Page 75 of Quarter Labyrinth

“That they serve their respective Stone Gods,” Clark replied. He reached for his own sword. “And do their bidding.”

Harald glanced my way. I knew of one Stone God who would set them against us, and he wasn’t one I cared to cross any time soon. I reached for the necklace from Delilah as a third howl came.

Then the beast made itself seen.

It stood in the bower of trees, blocking the path we’d come from, far enough away that it might not see us yet, but if we moved, we’d be seen. No one ushered a sound.

Its thick, silver-gray coat shimmered faintly in the dappled light. Dark streaks ran along its back and legs, emphasizing the lean, muscular frame beneath. If I made it out alive, I’d never forget the look of this beast.

Its golden eyes glowed with a sharp intelligence. Those eyes could pierce through the shadows. Nothing in the forest could hide from its gaze. Its ears twitched at the faintest rustle, swiveling like finely tuned instruments to catch every sound: the whisper of wind through the leaves, the distant scurry of a footsteps from other travelers, the cautious movements of our group, pressing our backs into the stone walls that imprisoned us.

The wolf’s paws pressed against the earth as it moved, each step deliberate and soundless. Its claws, sharp and black, left faint impressions in the soft soil, marking its passage without betraying its presence. The forest seemed to bow to the wolf’s presence—stones leaning inward and a breeze scattering in an arch around it. The size of it, the way it commanded the labyrinth…

It was from Dimitri.

And its eyes landed on us.

THIRTY-FOUR

The wolf lifted its head, tilted its nose to the sky, and released a long, resonant howl.

“Run!” I screamed. We all scattered.

The pound of paws against the ground smattered behind us in too great a number to belong to just one. I didn’t care to count right now. All I could think was to get to Clark to be his shield.

Any tension between us guttered out in the face of danger. He found me as quickly as I found him, the two of us forming ranks to hold our weapons before our bodies. Others tried to run. I didn’t care tofind claws in my back.

I’d rather die with a wound in my chest that fall because I was too afraid to fight.

I threw my axe straight for the closest wolf, watching as the blade sank into his hide. Another jumped over him. I hardly had time to draw my sword before he had pounced at me. His jaws snapped for my face. I held him at bay with my sword between his teeth before Clark drove his weapon into the beast.

His body went limp. I rolled him off me just as another came, its powerful legs propelling it through the air with terrifying speed. I barely managed to raise my sword in time. The tip of the weapon grazed the wolf’s shoulder, drawing a streak of blood, but the force of its attack sent me sprawling to the ground. Rocks dug into my skin. I bit my tongue against the pain.

“Ren!” shouted Clark, swinging his sword at another wolf that leapt toward him. The beast twisted mid-air, avoiding the strike, and raked its claws across his arm. Blood sprayed, and Clark fell back with a cry of pain.

The pack descended. Wolves surged from the shadows, their movements a blur of fangs and fur. We fought back desperately, their weapons flashing in the firelight. Harald plunged his blade into the side of a charging wolf, only to be knocked to the ground by another. Tove loosed her daggers, striking one beast between the eyes, but her victory was short-lived as two more wolves closed in on her.

Panic rose within me. Without thinking, I reached into my bag and drew out the last of my magic potion.

I threw it at the beasts around Tove. Its mist spread over the wolves, turning their bodies to stone just as their teeth were ready to close in on her.

Tove stared at the frozen beasts with tears on her cheeks.

She was saved, but for how long? How long until we were all ripped to shreds?

We needed help, and we needed it now. I raised a hand to the necklace over my chest, gripped it with white knuckles, and shouted with all my strength.

“Delilah!”

A bright white light flew from the necklace to surround the group, a shimmering wall standing between us and the predators. Any wolves in the circle of light let out a searing yelp that didn’t quiet until they’d stepped out of the circle’s embrace. Their whimpers died. But the light did not let them back in. They tried throwing their bodies against the circle, but it held fast.

Clark stared at me. I looked only to the biggest beast, the one with green eyes and a wicked snarl.

He stepped up to the circle where I swore he grinned.

“You found someone to protect you,” he said. His shoulders were hunched, his body prowling as he took me in.

My stomach lurched at how human it sounded.

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