by Moira Byrne
I gagged as the awful stench filled the air. I had to hold my breath as I rubbed the stinky plant all over my clothes. Sophie let out a quiet hiss and pinched her nose.
I smiled. "Hey, at least you're not the one rubbing it all over yourself."
"They should've been honest and just named it rotting meat. That's awful." She shuddered and her lip curled back, as if she could see the smell wafting off my body. "The smell might attract more attention than your fae scent."
"It's going to make for a miserable ride home, too," I said with a small chuckle. "We might have to risk stopping by that motel again for a shower."
Sophie's eyes glinted in the night before she turned her face away. I noticed how she hid her face from me. Was she embarrassed? It was dark, with only the moon and faint light from the compound to cast illumination on the trees around us, so I wasn't sure.
She cleared her throat. "It's nearly time. We should hurry."
I followed closely behind her as we slipped through the sparse brush and large trees near the compound. She came to a sudden stop as we reached the edge of the tree line. The area about twenty feet before the walls was barren. Smart.
They didn't want anyone using the natural growth to climb up and over. I was busy eyeing the trees, trying to figure out whether my plan would work or not, when I realized Sophie was as stiff as board, her eyes locked on the towering walls.
"Sophie?"
She didn't even glance at me. I moved around to her side and saw her jaw was tense.
"They're not close enough, are they? For your plan." Her voice was flat, robotic. She seemed to be preparing herself for the worst.
I smiled and reached out to touch her shoulder. She finally tore her eyes away from the walls to look at my hand, then me.
"It'll still work," I reassured her.
"Really?" There was disbelief in her voice.
"Just tell Alysse to get ready."
Sophie gave me a doubtful look, but she pulled out her phone and shot her sister a text.
"Now what?" she asked after she got a response. "We don't have a lot of time. If it's going to take too long . . ."
I could tell she was ready for a fight—her eyes darted around constantly and nervous energy poured off her in waves. But she didn't need to worry, I knew this was going to work just fine.
"Can you pinpoint where Aly is?" I asked calmly. "Yeah. She'll be waiting by the wall so I can catch her scent."
"Take me to her."
Sophie walked along the edge of the wall, then stopped and nodded at me. I took a deep breath. Despite my performance versus Edward, what I was about to attempt took a lot of magic. I didn't know these trees and their roots.
This could all go horribly wrong. I was running the risk of exhausting myself. I had been using my magic more strenuously than ever lately. I wasn't even sure what my limits were.
I crouched down to touch my fingers to the soil, took a deep breath, then closed my eyes and focused. It was rare that I truly had to concentrate this hard to use my magic, but this was no small task.
I searched the ground for the strongest roots and quietly urged them to move. Slowly, at first, then faster as they began to converge and coil together, boring through the soil like giant drills.
A hole appeared on our side of the wall. The roots curled out and knotted together around the entrance, then spread apart, leaving an empty black hole. An identical opening awaited her sister on the other side. It was dark, but thick roots paved the hole and would help guide her through.
I stopped the flow of my magic and held still for a moment, assessing my strength. I still felt fine. Relief flowed through me. I stood up and stared down at the hole as we quietly waited.
Sophie kept tapping her feet as she struggled to stand still. Her eyes were fixed on the hole. I could tell she wanted to dive in and fish her sister out. Finally, her posture eased ever so slightly and she quickly approached the opening.
A hand popped out and gripped the roots for leverage, then a young woman who looked very much like Sophie appeared. Sophie quickly reached down and helped her to her feet.
They shared a quick hug, then Sophie pulled back with a jerk. I could see the whites of her wide eyes in the moonlight. Panic surged through me, making me tense. Were her old packmates coming after us? Did they know we were here?
"Did . . . did they smell me or something, you think?" I asked.
When she didn't answer, I realized her shocked look wasn't because of a threat. She was looking at her sister.
Finally, Sophie blurted out, "You're pregnant?"
