by Eve Langlais
Run.
This time my legs didn’t fail me, and I bolted. As if it were a signal, the woods came alive, dotted with glowing silver and orange eyes. Everything was silent except for the rustling of frozen tree limbs.
I remained on the shore even as the waves slammed harder and farther as something massive tunneled toward me. I huffed and puffed and wished Jace would show his face for once.
With an axe.
I had nothing.
Nothing but myself, and a never-ending expanse of pristine snow. Which gave me a crazy idea.
Mid stride, I leaped, clearing the ground and landing in an unmarked spot. Crouching, I dragged my finger and rotated, creating my own circle in the snow. As I began to draw the symbols on its edges by memory, I smelled it first.
Putrid. The kind of thing that hinted of moisture and mold.
Don’t look.
I sketched another symbol, frowning as I tried to get it right.
Rustling came from the woods. Branches cracked. I felt more than heard the excited vibration of creatures on the hunt.
For some odd reason, I suddenly heard my grandma’s voice. Always remember, they hate true light.
A fine thing to remember when I didn’t have anything to create any kind of illumination.
A cold exhale full of rot rushed over me. I’d run out of time. I yanked off my glove, hissing at the intense cold that frosted everything. I had nothing sharp, nothing to prick my skin with. My hands dug into the snow by my feet, the tips of them going numb as I sought for—
Aha! I emerged with a jagged stone and, before I could talk myself out of it, dragged it hard across the top of my hand where the skin was thinnest.
I mostly just scraped skin and had to grit my teeth and do it again, even as I heard the thump of steps getting close.
Don’t look. I worried I’d freeze if I saw what came for me.
I flipped my hand, the back of it bloody, and pressed it to my circle.
It stained the snow, but a tremulous grin began to pull my lips as I saw my makeshift pattern starting to glow.
I’d done it. I—
Watched as the magic sputtered and died. The monsters in front of me crowded closer. I should have worried about the one at my rear.
It yanked me by the back of my neck and hauled me off the ground!
21
“Idiot! You can’t draw a circle in snow!” barked a voice.
The statement drew my gaze to the ground. I immediately saw the problem. The very act of putting my hand on the snow crushed it and marred my line.
Of more interest was who’d suddenly appeared.
“Kane? What are you—”
“Duck.” He kicked my ankles out from under me, startling a squeak.
I hit the ground in a puff of snow, ate a little bit of it, blinked it out of my eyes. I rolled and, as I rose to my feet, saw silvery eyes, low and menacing, only feet away. The muzzle of the lone beast drawing back over massive teeth was a particularly frightening touch.
“Good dog?” I said. It kind of looked like Herbie, Darryl’s dog, but bigger, meaner, and eyeballing me as if I might be delicious. More ominous than its presence? The silence.
Not even a rumbling growl. What was it? A wolf? Something else? Perhaps a real Hell Hound.
“Did no one ever teach you to never go into the woods at night?” said Kane at my back.
It reassured to know he stood with me, and I was almost tempted to peek, but that didn’t seem prudent with this beast getting ready to bite me and eat my juicy bits.
“Stick close to me,” Kane ordered.
It seemed like sound advice until I heard a battle at my rear. Did he fight off a wolf? Or something worse? I couldn’t help but wonder what had emerged from the lake.
The wolf thing I faced paced forward, and I took a step back. “Kane?”
The wolf had brought some friends. They spilled out from between the trees, ominously stalking, their silvery eyes glinting.
“Kind of busy,” he grunted.
I cast a quick glance over my shoulder and wished I hadn’t. Whatever he faced, it was definitely not the three-headed monster of my dreams. The thing heaving from the lake was more a blob the size of an elephant with tentacles. Its thick appendages, at least five that I could see, slithered at Kane. He kept them at bay by slicing with a sword.
Hold on just a second. Kane with a sword? Fighting off a monster? Meaning he knew about them.
“What is that?” I yelled.
“Monster,” was his helpful reply as he ducked and then jabbed. Only to go flying as the sword dug into flesh. He held on as the tentacle lifted him.
Then I had no idea what happened to him because instinct had me turning around in time to see a furry body leap for me. The scream that erupted from my lips hit decibels that should have killed it. I barely had time to put my hands out, and it hit me. My palms flat on its furry chest were the only things that kept those jaws from crunching my head.
Bad. So bad. Holy shit bad. I had less than a second to figure it out before this thing ate my face.
A second that felt like an eternity as I struggled to find a way out. The body pressed down on me and the open maw loomed a little closer, the breath cold, colder than I would have expected.
And familiar.
It woke a similar chill inside me, a frigid presence that raced through my body and jolted out of my hands.
Then it happened, the same thing that I’d experienced on the street. My palms began to burn, colder than before. So chilled and yet, at the same time, it burned.
The wolf-thing atop me yelped and twisted away. Crystals of ice fell as it galloped, whimpering. Hurt.
I managed to scramble to my feet, holding out my glowing hands. White with a hint of blue.
Oh boy.
I aimed them in front of me, terrified to bring them close to my body. What if I burned myself? Was it even possible? What was happening? Why were my hands like freaking glow balls when fisted? The very flesh itself glowed.
