Chapter 10
A burst of light shot up from the ground as the orb exploded, sending a beam of light into the sky.
The shifters responded with a chorus of howls and panther screams, an eerie music that sent shivers up my spine. All around me bones broke and cries of pain tore out, transforming into roars as everyone took their animal form.
Magic hummed in the air, ripe with the moonlight that exuded down into the clearing.
The ones who had already shifted were in a frenzy and for about two seconds, I felt frozen, because it looked like they were all headed straight for me.
But then I saw the small thing skittering along the ground that had escaped the beam of light.
The shifters weren’t coming for me. They were after the little floppy-eared creature that looked remarkably like a bunny, its dark eyes wheeling around in its head as it ran for its life.
Except, it had a horn.
One of the panthers leaped at it from the side and it veered, changing direction nimbly and going straight for the woods.
“What was that?” I whispered.
“Do you want to catch it or talk?” Logan asked, amused.
“Bite me,” I said, then realized I was talking to a wolf and that was a very real invitation. “You realize this is an unfair challenge, right? I can’t run anywhere near as fast as a shifter—couldn’t even before somebody strapped ginormous weights to my back.”
He held up his hands. “Hey, I’m the teacher. I’m here to instruct and I’m not helping you if I tell you how to do it.” Eying my wings, he said, “But I’ll point this out—those things will get torn to shreds if you don’t keep them tucked in.”
“Helpful.” I stuck my tongue out at him and turned to the woods. Tucking my wings in close as he’d suggested, I took off at a quick jog, hoping to catch up with any stragglers.
There were no stragglers.
I’m so not getting extra credit for this.
Ahead, the wolves howled as they indulged in the chase and the occasional answering scream from one of the panthers sounded back.
I realized they were playing a Marco Polo of sorts, crowding the creature into an ambush.
Smart.
Even if I ran as fast as I could, I’d never catch them and I’d end up wearing myself out, especially with these damn wings.
There was another howl, this one too close for comfort.
A fluffy white rabbit-like thing darted in front of me, cutting me off as I nearly tripped over it.
“Shit!” I exclaimed as it disappeared under a hedge to my right.
A pack of wolves bolted from the trees, circling around from their ambush strategy as panther screams echoed their warning from nearby.
The bunny-thing darted in front of me again, but further down the path this time. Moving quicker now, I peered under the hedge only to be almost mowed down as a panther dropped down out of a tree and leaped forward, intent on the chase.
The bunny darted across the path again. Swearing, I went after it, thrashing through dead leaves, low-branches and clambering over trunks as much as my feathers would allow. My right wing caught on a branch and I gasped, shocked at how much it hurt as it tore free.
“So. Not. Fair,” I grumbled, tucking my wings tighter and forging on. If I could actually use these damn things and fly, maybe I’d have a chance.
But no. I was the damn turkey of fallen angels.
I stumbled on, mentally cursing as I looked for the bunny thing even though I had no hope. The sharp pain in my wing faded, but I could smell the blood and knew it wasn’t healing.
Yet another indicator to give me away to the shifters.
“Well, bunny-thing. If you’re close, maybe the smell of eau de freak blood will help cover your tracks for a while.”
I stopped dead as an idea hit me.
“I’m such an idiot.”
Strategy, Logan had said. That was how I could win this.
If I was running for my life from creatures that could track by scent, how would I survive? Right now, my only chance would be to wash off the blood and make sure the wound was bandaged.
The little bunny?
Hide its scent.
“Water,” I whispered. “I need to find water.” No matter its intelligence, the creature should act on instinct and that would be a logical conclusion no matter what realm it was from.
I wasn’t a shifter, but Logan kept reminding me how closely we were bonded. “Okay, lover-mine. Let’s see if you’re right.”
Closing my eyes, I tipped my head back and breathed in slowly, trying to separate the scents.
My heartbeat raced and I willed it to slow and kept on breathing.
Trees, new life and decay, forming the scents that made up the forest. The earth. The metallic bite of my blood.
Moonlight and darkness.
I pushed harder.
Sweat. Skin.
Water.
My eyes flew open, because that thought wasn’t mine.
Logan…
Not giving myself time to think, I took off and I followed the faint scent. It grew stronger and a grin spread across my lips when I heard the rhythmic gurgle of a creek. Breaking through the trees, I looked around.
I didn’t see anything, but considering I’d made about as much noise as an elephant, had the bunny-thing been close by, I would have terrified it, and any other creature, into hiding or attack.
