Page 133 of Flirting with Darkness

“Girl touched by fire.” A whisper so close, it made my hair stand on end.

Movement, even closer, then snapping jaws, inches from my right arm.

Squeal lodged in my throat, I slashed and darted left, around a huge old tree, fingertips grazing its rough bark. My blade only found thin air, but it was enough to make the beast back off.

No sooner had I huffed my relief than long fingers reached from the undergrowth. As I twisted away, claws scraped my arm.

Wherever I turned, another appeared. They leered and grinned and laughed like this was all a game.

Despite Ari’s magic in my cloak, a cold weight dragged on my chest.

They were toying with me. This was easy for them.

Meanwhile, my legs burned as I sprinted as fast as I possibly could—so fast, I barely had time to register the ground until it was a step away.

Mud, snow, an iced puddle. Ferns whose tips swayed overhead. Fallen logs and crooked branches.

I passed between the ferns, trying not to shake their leaves. If I could just get out of sight and take a winding path, I might lose them.

Then, a step away, there was no ground.

I leapt, barely. For a second there was only air and a brook burbling below, cutting through the soil, winding around roots.

Then, with a jolt, I landed, half-stumbled, and dropped into a roll. My body knew what to do. It was like fighting, and I’d practised for that. A moment later, I swept to my feet and resumed my pounding sprint.

The howls and laughs came from behind and either side, almost level with me. Still on my tail. Shit.

Breaths sawing through my chest, I turned downhill and used gravity to lend me speed. I jumped as much as I ran—over logs and down banks.

But their calls overtook me. They were too fast. My stomach was a solid ball, weighing me down even as my muscles burned with adrenaline.

Somewhere ahead and to the left, a howl broke into a sharp yelp, then an ear-splitting squeal. My blood ran cold—that sound was pure pain. I veered away. Had one of them fallen and injured themselves? Or…?

I kept up my breakneck speed, chest about ready to explode.

A rustle in the bushes, a whine, and one of the beasts stumbled from the undergrowth, blocking my path. I skidded to a stop, barely two yards away, fighting for breath.

My eyes burned as I stared at it for long seconds before truly registering what I was seeing. It clutched its arm. Or the bloody remains of one—there wasn’t much attached to its shoulder other than torn flesh.

What the hells had done that?

Despite being so close, the wolfman barely gave me a glance. Its wide, yellow eyes flicked in all direction as crimson blood spilled between its bent fingers.

From the undergrowth came a low snarl.

With a yelp, it turned. Behind it, the ferns shook and I caught a glimpse of a dark shape.

What was bigger than a werewolf and bad enough to frighten one?

Did I even want to know?

My legs knew the answer before my head and sent me hurtling off to the right, downhill.

Another squealing shriek pierced the air.

What the fuck was that thing? Tears gathered in the corners of my eyes as I sprinted, pushing, pushing, pushing. Moments later, there was another yelp, answered by uncertain whines. But their pursuit continued.

Ahead, through the brown trees and green ferns, a different texture snagged my gaze—large, grey, worn smooth by time. Boulders and huge stones—maybe an old rockfall. They turned the valley’s bottom into a maze, and I charged into its winding pathways.

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