To her horror, she watched the small fox’s body blast backward, hitting a tree. Dust and debris fell to the ground. Avery’s ears rang, her head was spinning, but she seemed okay. Savine was moving so quickly, she didn’t know how it was possible for someone to fly without wings like that.
“AVERY!” he bellowed as he reached her, tugging her close. Tears streaked down her cheeks and she buried her face against his chest.
She pulled her face away, and saw Kyla beside Rue, her body still in its fox form. Kyla looked unharmed, but Garnel still pulled her close, cupping her lower abdomen. Avery could see Kyla was reassuring Garnel before she pushed herself from his grasp.
Garnel let go of her, ordering the guards into the woods to apprehend the Hunter.
“Avery, she’s still alive, but she’s injured in her shifted form!”
Her friend was bleeding and looked injured beyond anything Avery could repair. She sobbed out, “I don’t know how to fix her.”
Kyla didn’t hesitate to make her way to her elk with Rue’s limp body in her hands. “Don’t worry, I’ll ride with her to Hyacinth!”
All Avery could do was nod as the tears continued to stream down her face, her choked sobs finally spilling out of her. Savine crushed her against him.
“He brought dynamite to Aeritis!” Avery cried, wrapping her arms tight around Savine’s waist. “Dynamite!”
“Is that—that explosion. Is it something humans use often?”
Avery shook her head, trying to control her tone. “Not really. I use it for avalanche mitigation on ski patrol, but normally people don’t have dynamite.” Avery’s voice shook as she spoke. “I was so stupid, so reckless to suggest we go here!”
“My love, you saved us. We’re alright. It’s my fault for not coming to you. The trees knew, but the description didn’t make sense. They had no words for what that fae had. I should have known it was a human instrument. There will be more of the Hunters returning. We need to be on our guard. But, the relic is here too.”
“Really? Where?”
Savine nodded and took her hand. He brought her to an ancient cedar along the back of the building. Savine slid the mittens from his hands, then did the same to hers. He pressed their palms into the tree, and Avery could hear the whispery speech rolling off his tongue, like branches swaying in the breeze.
The cedar opened to him, revealing a carved wooden bowl. Avery reached into the cavity and took the bowl in her hands. Itbuzzed to her touch and she let out a startled gasp. Magic rippled under her skin, filling her with vibrant energy. She felt the ends of her hair lift up and her vision sharpened. She was this power and it was her. There was no end nor beginning to what she could be capable of with this deep magic welling inside her.
Avery felt herself slipping away, letting the deep magic fill her, course through her.
Her voice didn’t seem her own as she said, “This is it.”
The painfully handsome man beside her tried to touch her, but it was too intense. Too much. She pulled away.
“Ave, what do you need?” His voice was distant, like she was hearing him through a tunnel.
She looked at him and struggled to remember who he was. He was so familiar, so handsome, and when she looked at him she felt love so strongly it made her heart ache.
Savine
Her soulmate.
“My Savine,” she replied, then she remembered the attack on them. The Hunter who tried to take her mate from her. She would make him suffer for all he did today. She turned from Savine and began running into the woods.
She could feel her enemy, sense it as the magic pumped into her. For the first time, she heard the whispers of the trees guiding her forward, pushing her toward the Hunter.
She’d destroy him. The magic that flowed through her demanded it. Demanded justice for Rue’s broken body and for the fear that nearly overtook her when she thought of losing Savine.
Avery ran faster than her feet should have been able to go, but she kept pushing forward,smellingthat she was closing in on the enemy. She briefly looked behind her and saw a trail of tiny white flowers were sprouting behind her footsteps where snow once covered the ground. Far behind her, Savine ran afterher, trying to keep up with the deep magic that pushed her to incredible heights.
A twig snapped, and she turned, making eye contact with the Hunter. Bitter rage tore through Avery.Neverwould she allow someone to threaten Savine’s life like that again.
The iron axe attached to her belt slid smoothly through the leather holster. She took the axe in both hands. The weight of it felt so right. Months now of practicing using it as a weapon had made her stronger, more competent in her burgeoning skills.
Avery lifted the axe above her head. The man was frozen in place, blood dripping into the snow from where splinters of shrapnel had embedded into his flesh.
“Mercy!” the man shouted. A killer and a coward.
