Shit!
I skidded to a halt and turned back, running full force toward the sounds of battle.
“Move, Bella, move!” Poppy yelled.
Bella screamed again.
Shadows shifted and formed into Bryce’s beast form, surrounding the girls, eyes glowing yellow—all except one, whose eyes were red.
Bryce.
Even as I drew my sword, I knew it would be useless against the echoes…but maybe not against Bryce. He was the source of the Echoes' power right now, cutting him down was our best chance
A beast pounced on Poppy and knocked her onto her back, pinning her sword arm to the ground with a huge paw.
“NO!” Bella struggled to her feet, clutching her abdomen.
The scent of blood saturated the air.
I had to act now!
With a battle cry, I charged past the beast that held Poppy down and launched myself at Bryce.
His eyes flared bright as I leapt onto his back, gripped his bulk with my knees, and grabbed a fistful of fur to anchor myself. He bucked and twisted, trying to throw me off, but I held fast, bringing the hilt of my sword down hard on his temple. Once. Twice. A third time. He swayed, then toppled to the ground, trapping me partially beneath him.
Around us, the other beasts howled as their bodies morphed back to regular echoes.
Poppy, back on her feet, attacked. Taking one head then another. Bella managed to cut off a third. The fourth one ran at me. I wriggled and kicked, trying to break free of Bryce’s unconscious bulk.
The echo leapt into the air, sailing toward me, clawed hands aimed for my head. I screamed, hands flying up in a futile attempt to shield myself. The air crackled and the echo twisted away from me, repelled by an unseen force, which sent it flying toward Poppy.
It slammed into the ground, hard, and Poppy lopped off its head before it could get back up.
With a final shove, I managed to push Bryce off me and hurried to join the girls. “We need to bag a head. Take it back as?—”
The echoes disintegrated, and the mist sank into the earth.
The ravens overhead cawed, and a moment later, Walter’s voice came through as they spoke in unison.
“There has been a slight technical problem. The echoes are not part of the test. Please disregard and proceed.”
“What?” Poppy yelled. “But we bested them. It should count!”
“There has been a slight technical problem,” the ravens repeated. “The echoes are not part of the test. Please disregard and proceed.”
“This is bullshit!” Bella kicked at the ground, then sucked in a sharp breath and clutched her side.
“Let me see,” Poppy said.
“It’s fine. I’ll dress it. It’ll heal.”
“What happened?” Bryce sat up, rubbing his head. He was back in human form and totally naked.
“Oh…” Bella pressed a hand to her mouth and quickly looked away.
His clothes were ruined. “You’ll have to stay in beast form unless you want to freeze.”
Without hesitation he shifted back to his Thrope form.
