Chapter 13
“You’re sure it’s safe to drink?” Hendrik eyed the sparkling brook, his coolly handsome features disgruntled.
I was getting vibes that he wasn’t all that into outdoor life. Logan had been ribbing him earlier about his hate-on with nature and Hendrik’s irritated response had only added to my suspicion.
Uni and Logan had both drank from the brook and that was good enough for me so I knelt, cupping my hands.
We still had water in our canteens, but it was running low and hiking through the forest was a hot, sweaty endeavor.
One drink of the water hit my system with a supercharged rush.
Power rippled through me, making me more alive than I’d ever been. I shot up with a jolt.
“Whoa.”
Logan grinned at me. “So, Lily, is it safe to drink?”
Both my wolf and Uni looked amused.
“What kind of water is this?” I asked, bewildered if I’d just found the best thing ever, or fallen for another pixie trap.
“I’ve read about this,” Kaito said after taking a drink himself, making me relax.
His pupils dilated in appreciation, the flames around his hands still flickering despite having plunged them into the cool brook.
“There’s folklore in the human realm about enchanted springs that can slake your thirst after only a few sips.
I’m not surprised to find one in the Enchanted Forest.”
Hendrik and Dante exchanged a look, then joined the rest of us. I took advantage of the break to splash water on my face and arms, washing away the sweat of the day as best as I could. The guys dumped their packs after a few seconds to pull out their canteens.
Logan was used to being in the wild, but Dante was a Hunter and had gone on many treks.
He knew how to stretch resources. He’d packed several canteens, all of them spelled for weight, but they’d only carry so much water.
Now, he emptied them, one at a time, and refilled them with the enchanted water from the brook.
He caught me watching and I grinned at him. The soft smile that curved his lips in return warmed me all the way through.
Several hours later, all smiles were gone.
Logan bled from several gashes, his chest heaving as he resisted shifting again.
“Damn this place,” he spat as he swiped the back of his hand across his face.
The lizard creature with a jagged horn between its eyes let out a final cry before it went still. The thing wasn’t large, but its serrated teeth could do some damage.
I held my wounded arm, having learned that lesson myself.
I would heal, but my healing ability wasn’t instant, especially now that my powers seemed to be on the fritz.
Unlocking my angelic side had put me off-balance, setting me back to ground zero.
I hadn’t been this bad off since I’d been labeled a dud.
Dante swiped his blade across his pants as another two lizard creatures dropped from the canopy.
“I got these,” he announced as he purposefully strode toward them.
Uni squeaked with warning just as a third appeared in the brush, ambushing Dante and gutting him in the side.
“Dante!” I cried, launching myself for him but Orion blocked my path. I hit his hard chest and beat against him. “Move, you big lump of muscle!”
He held me by my shoulders, refusing to move. “You’re weakening, little star. You need to stay out of trouble.” He glanced back at Dante who slashed at the creature, lopping its head off—which was the wrong move because it grew back.
“I hate this place,” I said, reiterating Logan’s sentiment.
All of us seemed to be growing weaker here. I couldn’t explain it, but something about this realm sucked the power from our bones.
I hadn’t noticed the drain at first, but now it made sense why Lucifer wanted us to carve a path through the Enchanted Forest. He’d left his demon-mines as a decoy, something to solidify the illusion that he didn’t want us here.
Oh, he certainly did, and we’d walked right into his trap.
A growl rumbled in my throat, my frustration making my entire body shake from the fact that Calamity seemed to be one step ahead of me no matter what I tried to do.
Now I’d led my Virtues straight into a trap and we’d be lucky if we made it out of this place alive.
The sky darkened as Kaito sliced a line down his palm, providing demonic energy to Hendrik. The Dark Mage whispered a spell, sweeping out a cloud of dark magic that disoriented the creatures.
Dante’s orange eyes glowed in the darkness. The distraction gave him enough time to recover from his injuries, and then he slashed through the creatures, slicing his blade into their throats without decapitating them.
That seemed to work. When Hendrik’s cloud dissipated, five lizards lay dead as Dante’s chest heaved.
“Let’s keep going,” my Hunter growled, violence blazing in his eyes.
I pitied the next creature that ventured into our path.
We stumbled through the emerald forest, following the growing demonic source of power.
Calamity waited for us.
As did Lucifer.
Not a good combination.
“Not much farther,” Logan said, glancing at me over his shoulder.
I nodded, my expression grim.
Logan exchanged a look with Orion, who remained at my side as my demigod guardian.
They were worried about me. No one had to speak about our dire situation. Their expressions said it all.
We were completely fucked.