Page 38 of Sanctuary

“Not here,” he said.

“Is there anywhere safe we can go?” Sarah asked, lifting her head from beside Summa.

“Yes. The lions' pens are empty. They have dens in the back where you can hide and stay dry. It won’t be as warm as it is here, but it won’t be bad.” He gave them a pleading look because he had to keep them safe, and he wasn’t sure what to do if they wouldn’t come with him.

“If Simon says we need to move, we’re moving,” said Misty.

“I agree,” said Sarah. “But what about Summa?” She stood and began collecting her items.

“I’ll carry him if he can’t walk,” said Simon.

“What about our things?” Paige asked, grumpily.

“I’ll carry it all,” Simon told her, his frustration growing because they had to hurry. He leaned down and gritting his teeth against the pain in his knee, he picked up Summa. The cat didn’t object. He carried him to the stairs wondering if the large cat would survive. “Change into your wet clothes,” he told the girls and heard Paige grumble, but he ignored her. “Hurry.”

Chapter Twenty-Four

Savage Sanctuary Island, Misty

Exhaustion ate at Misty’s heels. The cold seeped into her bones, robbing her of breath. The chattering teeth of the three girls almost held a rhythm, though it was hard to hear over the hurricane. Staying in the pens didn’t sound good to Misty, but her body temperature made thinking hard. Simon had Summa draped over his shoulder and still managed to carry the tarp.

What would they have done if he hadn’t helped them?

Misty was rehashing her decision to leave the girls' home. It had been crazy, and they were paying for it now. She didn’t see how it could possibly go in their favor, even with Simon’s help. He had taken a life. It was self-defense and he would need to answer for his actions. Would the police believe them? Misty was unsure. She knew when they were caught, she, along with Paige and Sarah, would be returned to the school. She had trouble imagining the repercussions.

“We’re never going to be warm again,” Sarah complained.

Simon led the way and kept some of the wind off Sarah and Paige. Misty trailed behind Paige, which placed her at a disadvantage. The icy wind bit deeply into her flesh, burning hot in its fury. They had to find someplace safe where they could stay warm and hidden from the hunter. The thought of him sent additional shivers up Misty’s spine.

She heard a growl. Before she could blink, Indra was at her side. Several lions stepped onto the trail behind them. Misty knew little about the giant cats, but she knew these were females. Simon stepped between her and danger.

“Stay on the trail,” he said loudly so his voice could be heard over the wind. “I think they’ll follow us, but I’ll stay at the back to make sure they don’t cause trouble.”

Simon had told them not to run from the cats, but it was hard. Her heart thumped in her chest, threatening to break out. She’d seen three lions, but there were more out there. Simon treated them almost like pets, but then she remembered his severed fingers. He knew what the beasts were capable of, and even so, it was impossible not to feel his love and worry for each of them.

“A little further,” he said sometime later.

Misty’s brain had stopped functioning, and she barely made out the words. Paige and Sarah stayed in front of her, battling the elements without Simon blocking them. Thunder and lightning lit up the sky. Paige held a shaking flashlight, though seeing anything in the downpour was nearly impossible.

At home, beneath her parents' tutelage in the world of proper Christian women, Misty was taught to never complain. Through small surgical procedures performed by her mother, such as pulling an infected wisdom tooth once, she kept her tears to herself and didn’t shed them until she was alone in her room. Women were always to maintain decorum, speak softly, and never show anger towards men. Right now, she wanted to scream at the storm and use words she’d never spoken.

She tripped and slid several feet before mud filled her mouth and covered her face. She couldn’t see, and her fingers were so frozen she couldn’t feel them, so getting herself out of the mud might not happen. She tried by pushing up with her hands and legs, but it didn’t work and the mud sucked her back down.

Suddenly, a tug on the back of her clothes brought her upright, and Simon steadied her on her feet.

“It’s just ahead,” he yelled over the storm. “We had to come this way so we weren’t seen. Do you want me to carry you?”

Misty looked ahead and straightened her back. She placed one foot in front of the other and moved forward on the trail, unable to speak because she was still spitting out mud.

“Stop,” Simon called.

Sarah stumbled back against Paige, and they went down. Indra was suddenly there, and Sarah pulled herself up using his back.

“We’re going to die,” said Paige, turning her head away from the onslaught of rain pouring down on them.

Metal clanked on metal, and through the nightmare storm, Misty saw a cage door open.

“In here,” said Simon.

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