CHAPTER TEN
The next morning, the sun rose, the hellblazers crowed, and hell broke loose.
Forcing my head up from where I’d fallen asleep on the couch, my blurry vision darted to the window wall. If I focused hard enough, through my frayed strands of hair, I could make out the outlines of the fiery, flying entrees. Feathers flew vigorously and puffs of fire slammed the glass. It had to be the ass crack of dawn.Fucking bastards.
An ache in my arm from sleeping on it wrong materialized as I forced myself into a sitting position. My hips cramped and a ripe soreness erupted across my lower back; I should’ve gone to the bed. Blaze had already made his way to his little countertop home, where he knew food would be served.
The hellblazers crowed louder as I apparently took too long to wake. I gripped the cushions, cutting my eyes at them, and decided right then, I and all my aching limbs, frizzy-frayed hair, and raging emotions were declaring war. And I’d win.
I grabbed the sliding door and shoved it out of my way. And in the threshold, I stood with determination and resolve (in yesterday’s clothes). A bitter gust of wind bit at my nose, and even from a distance I saw the leaves changing colors. The world outside of our corner remained quiet. The calm before the storm.
“Alright, you bastards.” I shut the door behind me. “Let’s get to it then.”
Indo first.
Grass crinkled under my boots and the dew soaked my sock where the hole ripped. I reached Indo’s boulder and my stomach sank. The slab of meat from yesterday remained right where I’d left it. Note to self: research dragon feedings? Dragon eating habits? How to take care of a dragon?
Per normal, Finneas and Finnigan came next. Finneas, slowly warming up to me, allowed me to scratch her ears while she ate.
As I saw Archie’s enclosure in the close distance, red feathers suddenly tickled my cheeks out of nowhere.Shit.Two seconds later, they were ahead of me, fluttering manically. I ducked, knowing he transported about every three seconds during his episodes. Somehow, he still managed to crash into my head. I hit my knees and crawled to his bowls. Flashes of red and short-lived squawks blew over my head, vulgar whispers camefrom my lips.Ow. Ow. Ow. Left. Duck—right. Ow.Inching closer to his enclosure, I barely stretched my arm between the gate and pole, pouring his feed in.
Scooting away, I ran back to the porch to get Phoebe’s food. Grunting with a sharp pain pricking my legs, I picked the sticker burs puncturing my skin. Tangles wove through my hair like vines in the woods. And despite it being moderately cold, sweat clung to my clothes.
Phoebe awaited my visit, sitting patiently in her bed. I unlocked the gate and Archie returned, squawking in my ear.Again?I ducked. “Fuck you, you pigeon.” Hurriedly, I pushed into her home, dodging and squatting. My free arm hovered over my head, praying Archie didn’t land on it. My wobbly legs buckled left and right.
I wasn’t made for this.
Unfortunately, in the unsettling chaos of Archie, the demon bird, I seemed to have stepped on Phoebe, who’d already gone invisible.
A spine-chilling screech sounded under my foot, and I launched my body backward. My feet tangled over the other, I stepped and moved and hurried and tried, but I fell—straight into her water bowl. My ass was soaked with a cool refreshment. My dress gained ten pounds. I debated sitting for a moment, or crying at what happened to the girl who ran a flower shop, but Archie was having an episode. And Phoebe hauled ass out of her enclosure.
Flying to my feet, I spilled her bucket of food, but I bolted after the porcupine.
“Phoebe! Phoebe, come back. I’m sorry!” I repeated, knowing she didn’t understand and definitely didn’t care. Closer to the pond, she edged around it and vanished.
“Fuck,” I whispered with a wretched patheticness, glad nobody bore witness. I took a moment to close my eyes and reel myself back from the mental cliff I wanted to launch myself off of. Until I heard metal creaking behind me.
Raging raccoons.
Benedict edged dangerously close to the gate.What did I do so wrong?It didn’t matter because I realized Benedict wasn’t going for the gate. My heart stopped. Then started again. Then boiled.
Dropping everything, I sprinted toward the rascal. He crouched down closer to the ground, his body tensing as if he prepared to… pounce.
“Benedict.” My voice cracked. “Benedict, you little bas—”
He pounced. On the chicken coop. And hellblazers wenteverywhere.
Once upon a time, I’d feared things like spiders, sharks, and the dark. Never had I thought my worst nightmare would be a flock of flaming chickens. But here we were.
Balls of fire spat in every direction.
I reassured myself this wasn’t the end of the world and sprinted for the raccoon leaving me in the dust as he busted through the gate, as if the hellblazers were a distraction. Can a raccoon be that smart? Had I been outplayed by a trash eater? My heart might have sunk, but it didn’t have time.
In a low moment, my desperation sank to ungodly levelsand I tried to close the gate with a conjured gust of wind from my fingertips.
It blew a hole in the fence.
“Fuck.” I sprinted toward the exit, turning and facing the other creatures. Glancing between them and the splintered wood panels, I held my hands up in warning. Or surrender. If there was a difference at this point. “Everybody stay here!”
