But Balin was already crashing through the woods, breaking small trees and shaking big ones.
Carter snatched the bag of amulets from his pocket, thrust them into her hands, and gave her a push. “Do it! Get to the road, flag down a car, and call the Defenders. It’s our only chance. I’ll hold him off.”
“Don’t you dare get yourself killed,” she ordered. Then she turned and dashed through the trees.
Carter turned to face Balin. He had no real hope that Fen would find the road any time soon, let alone see a car on it. And even if she did, the Defenders were at least an hour away. He’d kill Balin or he’d be killed by him. There was no other way this could go.
If he does kill me, though,Carter thought,I’m taking him with me.
It was the only way to protect Fen. And that was the only thing he cared about.
We’ll protect Fen,his inner animals agreed.Let us at him!
Carter was comforted by their love for her and their eagerness to do battle to protect her. It really did make him love them. Maybe they were monsters, but they werehismonsters. And it would take a monster to fight something like Balin.
Be big and fierce and winged,he thought.I don’t care what you look like, and I don’t care how much it hurts. Just be something that can fight Balin and win.
Carter shifted.
Chapter 30
Fen ran through the woods.Not for the first time, she vowed that the next time she went anywhere with Carter, she’d bring along a pair of practical running shoes. Her high heels kept catching up on lumps and hollows and fallen branches. Behind her, she could hear the horrible beast that was Balin crashing and screeching.
What Carter had said had been logical. There really was nothing she could do to help him fight that beast. They really did need help. But she also knew perfectly well that he was sending her out of danger so he could put his own body between her and the real monster.
She didn't even know if she was running in the right direction, or how far she was from the road. She gripped the stone cell phone as she ran, wishing Balin was in front of her. She'd like to bash him over the head with it. If she could even reach his head.
"Hey!"
Instinctively, she hurled the cell phone. Even as it left her hand, she wished she could take the action back. The person who had burst out from behind the tree wasn't Balin or Eunice, but Merlin. And she'd just flung a rock at his head.
He vanished a split second before the rock would have hit his forehead. The rock slammed into a tree, knocking off a shower of bark.
"Sorry!" Fen gasped.
The hamster-sized velociraptor that Merlin had become grew to a Merlin-sized velociraptor, then became Merlin again.
"Good aim," he said admiringly. "Where's Carter?"
"Back that way. How do you know he was in trouble?" She cut herself off. "Never mind. He needs help."
Other people were dashing through the forest. Natalie arrived first, her rainbow hair bright even in the shade, followed by Ransom with his lean runner’s frame. The more muscular and heavier Pete and Roland came behind them. To Fen’s surprise, a gasping, sweaty Norris was trailing behind them.
“What are you doing—” Fen began, then again stopped herself. She could get explanations later. Hurriedly, she said, “Balin turned into some gigantic I don't even know what, but it has wings and a beak and hands and it's huge. Eunice is somewhere around here too.” She shoved the zip-lock bag at Roland. “All of you, take one of these. It’ll stop Balin from freezing you. But it won’t stop Eunice from taking over your inner animal, so watch out for her!”
She didn't wait for questions. Beckoning, she turned and bolted back the way she'd come. The Defenders and Norris followed. Soon they emerged from the woods and stood on the side of the mountain, with a perfect view of the aerial battle in progress.
At first all she could see was the weird beast that was Balin. He was so huge that he blocked the view of his opponent. Balin flapped and screeched, stabbing at something with his enormous sharp beak.
A winged form darted upward into the sky, escaping his attack. It was Carter. Fen knew that instantly. But it was a Carter like none she had ever seen before.
He was beautiful, a lithe winged beast that turned and twisted in the air with astonishing grace.
His snow leopard is back, Fen thought.And it has wings!
At first glimpse, Carter’s new shift form did look like a snow leopard with white feathered wings. But as she looked at him longer, she realized that there was more to him than that. His paws and tail didn’t look quite catlike, and there was something else strange about him that she could sense but not identify.
Balin twisted to attack him, and the beautiful beast that Carter had become opened his jaws wide and breathed out flame.
