Chapter 4
“Do you even know where you’re going?” Percy growled from behind. He’d lagged behind so I was in the lead once more.
I shrugged, not bothering to turn around. “I’ve been there before. But usually I come from my house, not from town, so I have a general idea of where we’re going, yes.”
Percy chuffed in displeasure but didn’t question me further.
The rush of water rumbled in my ears, telling me we were close to the Milky Way River. At least, I was on the right track. Flying would have been a better choice to get to the outlands and back, but with my own personal shifter along for the ride, that was a no go.
By all accounts, I should let Percy lead the way. However, a part of me didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of knowing I was winging it.
“We should go down the river where the water is shallower. It will be easier to cross,” he pointed out.
I arched a brow at him and smirked. “What? Afraid of getting wet?”
“No,” he grunted. “It’s just faster.”
“Why? Do you have to get home to your big pile of…?” I trailed off and frowned. “What do you shifters sleep on? Bones? A nest? Or do you just like to flop down on whatever piece of earth is available?”
“Wouldn’t you like to know?” he rumbled, almost amused by my ramblings.
“Speaking of which, where do you live?” I wrapped a hand around a nearby tree and glanced over my shoulder at Percy. “Come to think of it, I don’t think I’ve ever seen your place. I bet you dug yourself a little hole where you can cuddle up with all your many friends… Oh, wait. You don’t have any.”
When he didn’t answer, I cocked my head to the side. “Come on, don’t be shy, where do you live?”
A low growl was the only warning I had before his large hand slammed down on the tree above my head. Bark rained down on me where his claws dug into it. “Why would I tell you, bitch?”
“Geez.” I rolled my eyes. “So creative with your insults, really.” I stepped out from beneath his arm. “That one almost hurt my feelings.”
“Like you have feelings.” He chuffed a laugh before stalking after me. “Your heart’s as cold as your cunt.”
I started to walk backward so I could glare at him and laced my fingers behind my back. The need to punch him grew inside me. “Like you’re Mister Big Emotions. The only time I’ve ever seen you show an inkling of anything was when you were chasing after Tara like a little puppy. Seriously, can you be any more pathetic? She’s getting married. You’ve got to move on already. She’s never going to want you.”
Percy’s red eyes narrowed on me. “I know that.”
“Doesn’t look like you do.” My feet sank into the dark brown sand that lined the river. “I almost feel bad for you. Kicked out of your pack, drooling after someone who doesn’t want you, and now stuck in your ugly, hairy, grotesque—”
“Enough!” Percy dropped to all fours and charged at me, his sharp teeth bared in a snarl.
Dodging to the side, I landed in the dirt with a hard thud. A loud splash followed by a yelp had me rolling over. When I pushed up on my hands and knees, I laughed at what I saw.
Percy’s arms and legs flailed around in the water, his head ducking in and out of the water.
Standing, I walked over the edge of the water and peered down at him. “Alright, as much fun as watching you flopping around like a fish out of water, I think it’s time to go.”
Percy sank under the water, and my heart stuttered.
“Come on, Percy. That’s enough, this isn’t funny anymore. Get the fuck out of the water.”
When that beastly muzzle didn’t resurface, real panic set in. “Fuck.”
I stepped onto the water, ice creeping out of me to solidify the water beneath me. I searched for Percy under the water, and that’s when I noticed that the current seemed stronger than usual.
I caught a glimpse of a claw just above the surface and took off running toward it, the water freezing with each slap of my feet against it.
Reaching into my pool of magic, I pulled it up and out through my hands into the water ahead. My magic sank into the river, freezing it as it went until I’d built up a wall. That pushed the water off and to the sides.
The moment Percy’s large form slammed into the ice wall, it cracked. I pushed myself faster, keeping the line of magic pouring into the wall until I stopped next to it.
My eyes flickered back and forth over the water where Percy’s form pushed against the wall, the water beating against him. I pulled my lower lip between my teeth.
Shit. I did not want to get wet, but I didn’t see any other way I was going to get Percy out of there. I couldn’t push my ice beneath to lift him up unless I was touching the water beneath him.
Grumbling to myself, I jerked my boots off and tossed them toward the shore. “I swear to all the fucking gods, if you are fucking playing with me, I’m going to kill you.”
Stepping off the edge of the ice platform, I dropped into the water. Here at the heart of the river, the water went over my head, likely several feet deeper based on the fact that Percy couldn’t touch the ground.