Whoa. That was not what I was expecting tonight.
"Um, surprise?" Alysse said with a grimace.
"I can't believe you haven't told me. How could—"
Alysse wasn't listening. She was growling irritably as she shook the dirt from her wavy brown hair.
"Please tell me this wasn't your first plan?" Alysse's voice was full of outrage. Then the wind shifted, and she looked like she was about to gag. Her eyes snapped to me. "Oh—Oh God, you smell terrible."
I laughed quietly. "Well, I figure a little dirt and stink are worth rescuing you from this place, right?"
Sophie's eyes abruptly darted to the top of the wall, as if she remembered the danger we were in and was afraid someone would leap over the impossibly high structure at any moment. "You can complain about your rescue later. Let's get out of here."
"Yeah, about that . . ." Alysse said as she turned back to the hole. "One sec, sis."
"Wait, what are you doing?" Sophie hissed, but then she took a deep breath and her eyes grew wide. "Aly, what have you done?"
I followed her gaze to the hole and saw a bag push itself out. I frowned in confusion. Alysse was standing by the hole. Did she have telekinesis? Could shifters do that? How was the bag moving on its own?
She reached down and grabbed the bag, pulling it the rest of the way out. A moment later, a pale, fine-boned hand appeared. Alysse bent over and grabbed it, helping whoever it was out. Her body blocked my view, but Sophie rushed forward to help.
They finally stepped back and I saw a young woman who looked to be about Alysse's age. She was petite, much shorter than Sophie and Alysse. She looked like a porcelain doll with fine blond hair.
I drew in a sharp breath when I saw the bruises on her face, clear even in the dim light. I instantly wondered if it was the friend Sophie had told me about. If Alysse was anything like her sister, I was certain it was. She would have felt the need to protect her.
"Aly," Sophie said with warning in her voice.
Alysse's face closed up and she jutted her chin out stubbornly but didn't say anything. She wrapped a protective arm around the other young woman.
"Are we expecting anyone else?" I asked Alysse, half expecting an affirmative answer. I wouldn't be surprised if she tried to free more people from this awful place.
She shook her head. "I couldn't get to any of the others."
"Alright, I'm closing up shop then."
I knelt down and touched the ground. The roots needed to go back to where they belonged. They uncoiled from around the hole and pulled back through.
Dirt collapsed inside the holes, filling them as the roots receded. They shrank beneath the earth, retreating to their homes. I felt them settle in place, content. I gave the soil a gentle pat, then stood up.
Sophie drew in a deep breath and took a few steps back with a low growl. "We need to go. Now."
Alysse sniffed the air and her expression sobered instantly. A shock of fear widened her eyes. Sophie looked at me and pressed a warning finger to her lips.
I nodded. Someone must have realized Alysse and her friend were gone. All my fears about this night were threatening to come true. We were going to have to fight to escape.
Sophie grabbed my hand, wrinkling her nose slightly at the smell as she drew near. She gave me a tug and then bolted into a run, keeping a firm grip on my hand. It was good that she did because it was so dark I could bare
ly see. I had to trust her to lead me through the inky night.
I had always known shifters could move fast but had never actually ran with one. I thought that shifter speed was only in animal form, but tonight I realized they were fast in human form, too. It was all I could do to keep up. I wondered how the petite woman who escaped with Alysse was faring.
We hadn't run far and still had a ways to go, but I was already breathing so hard I seriously thought I was going to throw up. Thankfully, Sophie suddenly slowed to a stop.
"Thank God, I was getting so—"
Her head whipped around and I saw nothing but the unfiltered, wild glow of her cougar's blue eyes. She dropped my hand and started to strip.
"Sophie?" I asked in a hesitant voice.
She didn't answer; instead, she tore at her clothes even faster.
A bony hand circled around mine and I looked to my side to see the frail woman looking up at me in sheer terror.
"They're shifting because the pack is getting close," she said in a hoarse whisper. "Please don't let them take me. I can't go back there."