I might have panicked more, but the wolves, ignoring their injured pack mate, had regrouped and advanced on me. I’d been brave enough. I wanted someone with an actual weapon. Glowing hands in front of me, I turned and ran for Kane.
“My hands are on fire!” I yelled. I’d always told Winnie shouting fire was the best way to get attention. Which was weird in a sense because people would then be looking for smoke, not a little girl getting kidnapped.
“You’re fine. Use the magic!” Kane bellowed, heaving his sword. He missed, mostly because the tentacle stopped mid-strike and hovered in the air.
The tip of one quivered and pivoted in my direction. The blob with arms ignored Kane and humped for me.
Oh. Hell. No.
I froze in place. I held out my hands with no idea what would happen. I turned my head, closed my eyes, and prayed. “Please don’t let me die.”
It was a pretty basic prayer.
“Shoot them!” Kane yelled.
“Shoot what?” I squinted open an eye, saw the tentacle reaching for me, squeaked, and blue balls of light burst out of me. My hands, to be more precise. I was a freaking light cannon.
Kind of cool, I had to admit. With unexpected results.
They smacked into the blob monster, and it uttered some kind of warbling cry before sinking into the lake.
Kane whirled to face me. “We have to get to your house. It has the wards to protect you.”
A plan that coincided with my own, only with one flaw.
“Wolves!” I panted, trying to aim my hands at anything but him. How did I turn them off?
“You mean the infernum canibus.”
“Whatever they are, they’re hungry.” And smart. After all, it wasn’t as if I could be attacked by normal dogs. Oh no. These guys had to be magical. Look at the way they waited out of reach of the lake monster, and now that it was gone, they slunk for us. Slowly.
With premeditation.
They knew they didn’t
have to chase us, because we’d have to confront them if we wanted to find safety. Why chase us when we’d go to them?
Kane ran right for the biggest one. “Follow me.”
As if I’d stay behind alone. He swung his sword as he ran for the beast, which made me wonder, did he always have one with him? How did he hide it?
The wolves scattered, only so they could surround him and dart in to nip. Each time my heart stuttered, but somehow Kane danced out of their path, swinging the blade. Yet he never really connected. The wolves harried him more than anything.
As for me, they remained at bay, probably because I held my arms out to each side, showing off the glowing palms.
“Be afraid, hounds of hell,” I muttered, trying to find courage in the statement.
“They’re herding us somewhere,” Kane said.
“That doesn’t sound good.” Wasn’t that how the farmers culled their stock? “Follow me!” I took the lead.
I don’t know who was more surprised, me or Kane. Especially since I ran with my eyes closed toward the biggest wolf, hands held out. Probably not the smartest thing, but I just couldn’t watch myself possibly running to my death.
I stayed alive.
Never even had to fight. My glowing hands opened a path through the wolves, and soon we were running on the beach. For a while, the wolves kept pace but didn’t attack. That fact and the stitch in my side caused me to slow.
Kane noticed. “We have to keep moving quickly.”
“Says the guy who probably goes to the gym every day,” I grumbled, bent over in half, lungs heaving.
“You won’t be able to hold them off forever,” he said.
The remark made me realize my hands had faded since the big fight. “I know.”
We began running again, and my hands dimmed some more. The wolves strayed closer, weaving back and forth, taunting us with their presence.
The glow in my hands extinguished, and that might have been a bad thing except I saw a tree I knew. More important, it marked the edge of my property. A few acres all told, with five hundred feet of shoreline. I was almost home.
The wolves disappeared.
Not all at once, but by the time we reached the tree, they’d left us. I felt energized the moment I set foot on my property. Maybe there was something to the expression about feeling a connection to the land.
“They won’t follow you here,” Kane stated.
“Why would they pursue us for over a mile then suddenly stop?”
“Because.”
“Because is not an answer,” I tartly stated. “You know what those things are. I heard you back there calling them infernal cannibal something.”
“Infernum canibus. More commonly known as the dogs of hell.”
“And the thing in the lake?”
He shrugged. “That is a new one.”
“You don’t sound surprised. Why?”
“Because.” A non-answer as he sheathed his sword down his back.
Still very cool but it wasn’t enough to curb my annoyance. “What is going on? Who are you? Why do you run around in the woods with a sword, fighting monsters?”
“Swords are quieter than guns.”
I blinked. “That is the dumbest answer ever. I want to understand what’s happening to me.”
“There are things you don’t know.”
“No shit, Sherlock. It would help if people, present company included, would tell me. What’s happening?” I grumbled.
“There are reasons for why you can’t know.”
“According to you. I’m sick of the secrets in this town.” I glared at him, suddenly wondering how he’d found me. Grown men, especially handsome and successful ones, did not roam the woods at night looking to fight monsters.
I could think of only one reason he was here with me. He’d been the one stalking me this entire time, using his cover of being out of town.
“Why were you in the woods?” I asked suddenly.
“To help you, obviously.”
My brows arched. “Help me? Because it makes perfect sense for you to go for a walk in a dark forest in a snowstorm.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. I happened to see you leaving the store and followed to make sure you got home safe.”
“Stalking me.”
