Page 9 of Catch a Tiger

Her magic couldn’t repair, but she could use runes and summoning circles to bring what she needed below ground…including blood and secrets.

Vix sniffed the air from just under the camouflaged hole leading into her den, not catching any strange scents, and the magic told her nothing was out of place. The wind carried secrets though, and she thought she heard something that made her entire body recoil, but then it was gone – carrying that horror farther north to the end of the world.

Grabbing the root dangling from the tree above, she pulled herself up the steps she’d carved into the dirt and lifted the trap door. Just like a spider, she jumped out, letting the door close behind her as she settled into a crouch.

Listening to the whispered words from the trees telling her all the local gossip, she studied the branches above her. Ravens were patrolling like always and the coyotes were on the way to their usual location for the trade.

She pressed her hand to one of the tree’s roots in silent thanks.

Peering through the branches of her tree, she saw the sky was dark despite it being early in the day.

Acawcaught her attention and Vix eyed the winter raven watching her. With those white feathers, she knew it was one of the twins without even having to scent them. Vix stood, sifting through the old memories that always washed over her every time she saw one of her ravens.

Tilting her head to the side, she pointed her finger at him like a gun. The raven’s eyes started to glow red, and itcaweda warning they both knew was nothing but a bluff. Tilting her head in the other direction, Vix grinned when the raven followed her movements.

Before she’d becomethis,she’d been just like him, but now she was nothing—everything.

Wild.

“Bang,” she whispered.

A tiny spark of magic erupted from the tip of her finger, flying at the raven like a bullet. He took off with an indignant squawk and she laughed, running through the forest too quickly for him to follow.

Kenji worried too much.

Out here she was free. Vix could be anything she needed to be – she could do whatever needed to be done. All her broken pieces didn’t matter out here, and she’d find the answers she needed, or a way to make them whole.

Broken glass could still be used to make a pretty picture, but Vix had to find where all those pieces fit first.

She couldn’t do that when there were so many expectations of what orwhoshe should be from outsiders. Though the ravens had never been too demanding. She wasgoodat being a raven.

Killing had always come naturally.

But today was trading day.

Trade, trade, trade, trade…trade what she made for a little piece of aid. She hummed the catchy song and allowed herself to run as fast as she wanted, keeping her steps light. Her feet didn’t make a single sound as she ran through the forest.

If she stopped, she would sink into the knee-deep snow, but she was too fast for winter to catch her today.

Clouds peeked down at her like monsters, covering the sun as well as the sky just to taunt her. She was the cold of a winter storm, howling and endless in its search for blood and glory.

Soon, she would have enough, and then what, Gabriel?

Then she would come tohiminstead of waiting for him to deal with the creature of chaos and pain he’d molded her into. She would take back what he’d stolen from her, and then maybe she’d finally be whole…

Or she wouldn’t.

Leaping from the snow to a tree, her claws dug into the bark just long enough for her to plant her feet and spring off it. Armsreached up on instinct to grab a branch and Vix swung herself up to the next one.

She dangled from it as she scouted their usual meeting place, the pack on her back light but worth the weight of a thousand bars of aurum. Her enchanted boots gripped the bark of the heartbroken tree, just as good as paws, and Vix found herself listening to its pitiful murmurs as she waited.

The pathways are cracking, it told her in that brittle winter voice, and she heard the distinct sound of ice shifting.

Looking up, she eyed the sharp icicles moaning along with the tree as if the water was screaming to be freed so it could sink into the earth and become life once more.

Maybe it would be different if you weren’t here, the tree cried – so,sosad.Maybe ifyouwere different, we wouldn’t be so…

Vix slid down the trunk of the tree, her hand stealing away some of the pain it carried for her.

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