A jolting tremble worked its way through her hand. I tightened mine around hers, trying to ease her fear. It wasn't easy because I was just as scared.
I had no idea how many to expect, or whether we would make it out of this alive or not. What had started to feel like a fun rescue was weighing down on me, heavier and heavier as the girl's panicked breathing grew quicker and louder.
"Protect her, plant guy, she's human," Alysse said. "Sophie and I have this."
Human? Why . . .? I turned to look at Aly questioningly and saw she was almost completely undressed. I quickly flicked my eyes away. If I hadn't been scared to death, I might've laughed at how I was trying to be polite even when death was on my heels.
My eyes moved to Sophie. She had already transformed into her cougar. The bandage on her upper arm had somehow stayed attached. Her sharp fangs were bared and a low growl rumbled out of her.
"Sophie, let's just go," I said in a hushed voice. I was sure she had healed significantly, but I didn't like the idea of her fighting. Not after what we had just been through with Edward.
Her cougar eyes flicked to mine, then she lowered herself like she was stalking prey. Her tail kicked up dirt as it flicked from side to side. Another warning growl came from her hunched form and I knew for certain we weren't alone anymore.
A branch snapped behind me.
My heart slammed against my chest.
Before I had the chance to do anything, I heard the rush of pawed feet trample the leaves, then saw a golden blur rush past me followed by a loud thump. Two cougars rolled to the side of me, clawing and hissing at each other.
The light of the moon streamed down through the trees, glinting off bared white teeth. One clamped down on the other's neck and received a claw strike from the opponent in response.
The young woman who gripped my hand let out a broken sob. "Oh God, I think that's Aly!"
Sophie sprang into the middle of the fight. She pounced on the cougar biting the other's ear. They tumbled off to the side. The injured cougar sprang to its feet with the wet glint of blood dripping down its face. It was then that I saw four more pairs of blue eyes glowing from the trees, bouncing in the darkness as they ran toward us.
Suddenly my fear faded away, replaced by an icy calm. There was no way Sophie and Alysse could take on five cougars. I had to help.
"Hey," I said as I looked down at the young woman beside me. "Whatever happens, I need you to trust me, okay? I'll keep you safe."
She was still watching the fight as Sophie and her sister squared off with the massive cougar, but she lifted her tear-stained face long enough to look me in the eyes.
"Promise?" The fear in her voice could have shattered the strongest person.
"I promise," I replied, hoping I hadn't just lied to her. I knew for certain that I wouldn't be able to have my eyes on her at all times, but I had a plan. "Sit down for me."
For some reason, my heart broke even more when she immediately sat down and hugged her knees to her chest. What had they done to this poor woman? I pushed that thought aside and crouched down, feeling what was in the earth below.
I summoned the nearest, strongest roots I could find and urged them upward. They curled up and circled around the woman. Her fearful eyes grew wider as she watched them form around her, but I gave her the most reassuring smile I could find. She swallowed deeply, then nodded.
Pained shrieks behind me threatened my concentration, but I continued with my task. Please let Sophie be okay. I brought the roots up and over the young woman, layer upon layer, creating a cocoon dense enough that even a cat would struggle to get through. I left enough space for air to get in, but that was it.
"You'll be safe in here," I whispered.
I hoped she would be, at least. I had fought Edward, but there were at least four more of them coming and I didn't know if the three of us could handle all five.
I didn't have time to think about it though, because the moment I stood, the other cougars leapt into the fray, snarling, hissing, and growling. They were huge. I had never seen cats with such massive claws and teeth before.
Somehow, I managed to keep track of Sophie in all the chaos. Low growls and snarls continuously poured out of her. Right now she was rolling around, fighting a cougar who looked a lot larger than her.
I was actually glad I didn't have her night vision. I didn't want to see the bloody gouges I was sure they were inflicting on each other. Seeing her in that fight with Edward had been more than enough for me.
