Page 93 of Only Human in Strangeville

Bridger nodded. “Is there someplace safe we can take Nimbus?” He addressed the wolves.

The lighter blond one nodded and trotted off into the woods. We followed.

The werewolves led us to a small cabin. As this was their territory, I suspected it was less a hunting cabin and more a place for them to crash after a particularly tiring day running as wolves or gorging on deer.

After a quick note that the cabin was adorable and well-constructed, I followed the wolves inside. I’d gawk later. We had lives to save first. The door latches were levers, and the wolves easily worked the mechanism with their noses.

One wall of the cabin had several large bunks with comfortable looking beds. I lay Nimbus on the bottom one. He woke up long enough to make a nest with the comforter and the pillows before he was snoring softly in that adorable way only a dog can manage.

“So, what do we do?” I turned to Bridger.

The werewolves both gave full body shakes before shifting back to human form. I averted my gaze to give them a bit of privacy. My assumption that this cabin belonged to the wolves was further strengthened when the man grabbed some sweats out of a cabinet and handed them to the woman before dressing himself. I hadn’t had time to meet all of Davin’s wolves with everything else that was going on, but these two looked familiar. I couldn’t place their names, though.

“Now, we figure out how to bring the sun back,” Bridger answered.

“Yes, that has to be our main priority. Davin will be hunting the magic caster, but without vampire backup, we may be outnumbered,” the male werewolf confirmed.

The pressure of their gazes as they studied me was almost too much. I turned away and hunched my shoulders, trying to think. With a little rest, I could likely create more sunlight spells, but that was a very small thing with as big as this fight was.

As I racked my brain for ideas, the feeling that I needed to meditate tickled at the back of my thoughts.

“I need a minute.” I sank to my knees and focused on my breathing until I could turn my thoughts inward and chase them down into the transitional place where I’d unlocked my magic and met Twister.

I found myself walking down a path between a forest of apple trees, branches heavily laden with fruit. I picked one and took a bite. Crisp, sweet flesh crunched between my teeth, and flavor exploded in my mouth. By the time I’d finished the apple, I reached the end of the pathway. A round door I’d never seen before stood in my path. It was golden with coppery highlights flickering along the surface as if sunlight played over the surface.

Approaching, I clasped my hands together in front of me. “We need help. The vampires are attacking my friends, and they’re hurting countless people and beings besides those of us in Beechworth. I’m not practiced enough to do this alone. Please?”

I bent over and put my hand on the round brass knob, feeling its smoothness under my fingers and the warmth that radiated out from it, and the door. I didn’t fear anything in this realm, but I hesitated to open the door. With no idea where it led, I just hoped the answers I needed were on the other side.

Taking a deep breath, I slowly twisted the handle.

The door opened inward under its own power, and I released the handle. I got the impression I wasn’t supposed to go through the door, but to wait. It wasn’t a human-sized door—unless that human were a child. The light through the door flared blindingly bright, and I averted my eyes until it faded.

When I blinked the sparkles from my eyes, the door had vanished. In its place sat a dog. This dog had a boxy face with a long snout, floppy ears, and short, burnished golden brown fur. She wagged her tail, thumping it on the ground.

I held out my hand, and she came forward and pressed her head under it for pets. She radiated warmth much like the door had. If this obviously magical dog had anything to do with sunlight, I wouldn’t be surprised.

“Are you going to come help us?”

The dog nodded.

“Thank you.” I scrubbed her ears again then took a step backward, intending to retrace my steps to my body and consciousness.

Instead, I was jerked back. I snapped my eyes open to see Bridger shaking me.

“Sorry, Hannah. We just got word from Beechworth and it’s bad. We need to go. If nothing else, we might still need to use you as bait.”

“Great,” I muttered.

“I will stay with Nimbus,” the man said. “I will guard him with my life.”

“Thank you.” I didn’t want to leave him, but he’d likely be safer here than with me.

After a moment, I remembered what I’d seen in the transitional place and looked around, but I didn’t see the dog anywhere. Pushing away the feeling of disappointment, I went outside and immediately felt like an ass. The dog waited for me at the door, tail wagging.

“Hello.” I ruffled her ears, and she dropped her jaw in a doggy grin.

“Who’s this?” Bridger asked.

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