urging her on by pushing his fist into the small of her back. She listened to the breathing and movements of whatever stalked them. It was a Guardian—she was sure of it. Forest swore inwardly. Dread dug sharp fingers into her belly.
The exit of the woods loomed in the distance ahead. It was possible they were being herded into a trap. If that were the case, their pursuer would have a cohort, or a number of cohorts waiting for them just inside the edge of the trees before the wood opened to the sky.
“Syrus,” she whispered, “in a second, we must get off the road. And we have to run. Can you?”
“Yes. Just say when. If I lose my grip on you, I’ll be lost. Please don’t leave me.”
“I won’t. I swear it.”
They continued forward. The closer they came to the end, the more Forest feared she was right. It was a trap. She could smell those waiting to ambush them, hiding in the trees ahead.
“Ready?” she whispered.
Syrus tightened his grip on the back of her robe. One more breath…three more steps … “Now!” she cried, almost without making a sound.
They stepped off the road into the thick of trees. They ran with the speed of those literally running for their lives. A horrible roar came from behind, as well as some loud crashing off to the side. Forest wove through the trees with Syrus right behind her. They had to emerge from the wood! Once they broke free, they would be safe. At least momentarily.
Their pursuers moved at them from the side, trying to cut across. Forest kept pushing forward as fast as she could go with Syrus hanging onto her robe. But they weren’t going fast enough. They were going to be caught. Their only hope was to stand and fight. To stop her own momentum, Forest put her heels down and began to slide to a halt. Dirt and gravel flew up on both sides of her feet like swelling waves.
“NO!” Syrus roared.
They were in sight of the edge, and Forest could hardly account for what happened next. Syrus lifted her off her feet and continued running at a speed that made her equilibrium flip. The black trees turned into blurs, and the next thing she knew, he was setting her down on the ground in the full light of the moon. Both of them were panting, and Forest looked back at the woods. A ghastly roar erupted from the trees. The whole forest shuddered in rage.
Forest took a few moments to catch her breath. “How did you do that?”
“Do what?” he wheezed.
“Run like the Flash ?” she demanded.
“The what?”
“Never mind. I’ll concede that Vampires are fast in general, but that was…”
He shrugged as though it was nothing. “Just a basic skill of a master of the Kata.”
The sounds of more crashing through the woods came from behind them.
“We need to keep moving.” Syrus said.
“Yeah. Let’s get back on the road.”
They began walking again at a medium pace.
“How could you see where to run, once you picked me up?” she asked.
He snorted. “Listen to yourself.”
“What?”
“‘ How could you see ?’ I’m blind . I can’t see! It was a risk, I’ll admit, but I could sense we were close. I had a bad feeling about fighting the guardians of that wood. What do you think they were?”
“I didn’t get a look, but I think they may have been a merge of ogre and werewolves in beast form.”
“That’s a nasty combination,” Syrus said.
“I agree. I hope I don’t die in battle in a forest. I don’t fancy becoming a guardian for all eternity, especially if I merged with my fallen adversary. That doesn’t happen in the Wolf’s Wood, in case you were wondering.”
“It doesn’t?”
“No. It’s a good thing too. We’d never make it through. No one would. There have been far too many battles fought in the Wolf’s Wood. The whole place would be crawling with deformed, hybrid entities.”
She paused, then continued. “I’m sorry for taking us through there. It was a bad call. I’ve been through that wood back there so many times because
The exit of the woods loomed in the distance ahead. It was possible they were being herded into a trap. If that were the case, their pursuer would have a cohort, or a number of cohorts waiting for them just inside the edge of the trees before the wood opened to the sky.
“Syrus,” she whispered, “in a second, we must get off the road. And we have to run. Can you?”
“Yes. Just say when. If I lose my grip on you, I’ll be lost. Please don’t leave me.”
“I won’t. I swear it.”
They continued forward. The closer they came to the end, the more Forest feared she was right. It was a trap. She could smell those waiting to ambush them, hiding in the trees ahead.
“Ready?” she whispered.
Syrus tightened his grip on the back of her robe. One more breath…three more steps … “Now!” she cried, almost without making a sound.
They stepped off the road into the thick of trees. They ran with the speed of those literally running for their lives. A horrible roar came from behind, as well as some loud crashing off to the side. Forest wove through the trees with Syrus right behind her. They had to emerge from the wood! Once they broke free, they would be safe. At least momentarily.
Their pursuers moved at them from the side, trying to cut across. Forest kept pushing forward as fast as she could go with Syrus hanging onto her robe. But they weren’t going fast enough. They were going to be caught. Their only hope was to stand and fight. To stop her own momentum, Forest put her heels down and began to slide to a halt. Dirt and gravel flew up on both sides of her feet like swelling waves.
“NO!” Syrus roared.
They were in sight of the edge, and Forest could hardly account for what happened next. Syrus lifted her off her feet and continued running at a speed that made her equilibrium flip. The black trees turned into blurs, and the next thing she knew, he was setting her down on the ground in the full light of the moon. Both of them were panting, and Forest looked back at the woods. A ghastly roar erupted from the trees. The whole forest shuddered in rage.
Forest took a few moments to catch her breath. “How did you do that?”
“Do what?” he wheezed.
“Run like the Flash ?” she demanded.
“The what?”
“Never mind. I’ll concede that Vampires are fast in general, but that was…”
He shrugged as though it was nothing. “Just a basic skill of a master of the Kata.”
The sounds of more crashing through the woods came from behind them.
“We need to keep moving.” Syrus said.
“Yeah. Let’s get back on the road.”
They began walking again at a medium pace.
“How could you see where to run, once you picked me up?” she asked.
He snorted. “Listen to yourself.”
“What?”
“‘ How could you see ?’ I’m blind . I can’t see! It was a risk, I’ll admit, but I could sense we were close. I had a bad feeling about fighting the guardians of that wood. What do you think they were?”
“I didn’t get a look, but I think they may have been a merge of ogre and werewolves in beast form.”
“That’s a nasty combination,” Syrus said.
“I agree. I hope I don’t die in battle in a forest. I don’t fancy becoming a guardian for all eternity, especially if I merged with my fallen adversary. That doesn’t happen in the Wolf’s Wood, in case you were wondering.”
“It doesn’t?”
“No. It’s a good thing too. We’d never make it through. No one would. There have been far too many battles fought in the Wolf’s Wood. The whole place would be crawling with deformed, hybrid entities.”
She paused, then continued. “I’m sorry for taking us through there. It was a bad call. I’ve been through that wood back there so many times because
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