Page 44 of Rebel Fae
“Regina, you need to help Becca and Ronnie kick towards the shore. Then we’ll figure out how to get Antonio.” I couldn’t even process that yet. If he was at the bottom of the lake, he was already dead or he’d been down there a while and could survive a while longer.
“I can’t.”
“Then get off,” Becca snapped. With her red hair plastered to her head, she looked even younger than normal. “You’re just dead weight,”
Regina had possessed plenty of energy when she was abandoning Vaughn and Bael.
Anger flared in me. “Either start kicking or I swear I’ll pry you off and leave you at the bottom of this lake for the rest of eternity.”
One of Regina’s eyes sprang open, and she stared up at me resentfully. I clenched my teeth and put on an “I mean it”expression. Groaning, she readjusted her hold on the log and started kicking weakly.
“I’m going back to help Vaughn and Bael,” I said. “You three keep swimming. I’ll come back and help once I make sure they are all right.”
I had given them a way to escape. Now, it was up to them to save their own lives. I could only do so much. Right now, the others needed me more.
Vaughn, I’m coming.
I pushed my wings to the maximum and was back by the shore in a few seconds. The sounds of struggle grew louder as I approached. My thoughts sped in circles as I tried to figure out how I could help them. What I needed was a weapon.
A pile of rocks, smoothed by the lake’s waves, caught my eye. Rocks had served me well in the past, they could do it again. I veered right, landed on a muddy bank, and picked up two heavy rocks the size of grapefruits. Missiles in hand, I took to the air again and flew toward the shrieks and crashing sounds.
I found them fighting between a section of sparse trees. Vaughn was snarling and snapping at the never-ending tendrils that sprouted from the tangled center that was the beast. I stopped and stared for a moment. The creature looked like a giant hairball come to life. Reddish strands snapped around like angry snakes, striking at Vaughn while he held his own, managing to remain free of the tendrils’ vicious grasp, but it was all he could do.
Bael, on the other hand, wasn’t faring so well. The hair-like strands encased one of his legs, and he was on his stomach, hands flexed into claws, dragging along the dirt as he tried to slow his progress toward the matted chaos.
I leaned forward and flew faster. Diving under a thick branch, I tried to find the perfect angle. The beast was preoccupied with his opponents on the ground, so it didn’t notice me above. Once I positioned myself for a clear shot, I pulled my arm back and aimed a rock at what I figured must be the creature’s head.
Narrowing one eye for better aim, I hurled the rock with all my strength.
It hit its target with athwack. The creature let out a shrill cry. I hurled the next rock and also hit a bull’s-eye.
For a moment, I hovered in the air as the creature shrieked, and its many tendrils waved about aimlessly. Finding the beast’s attention diverted, Vaughn leaped over to Bael’s fallen shape and started working on freeing him with his teeth.
I sensed the creature’s attention shift like it was peering at me from behind the web of chaotic tendrils. Without warning, one of them shot in my direction, stretching upward with vicious speed. It rose so quickly that I barely had time to tuck my feet in and fly out of its path.
Another tendril rose, and then another. I maneuvered quickly, my wings fluttering as fast as they could go, their whirring loud in my ears. I darted left and right, up and down, the tendrils missing me by mere inches. I wanted to give Vaughn enough time to free Bael, but I was so occupied evading the beast I didn’t even have a split second to spare a glance in their direction.
I kept dodging but was tiring quickly. I needed to fly higher, out of reach, but were they free yet?
Then, a brilliant idea occurred to me.
I flew around a tree and over a branch. The tendrils followed me, weaving themselves through the branches. I led the chasing tendrils in an erratic pattern. I flew over and under the foliage, cautious only of my wings. Brush cut at my legs and arms, but I didn’t care. I weaved in and out like a confused bee, all while the beast tangled itself into a mess of epic proportions. When I stopped and glanced back at my handiwork, it all looked no better than a ball of yarn after a cat played with it.
The creature bellowed, pulling and trying to untangle itself, but in its desperation, the jumble only got worse. I watched, elated, and slowly flew backward, enjoying its predicament.
“Take that, you uglyblaigeard,” I yelled, then turned and headed to where I’d last seen Vaughn and Bael.
When I got there, I found that Vaughn had dragged Bael to the edge of the lake where they were safe from the reach of the tendrils. Vaughn had shifted back to his human form and crouched next to Bael, his back to me.
I landed next to Bael on the other side of Vaughn. My smile quickly evaporated at the sight of all the blood on Bael’s leg. His eyes were squeezed shut, and he laid still. The tendrils had cinched around his leg so tightly it had cut into the skin leaving a large gash all the way around.
“Is he…” I couldn’t finish the question.
“I’m fine,” Bael grumbled between clenched teeth.
Vaughn glanced up at me. “He’s losing blood quickly. We should apply a tourniquet to slow it down.”
I nodded and turned around, facing the lake. After unbuttoning my top, I worked quickly on undoing the long strip of fabric I wore around my chest. When it came loose, I threw it over my shoulder, put my shirt back on, and whirled around.
