It dawned on me that Animus, with all his magic and heightened senses, wasn't all-powerful. He didn't know my shifted form. He only assumed it was a wolf because of Zak.
So spirits aren't infallible after all,I thought, withholding a smirk.
With one more trick we could use to our advantage, I ran at Animus. I was scared. I knew this was a reckless plan. But I trusted my intuition. I trusted my connection with Zak.
Animus scowled as I got closer, glaring at me as if I were an annoyance not worth the effort to crush. "Get out of my sight," he snapped. He swatted his long, clawed arm and sent me flying into the water behind him.
I grinned as I purposely lowered myself deeper into the water.
Checkmate.
From where I was, I saw Zak. His one yellow eye caught mine. Our wordless plan was working.
How was it that we were able to understand each other? Neither of us had spoken and we had no telepathic powers. Was the bond of fated mates truly that strong?
Zak relaxed his body and went limp. To Animus, it would feel like Zak finally passed out in his grip--or worse, since he'd been underwater for so long. Sound was distorted from my position but I heard Animus's loud bark of a laugh as he hauled Zak up.
"This is what happens to mortals who cross me," Animus announced.
Now.
In the shadowed depths, I shifted into my orca form. My body expanded, growing muscular and streamlined. Sturdy sharp teeth lined my powerful jaws. Animus stood with his back to me, and even with his heightened senses, he wouldn't be able to see a black and white creature perfectly adapted to camouflage in the waters.
"If only this alpha hadn't been so--"
Zak moved. Eyes snapping open, Zak whirled, twisting out of Animus's loose grip. The spirit hadn't expected Zak to still be awake and he started with an angry gasp. But he wasn't fast enough--Zak was swift and precise. He sank his fangs into Animus's shoulder, his black and yellow eyes blazing as he met my gaze.
I didn't need him to speak to know the signal when I saw it. A second after Zak held Animus steady, I shot out of the water. With my jaws wide open, I slammed into Animus's other arm like a freight train and bit down hard. Where I expected to feel the crunch of bone, there was nothing--just a cold liquid sensation gushing between my teeth. The arm didn't remain in my jaws; it disintegrated like a popping water balloon.
The force of my sudden attack took Animus off guard. He let out a ghastly wail. As he fell, I let go and twisted my body to land as a man while Animus landed face first against the rock ledge. Zak scrambled away, joining me still as a wolf with his hackles raised.
Mistral let out a yelp, biting his talons. Everyone else was utterly silent. Animus slowly rose, pushing off the rock with one good arm and gazed at the space where he was now missing an arm.
Animus sighed. He slowly walked up to us. Fear gripped me. What was he going to do? Even after all that, he was still standing? And he didn't look shaken at all. In fact, as he got closer, I saw that he was smiling.
Had we done all that for nothing? Despite missing a limb, Animus was acting like our attack hadn't scathed him.
Zak growled loudly and stood in front of me. "Kamari. Get out of here."
"No, no," Animus said, waving his remaining hand. "Calm down. I'm not going to hurt either of you."
"Like I should believe you?"
Ignoring Zak, Animus glanced at me. His smile turned into a grin that revealed his fangs. He reached out a hand, dark claws like obsidian shards at the ends of his long pale fingers. Zak instantly shifted to human form and snatched Animus's wrist. Animus made no attempt to escape or pull away.
"Do not touch my mate," Zak said.
Animus sighed. "You alphas are so overbearing."
There it is again,I thought.Does that mean Animus is an omega? Can a spirit evenbean alpha or omega?
Animus went on. "But I must admit, your little trick was amusing. I never thought a wolf would be able to resist drowning. It was careless of me to assume any recent descendent of Nautilus wouldn't have such a power. I must applaud you for that."
Mistral's eyes looked like they were about to pop out of his skull from shock. I was just as confused. Animus had just tried to kill Zak, yet here he was congratulating us for fighting back? What the hell was going on in his head?
"And you, orca." Animus fixed his icy stare on me, sending a chill down my spine. "I'm impressed. Never before has a mortal been able to injure me." His eyes narrowed as his grin widened, pushing up his pale cheeks. "This is why I find you creaturessointeresting. You are powerless, yet not entirely. What's the point in fighting?"
Is he actually asking, or is that a rhetorical question? He's so strange. I can't tell anymore...
