Page 15

"It's the Fighting Trees! Run!" Leo yells, scrambling behind the largest tree he can find.

Leo is a big guy, only a few inches shorter than me and all muscle, but he's never been much of a fighter. He prefers to reason out a solution than to defend himself physically.

"How did they get out of Oz?" I yell, rolling with Toto to the other side as another branch whips toward us.

"Vera," Toto whispers, her eyes wide with fear.

All I can think about is getting her the hell out of danger.

"Stick with Toto!" Leo yells, running down the path ahead in a zigzag pattern as the trees reach for him, ready to throw him back.

Nick leaps into the air, jumps over a large branch, then reaches for Toto's hand to pull her up.

As we scramble to our feet, Nick takes a hit directly to his upper back and goes down hard.

I try to help him up.

"Get her out of here!" he gasps, waving me off.

Pausing for a split second, I grab Toto and drag her behind a tree that doesn’t appear to have any ominous magical properties. At least it's not assaulting us.

After a moment, I peek around the trunk, hoping to help Nick. A branch hurtles toward me like a javelin. Toto grabs me with both hands, pulling me out of the way at the last second.

"Thanks." I grin at her.

Toto whips her head from side to side, looking for a way out. Her eyes are wide, her fists clenched like she's ready to fight with her bare hands, and fuck me, it's freaking adorable.

My cock thickens. Fear should be keeping my hormones in check, but right now, I’d like nothing more than to kiss her and make this moment count.

But first, I need to get her to safety.

The tree we're standing behind shudders and creaks. A barrage of sharp cracks explodes against the bark, one after another, like gunfire. The noise is deafening.

"Are those acorns?" Toto yells, ducking lower as dozens of little brown missiles pelt the ground around us.

Glancing to my left, I see Nick slide behind a tree about twenty feet away. He plasters himself against the trunk as the Fighting Trees unleash another round of acorn artillery at him. He points ahead of us, mouthing one word.

Go.

I don't hesitate.

I crouch, press my shoulder into Toto’s stomach, and haul her over it in a fireman’s carry. Then I run like hell while the Fighting Trees focus their fire on Nick.

My mind is completely blank as I race across the forest floor. No fear. No second-guessing. Nothing except one clear purpose—get Toto to safety.

It's the same place my mind goes when I'm working the fields. I can spend an entire day tending the crops with barely a conscious thought, lost in the rhythm of the work, aware only of the breeze against my skin and the warmth of the sun on my back.

Everything else falls away. Right now, Toto is the only thing left.

When we get far enough from the battle zone, I finally stop.

I glance back the way we came, searching for any sign of Nick or Leo. I hate leaving them behind, especially after Nick took that hit, but he told me to get Toto out of there. I have to trust they can handle themselves until I can find a way back.

Toto immediately starts squirming, pushing against my back and kicking her legs.

That's when I realize she's been yelling at me.

"I can run, Granger!" she yelps. "Put me down!"