Above us, Eleanor was in the form of a bird, bright feathers scattering. She flew higher, scanning, and searching for a solution to this.
A gust of wind clipped her from below. She spun, shrieked, and fell, vanishing into the dark.
The same wind that knocked her down was sharper than a blade. It clawed into me, slicing clear through my shoulder and bone. My arm hung by a tendon.
My knees hit the dirt. Pain flared white-hot, blood gushing down my arm in spurts as my magic amped up and started to heal the massive injury.
Rune grabbed my collar, yanking me away just before a sharp root speared the ground where I’d been not even a second ago.
“Focus, Dimitri!” she hissed, grabbing my arm and shoving it back into my shoulder.
Agony seized me.
Healing magic warmed as it buzzed quickly, healing faster.
My fangs dropped as I sniffed. There was blood in the air. My blood.Herblood. The smell of sap and smoke did nothing to drown her midnight orchid scent out.
It was too much.
My gums ached.
“I’m good now,” I gasped as my arm reattached and sealed shut.
“Thank Fates. I need you!” She pulled me to my feet.
The clearing convulsed.
A pulse emanated from the ground, and screams pulled from the trees. An eruption of force detonated beneath us as the mountain literally hurled us down.
The nine of us left crashed into a ravine, rocks skinning our flesh as we hit.
Dirt rained down from above, but silence followed.
Eerie silence, except for the groan of the dying wolf that followed the sound of Lorian’s jaws snapping shut around its throat.
We staggered to our feet, one by one.
It was still dark, but we had no campfire now. No protection wards. Just the ravine’s walls pressing close.
This was the reason Hunting had sent us on this simulated mission, so we could stay alive.
We’d already lost Hawk with that attack.
“We need to follow the ravine,” Lorian growled, tense.
“Good.” I nodded.
“Great plan,” Rune agreed. “We need to find Eleanor.”
“The simulator didn’t announce her death,” Aura murmured softly.
“She’ll find us,” Lorian said, mostly to himself.
My magical reserves had droppedlow.I dragged behind. My shoulder’s healing had taken a lot of magical energy, not to mention the speed and strength I’d exerted during the fight.
Hunger throbbed in my veins and fangs.
Rune noticed.