He shrugged. “After our call the other night, I was concerned and thought it providence when I saw you leaving the store. I did follow, mostly because I planned to get you to invite me in for a drink. Instead, I came across your car in the ditch and stopped to give you aid.”
“Exactly how did you think the best plan was to quietly follow me rather than shout, ‘Hey. Naomi, want a ride?’”
“There are things listening.”
“Things we could have avoided if we’d immediately gone back to your car.”
“That wasn’t an option.” His lips pressed into a line.
“Stop creeping me.”
“Creeping?” Now he looked angry. “I came to your aid in case you forgot.”
“No, I didn’t forget. Makes me wonder at how convenient that was. Did you plan the whole thing?” The suspicion blossomed.
“Plan it to what purpose?”
“So I’d trust you.”
He laughed. “I’ve told you before, don’t trust me.”
“Exactly what I thought you’d say.” I wagged a finger at him. “Stay away from me.” I held up my hands, no longer glowing, but he stilled rather than take another step forward.
“I’m not the one you need to fear.”
“More things a bad guy would say. Go home.” I shooed him.
“Let me at least walk you to your house.”
“I said—”
“Shhh.” He held a finger to his lips and pivoted to look all around.
I was tempted to tell him that no one puts baby in a corner, because, hello, how dare he tell me if I could talk. However, the menace in the air hit me before I could be dumb.
We were not alone.
The temperature suddenly dropped, so cold it hurt to breathe.
Kane yelled, “Run!”
I didn’t think to question; I ran. Ran as if my life depended on it. And it probably did.
However, my body wasn’t made for hard sprinting, and I stumbled, hitting the snow on my knees, gasping for air. I had to get up. I staggered to my feet and glanced behind me at the empty shore.
No Kane.
No wolves.
Nothing.
Had he hoaxed me so he could get out of answering my questions?
What a jerk.
I walked quickly toward the house and could have sobbed when I saw my dock. Almost there. Close enough to see the lights shining from the windows through the trees.
Warmth and safety. Ooh, slippers. A hot drink, food. Like the cheese in the fridge and the pickles in the jar. Delicious stuff.
As I thought of all the things in the fridge and cupboard that I could shove into my face, I saw a ball of fire form, suspended midair. Or so I thought until a shadow moved. A figure stepped into an open patch in my yard, and I saw they held a flaming Molotov cocktail.
They walked closer to the cottage, and I realized their intent.
To set fire to my house!
22
Only one thought pulsed inside me: stop the arsonist. They couldn’t be allowed to toss that firebomb. My kid and cat were inside. But how? I’d never reach them in time.
As my legs found the energy to sprint one last time, I yelled, “Stop right there! I’m calling the cops.” No need for them to know I’d lost my purse during my mad dash along the lake.
The hooded figure turned in my direction, and there was such a sense of malevolence I almost took a step back. Was it Kane? Had he somehow gotten ahead of me?
Could it be Martin?
Or an unknown person who wouldn’t leave me alone?
In the end, it didn’t really matter who held the flaming bottle. I wouldn’t let them destroy anything else.
I held up my pal
ms. Go, go, bluish fire.
Not even a glimmer appeared. Way to fail me, magic.
The arm with the fireball began its slow roll forward, only to wobble as the ground shook. Nothing violent, not like the night the house nearly fell apart, but enough to scramble the toss, meaning I still had a few seconds to save everyone. If only I had a weapon.
My fingers slid into my coat pocket and despite my not recalling it being there before, my fingers curled around the grip of a pistol. I pulled it out. Aimed with both hands bracing it.
Fired—and didn’t hit myself in the face this time!
The figure yelped, and they dropped the hand holding the bottle. As I stalked toward them, I shot again and again.
The fire dropped out of their hand and sizzled harmlessly in the snow. The arsonist took off and disappeared into the woods.
I emerged in the spot where they’d stood and saw dark red spots in the snow and the bottle of booze with the rag stuffed inside. What do you know. I recognized the brand, having bought it for twenty years. Martin ever was a man of habit.
The back door flung open. “Mom, is that you? Are you okay?” Winnie bolted through the kitchen door, frantic and coatless, wearing only slippers.
“I’m all right. Get back inside. It’s cold.” I tried to tuck my gun-wielding hand out of sight, but I wasn’t quick enough. I don’t think it would have mattered, anyhow.
Winnie’s eyes widened as she caught sight of me. “Was that you shooting?”
I pressed my lips tight. I shouldn’t say anything, but I also couldn’t keep lying. I kicked snow over the bottle. “Thought I saw an intruder.”
“And tried to shoot them? Jeezus, Mom. What happened to you?”
Orcs, wolves, and lake monsters. I stuck with, “My car broke down.”
“And then you what? Got into a fight with a squirrel?” She eyed me up and down.
I could only imagine the mess I looked. “I wish,” I muttered.
“Mom, you are scaring me. What’s going on?” she demanded.
“My car really did break down, and then I had to go through the woods and was kind of attacked by wolves, but I got away.” The nutshell version.
“So you shot some wolves?
“No.” I shook my head, and in that moment, the fact I’d shot someone suddenly overwhelmed me.