The Prophecies (The Sentinel Series Book 2) by Holly Martin Page A

and grey leap over our heads. With a snarl, the thing landed lightly on its feet and turned towards us, teeth bared, ready to pounce. I looked at it, clenching my fist with the pain that surged through my shoulder. It was a creature I had never seen before. My first thought was that it was some kind of mountain lion, with grey fur, and huge, razor sharp teeth. Long claws stuck out from its huge, powerful paws. There was something very feline about its face. But protruding from his head was two horns, one great sharp one right above his nose, and a smaller one behind it.
    ‘What the hell is that?’ I hissed, trying to ignore the pain ripping through my body.
    ‘A Rhion, half lion, half rhino, it escaped from the fort a few months ago,’ Lucas whispered. ‘One of the animal hybrids that was created up here.’
    ‘It doesn’t look very happy,’ I muttered.
    ‘No, can you slide back to the fort?’
    I looked at the creature, but shining from his eyes was not a look of anger or even hunger, it was one of pure fear. I reached out for its mind.
    ‘It’s ok, we won’t hurt you.’
    The fear in his eyes lessened the tiniest of fractions, and he stopped snarling, though his attack stance didn’t lessen any.
    ‘ I’m not going back, you can’t make me go back,’ he panted, anxiously.
    I gently pushed Lucas off me, and sat up gingerly, being careful not to jar my shoulder. Lucas stayed between me and the creature.
    ‘ It’s ok, you don’t have to go back. I’d really appreciate it though if you didn’t kill me, or my friends.’ I smiled, wryly. Lucas was incredibly strong, but I wouldn’t like to see how he fared in a fight with this creature.
    The Rhion relaxed his stance a bit, though looked round him anxiously. ‘ You’re her aren’t you?’ he asked.
    I pulled a face, but then nodded, reluctantly.
    He sighed. ‘ If you want me to go back, I’ll go back, for you.’ Fear flickered across his face again. It pained him to offer that.
    ‘ What’s your name?’ I asked.
    ‘Thor.’ The Rhion replied.
    I smiled, the God of Thunder, how apt. ‘ Thor, I don’t want you to do anything you don’t want to do. Is there a reason, you don’t want to go back? Did they treat you badly?’
    Thor sighed, then shook his head. ‘ No, it’s just… I’m a wild animal, I shouldn’t be left locked in a cage. I should be running with my kind.’
    I swallowed, sadly. Did he know he was a one of a kind, a freak of nature just like me?
    ‘ Then run Thor, run as far away from here as you can.’
    ‘Thank you,’ he bowed his great head.
    Suddenly, a growling came from the bushes to my left. Thor leapt back in alarm as a great Grizzly Bear, slowly walked out of the shrubs between me and Thor. Thor sniffed the air, between him and the bear, and flinched.
    ‘Quinn?’ I asked. It had better be Quinn, or my day had just got a whole lot weirder.
    The bear looked towards me and nodded, then returned its gaze on Thor.
    ‘Quinn, it’s ok, we’ve had a chat. Thor was just leaving.’
    Quinn didn’t relax, he just moved closer to the Rhion, threateningly. I sighed.
    ‘ Thor, go on, it’s ok. He won’t hurt you, go and enjoy yourself.’
    Thor nodded towards me and then took off in a sprint, disappearing through the trees.
    I heard Lucas breathe a sigh of relief as he watched him go, then he returned his attention back to me. He knelt by my side and gently ran his fingers over my collar bone. He pulled a face as he touched the part that was almost protruding out of my skin.
    ‘Come on, we should get you back to the infirmary,’ Lucas, looked away with embarrassment. My Guardian, pledged to protect me from harm, had just inadvertently broken that oath.
    Quinn whirled round to look at me, angrily. He melted into a dog and came to sniff me, to find out what was wrong, whimpering slightly. I stroked his ears. ‘It’s ok Quinn, just a little broken bone, nothing to worry about.’ Lucas carefully helped me to my