Page 50 of Gone Hunting

I drag my hand across my face. “The wards are holding, but we can’t stay here forever.”

“Nonsense,” Mimi says. She shuffles back in the direction of the firepit. “My wards won’t hold longer than a few minutes.”

“What?” the rest of us ask.

Another scorpion throws itself at the ward, causing it to sparkle and split down the side.

Mimi steps into the fire, her right foot disappearing as she does so.

“Where the hell do you think you’re going?” Koda bellows.

“I’m not staying here,” Mimi tells him. She points to herself. “I want to live.”

“So, do we!” Koda fires back.

Mimi bats her hand, sinking into the firepit. “I need time to figure out Celia’s predicament.” She frowns when I glare at her. “That’s what you sought me for, was it not?”

“That’s before we knew what was coming,” I snarl.

Mimi cackles. “You have me there, wolf.”

Her crow-like laughter echoes around us as she dissolves into the sizzling embers. “She left us,” Koda says. “That nutcase up and left us.”

A third scorpion slams against the ward. This one breaks through. I skewer it with a fire poker before it can cause any damage and toss it into the flames. Unlike Mimi, it doesn’t disappear. It screams and twitches, its insides sizzling as it pops open. The smell is acidic and sharp, making us cough.

More scorpions gather close to the door, testing out the ward with their pointy tails and searching for weak points. The ward barely sparks. Mimi’s protection spell is all but gone.

“All right. Okay,” I say, willing myself to form a plan. “We’re going to have to fight our way out.” I hand Celia the poker. “You’re not immune to scorpion venom, are you?” She shakes her head. “Don’t worry. We are. Stay between us and don’t give these things a chance to sting you.”

“Aric,” Gemini says. “These scorpions are bred from dark magic. Our wolves may be able to fight off the first few shots of venom, but the more we are injected with, the longer it will take to clear our systems. With enough stings, we’ll be rendered useless, giving them time to eat us.”

“Guys?” Liam says.

“We’re not going to be eaten,” I bite out. “No way are we going down like this!”

“Guys?” Liam repeats, this time moaning. His hand is pressed against the wall of the cave. By the looks of his paling face, it’s the only thing keeping him up.

Another scorpion breaks through. Koda immediately kicks it, smashing its protective exterior against the stone wall.

Celia grasps Liam’s arm when he starts to fall. His stomach is pushing in and out in odd, mutated motions. “What’s wrong with him?” she asks.

Liam foams at the mouth, barely able to speak. “I think there was something wrong with the chicken Mimi gave me.”

We jump as Mimi’s cackle reverberates from everywhere in the cave. “I never said it was chicken.”

Her cackles fade as Liam worsens. He falls on all fours, spitting out what resembles wet cotton.

“What is that?” Koda asks.

Celia looks up from where she’s kneeling beside Liam. “I think it’s plumage.”

“What?” Koda yells.

Mimi has really outdone herself this time. “Mimi hit Liam with a spell,” I manage.

Koda stamps another two scorpions that break through as Liam throws up a round spotted ball. It rolls forward, stopping at my feet.

“Is that anegg?” Gemini asks.

---