Page 204 of The Lands Defying
“We will do one last pass after we get these ones to the cabin.”
“Be safe,” I call, as I make my way through the gathering, looking through the trees but I don’t see anyone else. I can hear the Elites’s war cry further into the forest, and I know what that means.
The rogures have come down from the cliffside and are now in the forest.
Shivers run up my spine.
“Kade?”I say down the link.“Have you got Sam?”
“I have her, just—”
“Kade?”I say, turning in a circle.“Kade?”I repeat, heart thrashing in my chest when the link remains quiet.
A branch snaps behind me and I freeze. A huffing sound follows, heavy steps, another snap.
What the…
I turn slowly, blade already in hand when my eyes zero-in on the treeline to the forest.
The bushes move violently. Whoever is there is not trying to be quiet.
Another noise, and I call my magic, the glow of blue in my hand a comfort. Another rattle of leaves, and then Kade comes barreling through, Sam on his back as he runs past me, heading toward the cabin.
“Kade? What’s wrong…”
I would celebrate that he has her, that Axis is now taking care of her, but I now know why he was running so hard.
I suck in a horrified breath as a hairy body comes into view.
Tall.
Gray flesh.
Human-like face.
A snarl and teeth that could, and would, rip me in two.
“You have to port, now,”I shout down the link.
“We can’t, no one’s here to take us to Colhelm,”Josh replies.“What’s wrong… Kade is here now with Sam.”
“You need to leave, now!”
The beast’s eyes land on me, and he sniffs the air, once, twice. And then he’s coming for me.
I raise a hand and put a barrier around us as far as I can, my hand trembling with how wide I managed to get it, but he can’t get to the others. He just can’t.
I know what these beasts are capable of. Gods, are there more?
“There are beasts here, Josh. You need to keep them safe. Try my office for a protection crystal, there should be one somewhere in there.”
“Rhea—”
I shut down the link, concentrating with the enemy right in front of me.
The beast comes, clawed hand raised and ready to swipe at me.
I dodge the first one, but I didn’t realize he could move so fast when the other catches me in the side.
