Page 62 of Only Human in Strangeville

Finally, Nimbus came to my side and grumbled at me before putting a paw on my leg. Slowly, the energy I held flowed around me into a distinctive bubble shape. It hardened, but not completely, and Nimbus put his paw back on the ground.

“Okay, got it. Thanks.”

He rooed.

Once I was ready, the others went to the door. Katsuro listened for a moment before opening it. This required him to destroy the doorknob, which he did with little trouble. The doorframe broke a little, but who cared? Also, damn, that man was strong.

He led, Oliver slipped into the shadows, and Jaz followed. Nimbus stayed right at my side.

At first, we met almost no resistance, and Katsuro was easily able to handle the men they threw at us. Then they seemed to understand we were going to get away, and they dug up some sort of magic user we hadn’t expected.

The first blast of energy down the hall would have taken out Katsuro if Nimbus hadn’t stepped in with a fierce growl and thrown something back at the man.

Then Nimbus and I moved to the front, and Jaz closed in so we were more tightly protected. Unfortunately, we couldn’t get any farther down the hallway. The man we faced was experienced, and Nimbus and I were not.

It was all I could do to deflect the blasts of energy coming at us, and while I’d apparently fully unlocked my powers, I still had a lot to learn.

Oliver finally slipped through the shadows and came out behind the magic user. Mage? Witch? I didn’t know the right term and clubbed the man over the head.

He attracted a few rounds of gunfire, but as soon as the magic user was unconscious, Katsuro and Jaz surged forward and handled the rest of the men, while Nimbus and I hurried on behind them.

I was almost shocked when we made it out into the courtyard. It was night, which I hadn’t known until then. Floodlights lit the area and people were shooting at anything that moved, keeping the werewolves back.

It didn’t take long before the lights zeroed in on us. We couldn’t retreat, and the only way to go forward was to brave the open space and all the guns, and I was starting to wear out.

Katsuro took a deep breath, glanced at Jaz, then practically vanished.

Oliver touched my shoulders when my breathing quickened with a touch of panic. My feelings eased until Jaz turned to me with a slight smile on her face.

The predatory look sent my heart racing, and I backed into Oliver.

She’d had us all fooled. We were so screwed.

I screamed when Jaz charged, but she dodged around me and tore into someone I hadn’t seen sneaking up behind us.

“I must face Drake,” Oliver said. “Nimbus will protect you. As soon as you see an opportunity, run for the forest and the wolves will find you.”

In most other circumstances, that statement wouldn’t have been comforting, but I certainly wasn’t in most circumstances. Well, I’d come to Beechworth because of the rumors that this place was different. I just hadn’t realized how different. And yet, how very much the same. At least this time, I wasn’t alone.

Oliver shifted into his shadowy shade form, the six-legged wolfish shadow creature that smelled of baked goods. Oliver was the only shade that smelled like cinnamon, and I liked it. Reaching out, I offered a touch, and, after a slight hesitation, he slid his head under my hand like Nimbus would have. I gave him a quick scratch, marveling at the cool smoothness of a living shadow under my hand.

He seemed to wink at me before bounding off and slamming into the other shade—that was just now appearing out of the shadows that clung to the side of the building.

They tore into each other, and tears fogged my vision. I thought about dropping my shield and trying to do something to help, but a stray bullet pinged off the magical bubble just then and changed my mind. That would have hit me. Probably killed me. I needed to protect myself and Nimbus.

Fortunately, the cloud puppy tucked himself between me and the wall to take full advantage of my protection, then stared out at the combatants. After a moment of contemplation, he rooed quietly to himself. I looked out and saw gravel fly through the air, streaming into one of the shades.

I didn’t think it would hurt the creature, but it certainly distracted it, giving Oliver enough time to get an advantage and drive the other shade off.

The guns stopped firing one after another and at least one body fell from the rooftops. The lights also began to fail, leaving the courtyard in heavy shadows punctuated by a few bright lights. Katsuro?

And Jaz reappeared, a manic grin made grizzly from a coating of blood on her face. “Let’s go.”

I followed. Not without misgivings, but I followed.

She led me through the shadows, and straight across the courtyard into the wolves. A pack of wolves that positively mobbed me, rubbing against me and sniffing me as if they couldn’t get enough of my scent. They gave Nimbus space until he rooed and touched noses with them, then we were both included in the press.

Before long, Clare and Bridger, along with another large wolf I thought might be Davin, joined us. Some of the wolves had blood on their faces. They were kind enough not to rub it all over me. Davin was positively red up to his shoulders, and he kept his distance though his ears perked when I waved.

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