Page 55 of Prince of the Northwest Forest
“Uh-huh,” I say, while Hazel lets out a low growl. “And their claws are deadly.”
The firecat starts pacing on the boulder, looking down on us. We’re definitely its prey.
My heart is pounding, and my instinct is to flee, but that won’t help. It can outrun us. Even at this distance, it can breathe flames at us like a dragon.
With shaking hands, I raise my sword. “Begone, firecat. This is not your realm.”
The feline arches its back, its tail puffy, and then roars, spitting fire at us.
“Get back!” I yell, as Justice and I splash through the water, headed back to the bank we came from.
The cat springs down from the boulder and lands in front of us on the opposite bank, its eyes red.
“That’s the fucking scariest thing I’ve ever seen,” Justice whispers. “I don’t have a weapon. What do I do?”
While the cat is focused on me and Justice, Martin has been going around behind it.
I want to yell at him not to be foolish, but that would give him away—and he wouldn’t understand me, anyhow. Then I see Hazel approaching from the other side. They’re aiming to distract the firecat from us, but I’m not going to let them get hurt. Even if they are my security.
As Martin charges the firecat, I race across the river. Hazel leaps on the cat’s back, biting its neck. A few rocks sail toward the firecat, and I realize Justice is throwing them.
The next moments pass in a blur, with Martin trying to dance out of the firecat’s way while Hazel goes for its jugular. I do my best to parry the swipes of the cat’s claws and dodge the fireballs it spits. Justice continues throwing rocks, and I see him brandishing a tree branch in defense.
We have to jump out of the way several times as the cat attacks, and it manages to slash my bicep.
Then there’s a loud howl in the distance, and the firecat whips its head around.
I could attack while it’s distracted, but demonic or not, it’s a forest creature, and I don’t have the stomach to kill it.
With a few leaps, it is back up on the boulder, battered and bloody, but no longer focused on us. It bounds away after whatever it was that howled for it.
I clutch my chest, gasping for air.
“Holy shit,” Justice says, his chest heaving, too. “Did that really happen?”
“Yeah,” I say. “I’ve never had to battle a firecat before.”
I sit down hard on the ground, dizzy, while Hazel and Martin start to chase after the cat.
“Leave it,” I order. They don’t understand my words, but Justice might be on to something about them getting the idea from my tone of voice. For whatever reason, they slow and rejoin us.
“Do you think it’s going to come back?” Justice asks.
“I have no idea, but I don’t think it’s safe to stay here.” With adrenaline coursing through my veins, I look at him. “Let’s get going.”
For the next hour or so, we race along the riverbank, crossing and recrossing where the river is shallow so our scent isn’t only on one side.
We’re soaked and cold. My feet are tired, and I want to give up. Why am I looking for Princess Eleanor, anyway? I don’t want to marry her. Maybe one of our forest witches can cure my curse.
No. Those are quitting thoughts. I can’t quit. I must carry on.
I glance over at Justice. He’s been by my side this whole time.
“We need to wash that wound,” he says. “I think we’re far enough away from the cat.”
My shirtsleeve is covered in blood, and my arm is burning. “Okay,” I say. I don’t want to admit it, but I could sit for a while, too.
We take up a spot on the riverbank. I shiver as I remove my shirt, and Justice uses bottled water to clean my cut, then pours some antiseptic from a tiny first aid kit he brought with him onto it. I don’t think I imagine his look of appreciation when he sees my chest. When he’s finished applying a bandage, I put my dirty shirt back on, because we’re so wet it doesn’t matter.