I kicked my legs to swim faster until I could get my arms around him. Then I shoved my power down into the water beneath us. Ice built up under my feet, lifting us up and out of the water.
I gasped as my head broke the surface, still holding on to Percy with all my strength. It wasn’t enough. He was definitely a lot heavier than I thought he was before.
“Why couldn’t you have shifted back before you got wet?” I grunted, trying to keep him from sinking back into the water.
Percy shuddered in my arms and his fur receded. Then a very wet and naked Percy lay in my arms. I’d have been happy that he’d made my job easier but him reverting to human form when he was supposed to be stuck made something in my chest constrict.
We were out of the water, but I needed to get us to the shore. The water was spilling over the edges and filling into the woods. If I kept it dammed up much longer, it would sweep all manner of creatures into its depths.
Wrapping my arms around Percy’s shoulders, I dragged all the ice to me until it surrounded him like a cocoon. The ice made him float like, well, an iceberg. Using every ounce of my power, I dragged the ice cocoon toward the edge of the river.
My body was shaking with excursion by the time I collapsed on the shore. I released the magic on the water, panting as I drew in each painful breath. When I rolled my head over, I blinked at Percy’s prone form.
He laid there motionless. His chest wasn’t moving.
A feeling I’d never felt before gripped my chest. I crawled over to him and pressed my ear to smooth expansion of his chest. No heartbeat.
“Shit. What do I do?” I waved my hands over him. I stared at his pouty lips usually curled in a snarl when looking at me and almost sighed. He looked so peaceful and almost dare I say it attractive when he wasn’t spitting insults at me.
Realizing I was wasting time Percy didn’t have, I put my hands on his chest and pushed down to the rhythm of a heartbeat. Then I pinched his nose and grabbed his chin to open his mouth. Trying not to think much about it, I pressed my mouth against his, breathing into him until his chest lifted with my breath. I resumed pushing on his chest, each push of my hands harder than the next the longer he didn’t wake up.
“Come on, you fucking pain-in-the-ass, whiny pushy big fucking baby!” I shoved on his chest and then breathed into his mouth. Still he didn’t move. “Gods, fucking damn it.” I slammed my fist on his chest with a frustrated growl, tears burning my eyes.
Percy let out a choking gurgle and then he was coughing up water. He growled and rolled over on his side, breathing in deeply. His body shuddered once more and he was all fur and claws again.
Relief spread through me and then the anger set in. I shoved him hard as his eyes fluttered open. “What the fuck? Why didn’t you say you couldn’t swim, you asshole? Did you want to give me a heart attack?”
Percy growled as he focused on me, curiosity filling his eyes. “Careful. You sound like you almost care.”
Repressing the urge to scream at him some more, I shoved to my feet. “Well, I don’t. I just don’t want anyone to blame me for your untimely demise after I saved you once already. If we’re keeping count, that’s two to your zero, by the way.”
“Don’t remind me,” Percy groaned and rolled up to all fours. He shook his whole body, throwing water everywhere.
I put my hands up to cover my face and glowered, choosing to focus on my anger than the feeling I didn’t want to identify. I crossed my arms under my chest and tapped my foot, waiting for him to gather himself.
“Are you done? Cause we’re wasting daylight.”
Percy’s nostrils flared, and his red eyes narrowed. “Excuse me for almost dying.”
“And who’s fault is that?” As I pointed that out, I froze. His eyes were locked on my chest.
I glanced down. My nipples were poking out against the wet fabric of my shirt. Spinning around, I dragged my shirt over my head, wringing it out the best I could. I tried to ignore the eyes burning into my back and the weird feeling sinking low inside of me.
“Look, I think we should call a truce. Like it or not, we need each other. So all this bickering is just going to get one of us killed.” I shot a look over my shoulder at him.
Percy’s eyes darted away to glare down at the ground. “Fine. But no more poking at my faults.”
I opened my mouth, but Percy didn’t give me the chance to object.
“I mean it. No more talking shit about my home. My beast form. My past obsession with Tara. Can you do that?”
Furrowing my brows, I dragged my shirt back over my head and spun around to grab my boots. Using a nearby rock covered in gummy dots to sit on, I jerked one on and then the other before responding. “Fine. Then that means you can’t call me names.”
Percy started, but I cut him off. “No more ice bitch. No ice cunt. No comments that I don’t have a heart cause it’s frozen. Got it?” I held his gaze until he nodded. “Good. Then let’s get going.” I pushed off the rock and stalked toward the woods.
“At least, we’re on the right side of the river now.”