Even with the danger surrounding us, a part of me wanted to watch her move. I'd only seen her in cougar form a few times and she was enthralling to watch. But right now, we were in a battle for our lives and I had to keep watch on the other threats. My eyes flicked back and forth between the fights. I moved to keep a better eye on everyone in the dim moonlight.
A cougar's cry of pain suddenly pierced the fierce growls and snarls. The harsh sound had me whipping my head back over to Sophie's fight, dread in my stomach and bile crawling up my throat. For a second, I was lightheaded with relief as I saw Sophie crouch near the other cougar.
Even without the bright patch of a bandage on her front leg, I suddenly realized I would have known it was her. I couldn't explain how, but I knew.
Just like when she showed up at the orchard. I wanted to rush over there and make sure she was okay, but I didn't need to examine her to know she wasn't the one who made that horrid noise.
I shifted my attention to her opponent. The cat was crouching and snarling, ears back against its head. But something looked wrong. I squinted, trying to get a better look.
What was wrong with its front leg? As I watched, it moved to take a step forward. The moment it put its weight on that leg, it folded in the middle and the cat collapsed with a yowl. Had Sophie managed to break its leg?
A snarl to my left brought me back to the threat at hand. Alysse was facing off with three cats. Sophie had broken the leg of the fourth. I couldn't find the fifth. I quickly turned my eyes back to the young woman's cocoon and was relieved to see it unharmed.
The cougars didn't seem to care about me—they were more concerned with fighting Sophie and Alysse. That was their mistake. It was my turn to even the odds.
I crouched down low and let my eyes fall mostly shut. I searched in a quickly expanding circle, finding every root I could. I called to them. I made them grow.
The magic poured from me in rivulets, saturating the earth. I made the roots thicker and stronger, then I made them move. Come to me.
The cougars let out panicked shrieks as the ground started to rumble.
"Sophie, Alysse. Move!"
The two of them darted in opposite directions to disappear into the trees as the earth ripped open and heavy roots shot through the dirt, high into the air, before crashing down and coiling around the attacking cougars. One by one, they were rapidly lashed down as they yowled and clawed.
"Let's get out of here," I said as I moved to free the young woman from her protective cocoon.
A sudden, searing pain in my lower chest brought me to a standstill. My breath caught in my throat, silencing my shocked cry. A snarl called my attention to the cougar crouched in my path, guarding the cocoon. Its tail whipped at the roots.
I must have missed one that ran into the forest. Before I could react, Alysse slammed into the cougar in front of me, grappling with it as she sank her teeth into its neck.
I let out a trembling breath and touched my fingers to my ribs. They came back feeling sticky. Even in the darkness, I knew it was blood. My blood. But I couldn't focus on that now. The sounds of growling cats furiously clawing at their makeshift cages filled the night air.
I pressed my arm against my wound, hoping to slow the bleeding, as I knelt down to touch the ground. I unwrapped the roots from the young woman's cocoon and quickly urged them back in place, then stood up and rushed forward to her. She was trembling so badly she could hardly get to her feet.
As soon as she was standing, I touched the ground once more and snaked the roots under the soil to bring them up to coil around the legs of the cougar Alysse and Sophie were fighting. The two of them smartly jumped away.
"We need to get out of here. I don't know how long the roots will hold." I turned to the young woman. "Help me grab their clothes. Then we need to run."
Her lower lip trembled visibly, but she nodded and gathered up whatever clothes she could, her eyes constantly darting toward the snarling cougars as they struggled against their bonds. I grabbed her hand and we started to run. My shirt felt cold under my arm where I was pressing it on my chest, and I knew that couldn't be good.
Alysse ran in front of us while Sophie ran behind. She was probably covering our flank, just in case. My heart was in my throat as we raced through the forest, and I didn't dare look back.
The pain in my ribs was growing and I was exhausted and weak. I didn't think I would fare even half as well in another fight, especially now that they knew what I could do. I was sure I would be the first target.