She grunts as she hits the ground hard. Before she can get up, my familiar is on her—
I cringe at the wet sound of him biting into her. I slip into his mind, coaxing my familiar to let the witch go. Reluctantly, he does so.
From his eyes, I peer around us. The witches all appear to be accounted for. Several of them lie on the ground, moaning. Two more are limping away together. Nero’s nostrils flare at the smell of so much blood.
I move back from his mind to my own. I’ve regained enough control of my body to turn on my side and retch, my body wanting to purge the pain and the spells and all the gruesome sights of the evening.
Nero prowls over to me and nudges me onto my back again. I groan as I flop onto my injured shoulder.
My familiar puts a paw on my chest, and he gives me an intense and—I swear to the goddess—irritated look. Normally, I have to guess at Nero’s more complex thoughts, but for some reason, this one is clear: Call on me for help.
I swallow and nod. “Thank you,” I murmur.
It takes another full minute for the immobilizing spell to completely wear off, even with the help of Memnon’s borrowed magic.
Once it does, I hobble over to the shifter girl. She’s no longer screaming, which is good, but she’s not awake, and she’s far too still for my liking. Kneeling at her side, I check her pulse.
It’s there—and it sounds strong and steady.
I think she’s going to be okay.
“Give me strength,” I murmur in Sarmatian, the words forming as I draw on more of Memnon’s power.
His magic flares through my body, lending me his might.
I lug the girl into my arms once more, trying not to think about just how much I’m in Memnon’s debt. I’ve used a lot of his power tonight.
Got to get to shifter territory. I can worry about the sorcerer later. The most important thing is making sure this girl is safe.
I’ve taken maybe five steps when a monstrous roar fills the night air.
Well, fuck. There’s the monster. Now he’s accounted for.
And I think he’s after my ass.
CHAPTER 28
I hate running. Hate it, hate it, hate it.
That’s all I can think as I trip over roots and half stumble, half sprint through the Everwoods, my wounds so numerous, they’ve become one massive ache, one that Memnon’s power is no longer able to fully dull.
Oh, and there’s a monster somewhere in the forest at my back.
Nero lopes next to me, his eyes glinting in the darkness.
Ahead of me, the barrier comes into view, the magical line shimmering just the slightest. The sight of it gives me a final burst of adrenaline.
From the darkness behind me comes another roar.
I eye the barrier again. I’m going to make it—I am—but even so, there’s nothing to stop the monster from following me across.
Have to deal with the creature first.
I fall to my knees and lay the girl down as quickly as I can. After rising to my feet, I back away from her.
“Nero,” I say, nodding to my familiar, “guard the girl.”
In the forest behind me, twigs are snapping and branches are swaying as the monster barrels toward me.
I barely have time to turn toward it before the creature slams into me.
The two of us go down in a tangle of limbs. I hit the ground hard, the air knocked out of me.
Before I can draw in another breath, two monstrous hands close around my neck.
I gasp, my panic rising.
Can’t breathe!
Above me the creature’s lips draw back, and it hisses, revealing sharpened teeth.
If I could scream, I would. The thing looks human, but everything from its pallor to the odd smoothness of its features is wrong.
I reach for its hands, desperate to pry them from my neck. I startle at the feel of the creature’s skin, which feels like…like…potter’s clay.
Don’t I have a magical aptitude for clay?
The being’s hold tightens, and a gurgled sound comes from my mouth.
Selene, use my power! Memnon bellows inside my head.
Power, right.
I yank on Memnon’s magic, and for the hell of it, I try drawing on the creature’s own essence. To my shock, I feel its magic migrate from its body to my own. After gathering all the accumulated power, I force it down my arms and out my palms, willing the hands beneath mine to loosen.
For a moment, they do, and I drag in a grateful gulp of air.
But then those hands tighten once more, and the creature stares down at me with those lifeless obsidian eyes, its features slack.
A shadow drops from the treetops above us, landing heavily on my attacker. I hear the dull sound of clay breaking, and I swear to the triple goddess that the monster’s back caved in under the impact.