I see the ground and the sky as I fly through the air until I land against a hard body and turquoise eyes.
‘Hey, Rezzi-bear. Did we just die and go to heaven?’
‘I doubt it, else I don’t think we would be hurting this bad,’I point out, slowly rolling off of him.
“Damn, that’s a punch,” Zeke groans.
“Well, next time, tell me there’s a force field going up, and I won’t boom us to smithereens,” Moni pouts.
“It’s okay, baby,” Chester says, trying to comfort Moni.
“I was aiming for that puca that was charging us,” she confesses in a soft voice as her bark turns blue.
“That was your boom?” Ryker moans as he peels himself off the shield. “Damn, I don’t remember it punching so hard. Great job, sis.” He gives her a shaky thumbs up, and Moni slowly lightens up to a brighter blue.
“Thanks.”
“I’m sorry. That’s on me. I didn’t say anything because I wasn’t sure my magic was going to work that well, nor hold this well, to be honest,” I declare as I watch the pucas circle my now tri-colored shield. It was once clear, or I could barely see a silver glimmer to it, but now, depending on how I turn my head, it’s woven with red, blue, and yellow, along with my silver.
How odd.
A puca backs up and charges, and slams into the shield, causing ripples to roll over it, but the hard barrier holds, and if anything, I smile at the sensation.
“What’s the smile for?” Lynx asks, catching the look on my face.
“You won’t believe it, but that tickles,” I chuckle.
“Yeah, your goose is cooked.” Lynx shakes his head at me.
“I think the only thing that’s cooked is Knox and his Hell-bent Slayer,” Knots points out.
What in the?—
‘Slayer! What in Fates' name are you doing?”I screech as I find himoutsidemy bubble, riding one of the pucas.
Yeah, you read that right. A nine-foot cat is on top of a horse, facing its tail so it can rip it off, and Slayer is using his tentacles as arms to wrap around its midsection as straps to stay on.
‘What does it look like?’he laughs,‘I’m having the time of my life.’He throws me a smile full of teeth before he reaches down and yanks a corded vine from the horse's tail.
‘I thought those were poisonous.”I cover my mouth as I feel my knees going weak. Lynx stands behind me, supporting some of my weight as I try to take in everything.How the hell did I miss Knox in my damn shield?
‘They are, but not to me, babygirl.’
“Um, I’m not one for trying to rain on anyone’s parade,” JP starts, and I turn to give him my attention. “It obviously seems like Slayer can handle himself with the pucas, and your shield is holding, right?”
I numbly nod as I mentally check my magic and the shield.
“Yeah, we’re good,” I say confidently.
“Good.” He smiles, but it doesn’t reach his eyes. “Because I’m confident that Slayer can easily take down their defense system on, what? Five to seven pucas here?
“Yes,” Chester concurs. “What’s the problem?”
“Look further into the woods; the shadows,” JP demands. We all turn to look at our surroundings, seeking deeper into the trees, and my mouth goes dry as my world stops spinning.
“Does everyone see them from their spot?” I ask, dreading the answer.
“Yeah,” Chester says in defeat.
