Who am I kidding? I’m probably in this on my own, but Lynx is worth it. My life is worth it if I can free him. This foreboding feeling I’m getting is not sitting well with me, and I can’t help but have my mind go back to his arrival when I was six. He showed up on my front porch during a storm like this. The lightning wasn’t normal where it came straight down, it arced across the sky. The winds seemed to blow in all different directions and the clouds just looked off. That’s all I could remember when I was little besides the neighbors and my parents saying it wasn’t normal. I don’t feel like it’s a coincidence that this storm is getting worse when Lynx is a Storm Shifter and the last time I saw him, he was losing himself to whatever those fuckers were doing to him.
Climbing over a large log, I plop down into a huge puddle and groan as mud splashes up, covering me from head to toe. Instead of trying to wipe it off, I tilt my head back and let mother nature and this storm do their thing. The rain quickly washes the gunk away and I open my eyes to take in my surroundings right when lightning strikes, highlighting…somethinghanging from the high tree limbs.
I slam my hand over my mouth as I silently scream at the sight of hundreds of different creature skins hanging over the branches surrounding me. I had hoped JP was just pulling my leg and joking about skins dangling from the trees.Abuhuku!We haven’t covered any of this in class, and even if we did, I don’t have any fucking powers to help me with this shit, at least that I know of. I’m kicking myself for not looking up more information after that one had been in our dorm delivering our things. All I can remember is that they look like mosquito beasts or something.
The silver mist goes right underneath the forest of skins, but I don’t have the ovaries to go through there. Maybe I can swing around them and meet it on the other side?
Chittering to my right grabs my attention and I slowly move to my left, being careful not to make too much noise.What the fuck is making that sound?It’s almost a cross between a Red Fox’s cackle and a Rattle snake’s tail. I wish I could see where the fuck it’s coming from.Please be a bug!Another animal? What the fuck am I supposed to do now?
Before we left, Moni insisted on helping me pack a bag. Even though I felt comfortable out in the woods back home picking herbs, I never really did the camping thing. So with her help I have the basics. Another pair of clothes, a lighter, kindling to make a fire, a knife, a few hair ties, and some food. Unfortunately, we didn’t think to pack for a typhoon. The knife would come in handy, but let’s face it, I would probably end up cutting myself. That’s why I placed it in the side pocket of the backpack instead of the buckles along my thighs. They’re just there because I figured if I was on a rescue mission, I might as well look the part.
I could probably protect myself, but if what JP said was true, I don’t want to get close enough for Abuhuku to touch me. Which in turn means I can’t hurt them. The only option I have is to get out of here and pray they can’t track me. Before I can move though, a stench so foul catches me off guard, making me gag. Trying not to cough and give my location away, I breathe through my mouth as I inch along the log. Thunder rolls in the distance and lightning strikes, illuminating a creature in front of me.
Gray wrinkled skin with open sores cover the six foot monster. A blend between a mosquito and beast turns out to be a very accurate description, with a wide long nose that comes to a point and wild gray and white fur covering his legs and back, helping it blend in with the darkness of the forest.
I scream and duck as he swipes for me. Fuck being quiet, I’m moving as fast as I can, and that fucking thing is right in front of me. If I hadn’t caught sight of him, he could have killed me in the next few seconds, and I wouldn’t have known what hit me. I run as fast as my legs can carry me and the chittering noise increases, echoing all around me.
Judging from all the hanging decor, my guess is there are more than one and they’re communicating with each other, but my eyesight isn’t as great as theirs to know for sure. Add in the rain and not knowing the area and I’m probably running into a trap, but I refuse to make it that easy for them. Remembering that I had planned to double back on the other side of their skins of death, I make a sharp right turn just as lightning strikes again, showing me what I barely missed. Which is a small wall of rock and a few Abuhuku standing on it waiting for me to run into them.
Please Fates, be on my side for once.
I slide a little as I try and gain some purchase and I feel something grab for me, but it catches the end of my hair.
“NO!” I scream and pull against its hold, freeing my braid and probably losing some hair in the process. I’d rather be bald than dead, so I take that as a win as the cool rain quickly soothes my burning scalp. Adrenaline continues to pump through my body as I run and slide around trees, trying to stay ahead of the chittering noise behind me.
A few things I’ve learned from bad horror movies is to never look back, and the ‘monster’ is usually just misunderstood, but in this case I’m not about to stop and try to figure them out.I doubt they would wait long enough for us to have a criss cross applesauce session before they eat me.
I see a small opening ahead so I put on a burst of speed. I wish I knew if it was doing any good since I’m running out of energy pretty quickly. I break through the narrow break in the trees, and my heart shatters as I look ahead and see a wall of rock. I’m at the base of the fucking mountains.
NO!
Turning around, I try to decide where to go based on the chittering, but it’s dead quiet besides the rainfall. Lightning strikes once again and this time it highlights the reason for the silence. I’m surrounded by Abuhuku Shifters. If they’re Shifters that means they’re human right? Or at least understand speech.
“Please don’t do this. I’m just trying to find my Familiar.”
As one, they take a step closer, and my heart feels like it’s about to burst through my chest.
I’m not ready to die.
Unwilling to believe this is my fate, I slowly reach back and pull the knife from its sheath on the side of my backpack. I’d rather take a chance of cutting myself than just giving up. I brace myself for their attack. Lightning scorches the sky, giving me the confidence that I might be able to do this since it’s illuminating the hungry creatures around me.
Yes, I can do this.
Like a signal, thunder roars right above me as the Abuhuku leap for me and the lightning ceases, plunging us into darkness.
ChapterFifty-Four
SPLISH-SPLASH, THERE WAS A GATE CRASH
Ryker
You would think if our parents were calling us home for the weekend they would have at least stocked the house with snacks. We’ve been home for most of the day and we’ve already run out of the food the cook prepared. Did Matt forget that we’re growing boys and need to constantly eat? Hell, at least order some take out; if you tell them it’s for the Council, their speed delivering that shit like their ass is on fire.
Not like I would know or have done that in the past, but I’m sure they would. Knox and I have decided to leave the den where everyone is gathered so we can try and find something to nibble on. He goes straight to the pantry and fridge, I take on the cabinets and sit on the counter when I come up empty. Honestly, I wasn’t even that hungry, I just couldn’t handle being in that room and listening to one idea after the other getting shot down.
There has to be a way to get Levi out of this damn thing. The Council just scoffed at the idea of us never leaving the room so no one could get at us. Granted, it was pretty dumb, but it was better than all of theirs where they just said we might as well go with it. “What’s the worst that could happen?”
Really? Let’s see, Levi would be bound to a bitch for the rest of his life when he clearly cares for Rez and she’s finally giving him a chance. Just thinking about my little temptress has my desire flaring within me, and I flood the room with lust.
