Page 32 of Rebel Fae
A hand at my elbow attempted to divide my attention. When I looked back, Ronnie had my arm.
“Not now,” I hissed in frustration, still searching for which way I should run.
“Tally, the cave. It opened.”
I glanced back. The enormous stone had rolled away, a black hole now visible. Who knew what awaited us down there? We could only hope it was better than whatever was stalking us out here.
“Bael, take Ronnie and Becca into the cave. Guard the entrance. I’ll find Vaughn and Regina and get back to you as soon as I can.”
Bael nodded and jumped into action. I was grateful for his quiet, steadfast dependability.
I’d just turned to leave, when a cry like a wounded animal’s sounded to our right.
Vaughn! He was hurt.
My heart in my throat, I ran toward the sound.
Without Ronnie’s light, darkness soon swallowed me. Limbs lashed at my face and slowed my progress. Even with my experience in wooded areas, I struggled to keep my bearings.
A bark followed by a crashing sound helped me find my direction again. I ran as fast as I could since flying was useless with the dense branches, the whole time hoping against hope that Vaughn would be okay.
I stumbled headlong into a clearing bathed by moonlight and blinked at the scene that took shape in front of me.
In the center was some sort of creature, though it was hard to determine its shape or species since a cloud of swirling, hair-like tendrils lashed around it like a wild tornado. A few feet from that, a group of tendrils held Regina’s arms as she hissed and snarled, while another was attempting to pin Vaughn. He was snapping and biting, still very much alive, but holding one paw up as if injured. And, when he whirled to avoid another tendril strike, a dark wet spot glistened on his back.
It looked like the blood had indeed been his.
Desperate to help, my eyes darted around for some sort of weapon while Vaughn and Regina distracted the strange creature. A knife might work, but I didn’t have one of those. I did have my pack strapped around my waist. Quickly, I searched through the compartments coming up with camping utensils, Band-Aids, rubbing alcohol to clean wounds. Then my fingers slid over a smooth metal item.
I pulled it out. Humans’ portable fire. A lighter.
Fire. Fire might work.
Thinking fast, I grabbed a downed branch. Next, I tore at my shirt sleeve until it ripped at the seam and came loose. I lashed that around the branch, doused it with the alcohol, and struck the flint on the lighter.
The fabric caught immediately, lighting the night a violent blue. For a moment, the beast stopped. Then, the tendrils darted my way like venomous snakes.
I aimed the makeshift torch at the tendrils. The minute they came into contact, they burned away, sending a horrible stench into the air. The problem was there were so many more. As fast as I was burning tendrils more were coming at me.
I ran forward, trying to get the flame closer to the beast, but something grabbed my ankle. I fell hard and dropped the torch. Soon, I was being dragged toward the creature at an alarming speed.
No, no, no!Without the torch, I was helpless.
As I rushed toward the swirling mass that was the beast, I prayed that Arryn would get free and see the others one day. Maybe, if I died, they’d let her go. Maybe it was all for nothing.
But, just as the tornado was about to suck me in, the tendrils gave a shudder. Suddenly, I was free, lying on the ground as the beast retracted all its hair-like appendages and swirled toward the tree line.
Stunned, I sat up. Near me, Vaughn’s wolf form panted as it collapsed on the ground. Regina was on her knees beside us. Blood dripped down her chin and stained her shirt collar as her chest heaved beneath it.
“What... happened?” I asked, crawling over to Vaughn.
“I bit him,” Regina said, sounding pleased with herself. “Those hair thingys had me, and I was fighting them, but they were too strong. They pulled me in until I was near that thing’s body. I decided I wasn’t about to die starving so I latched my fangs into the first flesh I saw. It didn’t like that.” She smiled revealing blood-covered teeth.
“Good job. Vaughn’s hurt. Can you help me?”
I expected Regina to tell me where to shove it, but instead, she came over, inspecting the large wound on Vaughn’s back. The fur was dark and sticky with blood. There was no telling how bad it was. The fact that he was laying down and not charging after the beast scared me.
“That’s a nasty wound,” Regina said, eying it. Her nose crinkled up at the smell of Vaughn’s blood.
