, What are these? Are they tattoos? I have vine tattoos? Holy butterbees, are these real boobs? I have knockers bigger than Rez! This is awesome. Wait, why are they so heavy? Oh, wait, I can’t lean that way, or else I’ll fall.
How does one balance without a tail? Wait, where are my wings?
You mean I can’t fly? How do I get up a tree?
And why the hell am I so short? You guys are so tall!
AHHHHHH! Emergency! Where’s MY S.I.N. BOX AND MY COFFEE!
CODE RED! CODE MONI! Code—WHAT CODE IS NO COFFEE?
?” Moni screams right before she crashes out.
“Well, at least she still passes out,” JP notices.
Sure enough, I turn around and see Moni in Chester’s arms. She doesn't look like her normal self anymore. She’s about five feet nothing, light sepia skin, and long brunette hair.
Green vine tattoos run up and down her appendages and across her collar bones, and she has four cute green ribbons in her hair.
She wasn’t kidding about her breasts; she’s top-heavy and might need some help carrying those, but the look Chester is giving her, he doesn’t look like he will be complaining.
“Kitten, what did you do?” Knox’s worry jolts me from my observation to find his wide eyes staring at me.
“What do you mean?” I give him a puzzled look as I feel his confusion and fear through our link.
“I mean. I can feel the closest portal to use to reach Purgatory,” he confesses.
He walks over to me and helps me stand up before lightly squeezing my shoulders.
“Did you already give us our blessing without officially finishing the Gauntlet? Or are we sharing your powers?” His green eyes search mine as if I have the answers.
Fuck, I’m supposed to have the answers.
“I shouldn’t be able to feel the doors until I finish the Gauntlet and get a blessing from the Fates, which you would have to give me,” he explains as I feel my jaw plummet to the ground and his words hit home.
Did I automatically grant us the blessing to travel to Earth through the portals and doors?
The only things keeping me from having a full-blown panic attack are Knox’s shocked tone as he delivers his questions, and the calming vibes coming down our link. Although he’s trying his best, I feel a slight panic rush through me.
How the fuck did I do this? I’m like a toddler with a loaded pistol. I don’t know what I’m doing, and I shouldn’t be left unattended.
I need a more adulter adult.
“I—uh. I-I… I don’t know!” I throw my hands up, knocking his hands off my shoulders. “It’s not like I’ve got a fucking manual to this magic or a fairy godmother who’s hanging out on my shoulder.”
The sting of unshed tears wells up behind my eyes, and Knox pulls me into his chest, crushing me in a bear hug, while flooding our link with love.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset or blame you. I’m more worried for you. I’m scared that you’re going to hurt yourself because there’s no one here to help you learn,” he admits.
“I don’t know what I’m doing,” I confess, “but apparently Seren and Anwen thought with all of you, I would be okay.” I pull back and give him a watery smile.
“Well, we are pretty awesome.” Zeke comes up and puts his arm around us.
“Hey, you stole my line,” Ryker says, smirking.
“Guys, we should move, there’s alligators coming on shore,” Lynx throws out, and I start leading the group away from the water’s edge.
“So, since you seem to know where you’re going, Rez, mind telling us where we’re at?” Levi asks.
“In a moment,” I tell him as we walk around a cypress tree. Moving some Spanish moss out of the way, I smile. There, across the mismatched wooden planks, is a white peeling shack with a tin roof that belongs to Priestess Tanda.
“Home.” I smile in relief, even though the old shop looks abandoned. I’m home.
“Where’s home again?” Moni yawns.
“Earth. We’re back in New Orleans,” Lynx tells her before switching into his cat form.
“Well, does Earth have coffee? Because I need some before I Hulk out,” Moni asks, her tattoos flashing black.
“Well, that’s different,” Chester observes.
“And probably not a great sign,” JP mentions.
So now, instead of her bark, it’s her tattoos that are her mood ring? That’s kinda cool, but isn’t black a bad thing? And where in the hell do you find coffee in the fucking Louisiana bayou?