I was ridiculously jumpy for someone who was armed to the teeth. But I’d have felt a lot more secure if I was allowed to access my power.
You went most of your life with no power to speak of. Don’t start relying on it now.
My salty inner voice had a point.
I was standing on the bank of the island, although there wasn’t much bank to speak of. I could reach out and touch the nearest tree.
The water may have washed away some of the sweat gathering on my skin, but I was already replacing it. I’d been trying to conserve the water Ilis had given me, since I didn’t know how long this little task would take, but I couldn’t risk getting dehydrated. I uncapped the flask and took a small sip. The water tasted clean, with a hint of underlying sweetness.
Another shriek. This time, I didn’t jump, but I did twist the cap back on the flask and replace it with my Nim Cub. Time to get moving.
The trees were sparser here, the ground damp enough that took an extra jolt of energy to lift my feet.
The next shriek tore through the air. Closer this time, but further to the left. Either one of the creatures was approaching, or there was more than one, and they were surrounding me.
Goody.
Hopefully, they were the creatures Ilis wanted me to kill, and I could get the hell out of here.
The edges of my vision turned blurry and I rubbed at my eyes. It was so goddamned hot and humid in this place, it was as if I was inhaling warm water.
If I saw Finvarra again, I’d be sure to let him know exactly what I thought of this part of his realm.
The forest went quiet in the way that told me the creatures in it were attempting not to draw the attention of the larger predator in their midst. I kept my steps quiet, but I wasn’t made for creeping through the forest.Iwas the one being hunted.
And it knew I was here.
12
DANICA
Iplanted my right foot behind my left, turning my body sideways to present a smaller target. My power licked at me, pure temptation.
Nope. I wasn’t going through all of this crap just to fail based on a technicality.
I pushed my power back and waited. I probably had seven to eight feet of clearing around me, and it was unlikely that I’d find a better spot if I needed to fight. If something was hunting me, I wasn’t going to walk straight into its trap. I’d force it to attack here, where I had more room to move.
“I know you’re there,” I said softly. “Let’s go.”
A bush in front of me rustled, and I forced my knees to bend slightly, loosening up. The edges of my vision turned blurry again. I was probably getting dehydrated already.
Something stepped into the patch of sunlight, snuffling at the ground.
My shoulders slumped. A six-legged animal. It looked like some kind of wild pig, only with more legs and an extra set of eyes on either side of its head. It paid me no attention, simply sniffed around and moved on.
I let out a deep breath and turned away from the small clearing.
Something slammed into me.
I flew several feet, my trajectory only stopped by the tree I hit before I crumpled to the ground. I’d miraculously managed to keep my dagger clutched in my hand, and since I hadn’t accidentally stabbed myself with it, I got to my knees and stared.
I’d seen pictures of this thing in a book somewhere. Likely when Edward was teaching me about various mythological creatures. Unfortunately, he hadn’t told me how to kill it.
Chupacabras had been reported in our realm since before the portals opened. But the pictures I’d seen had put them about the size of a kangaroo.
Those pictures were wrong. It was at least three times that size, and I had a feeling it would prefer my blood to the livestock it was reputed to attack.
I made it to my feet, and a groan left my throat as I took stock of my body. My back ached from its rendezvous with the tree behind me, but I didn’t think I had any permanent damage.