A large tumble of rocks by the edge of the creek caught my attention and I went there to wait and watch.
Howls, yips, and feline snarls of frustration rose in the air but they were distant. The little bunny-thing had been running them ragged, probably backtracking and circling around to confuse them.
But it would come here. I was certain of it.
The seconds ticked by, then minutes.
Finally, a small white head poked out, the pink nose and silver whiskers wiggling, a spiral horn catching the ambient light from the moon as it looked around.
Hello, you adorable little thing.
I held still as it crept out of the forest and closer to the creek.
The air was still, working in my favor, but that wriggling little nose was lifting, sniffing the air for any sort of threat and stopping every few feet.
I straightened slowly, watching for any sign it noticed me, but so far, so good.
I’d chosen my waiting spot wisely, a faint breeze taking my scent the other way.
Then a new scent hit my nose.
Sulfur.
A flare of red lit up the ground behind the bunny-thing and I froze, dread grabbing my insides and turning them to ice as I saw the bloody circle forming. Instinct pushed me into action and I looked at the little, helpless creature on the ground. “Run little bunny!”
It stared at me, eyes widening.
“Run!” I said again just as a black claw pushed up through the ground.
I rushed forward, no idea what I was going to do, but I couldn’t stand by while a Demonspawn hurt a cute bunny-thing, could I?
I spread my hand and called a fireball just as a head shoved through the bloody portal. A Demonspawn peered up at me, a grotesque smile on its face. “Lilith…” it seethed.
Fuck. How did these things find me?
I flung the fireball at it and it deflected a little too easily for my taste. It pulled itself out of the red portal and stretched into the cool forest night.
When I reached the bunny, the Demonspawn lunged for me and I screeched as it grabbed my ankle.
“Don’t fight,” it hissed. “I’m here to take you to my master.”
I flung a fireball again and this time, it struck the demon in the face. It snarled and tightened the grip on my ankle, trying to drag me toward the hole as I fell to the ground.
Oh no you don’t!
I dug my fingers into the earth, my talons sliding out. Drawing up my free leg, I kicked it in the face, feeling a satisfying crunch under my foot. It shrieked in reply.
“Now I will hurt you,” it snarled. “I only need you alive. Lucifer didn’t say anything about keeping you in one piece.”
The Demonspawn tightened its grip and yanked, managing to work me halfway into the portal. Heat and flame ran up my body, promising that whatever realm of Hell this thing was trying to take me to, it wouldn’t be a pleasant one.
Screaming in rage and terror, I went to fling another fireball.
But the bunny-thing leaped between us, its little feet finding purchase on my shoulder before it pounced and drove its horn straight into the Demonspawn’s eye.
The Demonspawn let me go, shrieking in pain.
I grabbed the bunny, keeping it from getting sliced in half, and scuttled back, an awkward, three-legged crab walk with the little creature cuddled to my chest.
More howls rose in the air, closer this time.
Three wolves broke through the undergrowth and leapt into the clearing just as the portal collapsed.
They halted, stunned as they stared at the spot that sent steam into the air, the scent of sulfur lingering on the breeze.
The bunny-thing cuddled against my chest, shivering.
A high-pierced whistle rang through the air and I flinched, instinctively covering one ear with my free hand.
“Owwww…” I grumbled.
Wait, wasn’t that the silent whistle thing I couldn’t hear before?
The wolves whined and grumbled, several of them shifting into human form as they glowered at me.
“You heard that?” asked one of the wolves. “And how did you capture that little shit?”
“Wouldn’t you like to know?” I retorted. Never mind the fact that the bunny and I had just become fast friends. I glared at him before looking down at the adorable creature still shivering against my chest.
“Well, just look at that,” Logan said, emerging from the forest with a pleased grin on his face.
I had a feeling he wasn’t surprised to see the bunny-thing in my arms.
“Looks like you caught the uni-hare.” He paused and cocked his head. “Or did it catch you?”
Looking back where the portal had been, I sighed.
“Maybe a little bit of both.”
“Huh.” He glanced at the others. “I’ll send everyone their scores through magic-fax. Class dismissed.”
The shifters groaned, obviously not pleased, but they dispersed as commanded.
I went to trail after them but stopped when Logan caught my shoulder.
“Except you.” He breathed in and I shivered at the sensual undertones of his voice. “You are coming with me.”