Page 40 of A Hunt So Wicked
"We need to find shelter—a cave would be ideal!" Kael shouted over his shoulder to everyone. "If we can't find a cave, then at least a spot that has great visibility in all directions. The last thing we need is to give the animals a place they can sneak up on us!"
"I thought I saw some caves near the coastline when we were coming into port!" someone shouted.
"Then we need to head east," Girane barked, pointing to the location of the sun, which indicated we were due west at the moment. "This way, ladies."
We veered as a group, and a second howl echoed. It was further away than the first one had been but still much too close. "I think they found the spot we were in," I announced, forcing my legs to move faster. I bloody hated running, and it wasn't like I ever ran around like this in my daily life. My lungs were already on fire, and my legs matched. I was probably going to die due to a lack of oxygen and being out of shape.
"I can't breathe," the girl beside me panted.
"We can't stop," I urged, grabbing her by the arm and dragging her with me. "If we stop, we're dead."
"I'm dead if I can't breathe!"
"What’s your name?” I asked as we flew over the dead leaves and twigs beneath us.
“B-Becca.”
I had to get her to keep running. “Trust me, Becca," I gasped for air, "I'm right there with you... but I'd rather die… because I’m a shit runner and out of shape… than be ripped to shreds."
Becca glanced at me with tears in her brown eyes. "Don't leave me."
"Never," I vowed, tightening my hold on her arm. We were evenly matched at running speed, so it wasn't an inconvenience for me to help encourage her. Maybe it would trick my own body into continuing, knowing that I had this girl depending on me.
We kept running for at least twenty minutes; it felt like twenty years. When I got out of this, I vowed I'd never run again. Or even walk briskly. This was enough for a lifetime. Finally, the trees began thinning. Almost there.
We emerged from the forest into a meadow of tall grass and wildflowers like a herd of sheep being led out to pasture.Fatten them up before the slaughter.
Surprisingly, we seemed to move quicker now. As though we knew we were close to our goal and we'd gotten a burst of hope. Without warning, I crashed hard into the group of girls in front of me. "Oof," I groaned, hitting the ground along with Becca. "What the—"
Having landed on my back gave me a direct view above. Of the blue sky... and the...What are those?I strained my eyes, focusing on the shapes above.
"Are those birds?"
"That has to be the biggest bird I've ever seen."
My heart raced as one of the massive creatures descended from a height that I knew no bird would ever fly—and if they would, they'd be nothing more than a speck at that distance.
A quick scan had me counting two.
I pushed myself up and pulled Becca to her feet. Everyone's eyes were on the sky now, which I guessed was why we'd stopped so abruptly. We needed to get moving again, fast. My brain was screaming at me that I knew what those creatures were. Regardless of what logic was saying, I knew.
"Run!" I shouted, making some of the people jump from the sudden noise. "Run, NOW!"
We took off. There were maybe a hundred yards between us and the rocky boulders that lined the coast. If we could disappear within them, we'd be safe... at least from those things. I don't know why, but I glanced back and saw two of the women still standing there, watching the sky.
"Come on!" I screamed. "What are you doing!?"
"We just want to see what those things are!" Annabelle shouted back. Glancing up, my heart nearly choked me when I saw how much closer they'd gotten—and how fast they were moving.
"THEY'RE FUCKING DRAGONS!" I shrieked at the top of my lungs. "FUCKING RUN!"
Others were yelling at them to run, but it was too late. I saw the moment they realized they needed to move. The way their legs sprang into action and how their eyes told the tale that this was going to be the last thing they ever saw. My mouth opened as a giant red dragon swooped down, its wingspan easily the length of the ship we'd arrived on. Smoke bellowed out of its nostrils as the girls ran from it, not getting far before the shadow of the dragon swallowed them up. A brutal grip on my arm snapped me out of my terror. It was Becca this time, encouraging me to action.
I tore my eyes from the sight just as the dragon opened its mouth with a roar, spewing out flames that engulfed the two girls and scorched the earth surrounding them.
"Oh my Goddess! Oh, my sweet Goddess!" Belinda cried, her voice more shrill than I'd ever heard. It didn’t even bother me.
"Get into the boulders!" Kael barked, letting the women slide past him into the narrow pathways. The boulders were all giant—even the smallest ones stood at least ten feet tall. They were all pressed together, making a maze of pathways between them. If we were lucky, we'd be able to find a cluster of boulders, where they'd ended up stacked upon each other, leaving an open spot beneath them.
