Page 51 of Cry of the Damned
“No. It can’t.” There was a certain ring in the guard’s voice that made Novus let go of my hand and stretch to her full height.
She regarded the guard carefully, gave a grunt of displeasure, and slid the pliers into the back pocket of her pants. Donning her cloak back on, she followed the guard to the door.
“Don’t go anywhere, Jaz. I’ll be right back.”
CHAPTER 18
Ididn’tknowhowlong she’d been gone before my mind started to form coherent thoughts. It had to have been a long time, long enough to drive the pain in my face from a pounding throb to a dull throb, instead. My vision cleared slightly, enough so I could see the bloody tip of my forefinger and the discarded nail on the floor.
I weakly pulled on my restraints, but if I hadn’t managed to break them before, I had less hope now. If I could just shift and heal myself.
Or just shift to die, that voice again.
But my damn hunger for life wouldn’t let me. I didn’t want to die. I didn’t want Novus and the Academy to win.
I pulled on my wrist bindings with all my might, trying to slip my hands out to no avail. Ironic how my narrow paws would be able to slip out of the restraints while my thick wolf neck would be strangled.
A thought occurred to me… what if I partially shift? Ila had said that only those with the most control could do it. That surely wasn’t me, but still, I could try. What did I have to lose?
Inhaling deeply, I stared pointedly at my torn fingertip. Anger built against Novus as blood dripped from the raw spot. I let the anger fuel my wolf as I imagined a single sharp claw growing where my fingernail had been. Fur sprouted along my hands, and the collar tightened around my neck. Immediately, I tamped my wolf down. The fur disappeared, and I coughed against the choking sensation in my throat.
Shit!
I took several deep breaths, willing my thumping heart to calm down.
C’mon, you can do it.
Death trying to free myself was preferable to slowly succumbing to Novus’s cruelty—not to mention depriving her of the pleasure of torturing me.
So again, I focused all my attention on my torn fingertip. The same thing happened, but I tried again and again, determined to make it work. I lost count of my many attempts, but I refused to accept defeat. My strength dwindled. Head slumped against my shoulder, I fought against the debilitating force that threatened to drag me under. As I urged my eyes open, I stared at something white shining under the raw flesh of my fingertip. I squinted, focusing, and realized it was a fingernail. With all my attempts, I had managed to grow some of it back. It was like my hair. Every time I shifted, it grew a little longer. But what good did half a nail do to me? It would only delight Novus to pull it out all over again.
On the thought of the vile magistrate, a measure of my strength returned, and I tried again, this time focusing on that bit of white nail that was poking through the ruined finger.
I willed a single claw to appear, and to my utter surprise, it sprang out from the tiny bit of nail and grew a couple of inches, forming a sharp, pointed hook. I stared at it, a small gasp escaping my lips. I’d done it! I had partially shifted.
Don’t be stupid. It’s only one claw. It’s not partial. It’s infinitesimal,my pessimistic voice said in my mind.
But I wouldn’t let any part of me dissuade me. I’d been through worse, and I’d survived. I could do this.
I pulled my wolf back, and when the claw disappeared, a perfect brand-new nail was left in its place.
I tried again, succeeding only with the same claw. After five more tries, I wasn’t doing much better, and my frustration was building. Magistrate Novus would be back any second, and she would get back to…
I shook my head. I would not give her the satisfaction.
Trying once more and fighting against my exhaustion, I managed to get all my fingers to spring claws. Some fur also dusted the top of my hands and wrist.
Keep going. Just a bit more.
I envisioned my hands turning into paws, and I couldn’t believe it when my fingers grew shorter and the palms of my hands slightly narrower until I was able to wiggle them out of the restraints. My heart pumped so fast, I have to pant for breath to keep up with it.
Allowing my paws to go back to their human shape, I left only one pointed claw behind, stuck it into the lock that held the loop around my waist together, and worked on it. It took several desperate moments before the lock clicked and the restraints fell away.
I didn’t allow myself time to celebrate and immediately started working on the lock on my neck. It was harder since I couldn’t see, and as my desperation mounted, my hands shook, making me clumsy. I cursed and took a deep breath, trying to calm down and focus. But it wasn’t in the cards for me because an instant later, the door opened and a guard came in.
“You’re going back to your… what the h—?”
I didn’t let him finish. Acting solely on instinct, I picked up the chair and charged him. I crashed into him and drove him into the wall. He hit it with a bone-crackingthud,his head bouncing against it from the whiplash. His eyes rolled around as he tried to refocus, but I didn’t give him any time. Instead, I punched him in the jaw with enough force that his entire body unhinged and he collapsed to the floor, unconscious.
