Page 115 of Broken Veil
Naida stepped away from the female she’d been talking to. “Something is happening.”
A lone crow landed on a low oak branch overlooking the dry creek bed where the bison were grazing.
Joshua narrowed his eyes on the crow. “Hello there.”
The bird angled his head toward Carys, peering at her from its branch and blinking one round eye.
There was a high-pitched squeal from the underbrush, and a group of large furry pigs darted from the forest, crossed the drycreek bed, and escaped into the dense wood that stretched out behind them.
“Carys?” Lachlan stepped toward her, followed by Duncan. “Carys, walk over here.”
“Good idea.” Joshua put a hand on her shoulder and urged her toward the distant fence where Duncan was waiting. Lachlan had stepped away from his Brightkin, squaring his shoulders against the small herd of bison and drawing his sword.
“Knight of the Shadows,” Joshua warned, “you will not harm these animals.”
Lachlan shot Joshua a look but said nothing.
Cadell and Laura were also on their feet, and Cadell was backing away slowly with Laura shoved behind him. “Something has disturbed them. Naida, step away.”
There was a whispering wind that curled through the trees; then in a rush, a massive flock of crows swept in from the east, cawing and screaming as they swooped down and startled the bull, whirling around him as the animal let out a low, rumbling bellow that seemed to shake the ground.
The bull turned, lowered his head, and began to run directly at Carys.
“Carys,” Naida screamed, “run!”
“The fence!” Joshua shouted. “Run for the fence!”
Carys didn’t question it—she turned and ran.
The rumbling groan of the male bison transformed into the stampeding of heavy feet as the small herd began to chase them down.
“Can’t you stop this?” she shouted at Joshua.
“Not without hurting the animals!”
Carys wanted to shout,What about me?But she was too out of breath.
Joshua was a god. He was going to be fine, but there was no way Carys was going to outrun a herd of bison. The most shecould do was hope to climb up a tree or get over the wooden fence she could see in the distance.
Duncan had climbed up and was holding out his hands, ready to pull her over. “Don’t look, just run!”
She heard Cadell shouting, and the rumbling came closer. The ground shook like an earthquake.
Just then, a low, eerie howl echoed from the forest.
She turned to look only for a second, but she saw a streak of white and black weaving through the trees, heading straight for the herd.
The bull swerved away from the dry creek bed where Carys and Joshua were running, wheeling to the left to face off against the predator.
A massive wolf ran straight toward the bull, snarling as it leaped, fangs bared, on the shoulder of the young male.
The bison shook its body, tossing the wolf away, and the animal flew through the air, striking a tree before he fell to the ground.
“Godrik!” Naida screamed. The fae put her hands to the ground and glared at the bison, and then her determined expression fell when she realized…
The ground here did not speak to her.
The battle was not finished though, because the wolf struggled to right himself, bared his teeth, and ran straight toward the bull again.
