Chapter 17

“Scotty!” I turned away from the scene, looking for my partner.

He was already looking at the tree line, eyeing the thing coming at us.

He and Luis jogged over. “I see it, what is it?”

“Nothing good. Luis, take Mary and Jon Jr. somewhere safe. Tell Maxx we need to clear out the crowd.”

“You think-“

“I think we have company coming, yeah. Round up all of the Inquisition Officers you can.” I ordered and turned back to the woods as the sound of cracking tree trunks awakened the somber crowd. The howl that came from the depths of the woods tore through the heart of my soul, chilling the building heat that Scotty’s kiss had caused earlier. It was the sound of a thousand hounds.

The shaking, cracking, and howling crescendo until a tree nearest me was sucked into the black abyss of dark-covered woods. In their place were green, feral eyes as the beast…or beasts…emerge. There were three of them.

Crap.

They stood at two stories tall, their heads were just inches shorter than the treeline. Grey skin stretched over bones the size of baseball bats and twisted at odd angles. Drool ran from lips that were chapped and pulled back against their yellow stained teeth. It smacked the ground with gallon sized droplets that splashed mud and drool everywhere. The largest beast of the three lowered his head, sniffing the ground. It paused, sniffed, and then looked directly at me.

A child’s cry broke the taught moment of silence, civilians stampeded past me into the parking lot, bodies flung themselves anywhere and everywhere they could that got them away from the direction of the beasts.

Jumbo-beast, the biggest one, smiled. Almost. His lips pulled back into a thin line, as if this was the moment he has waited for and gave chase without movement. His large head swooped down and plucked an officer from the crowd, crushing him through large, yellow teeth and mixing blood with the mud and drool.

I heard Scotty curse beside me, he was back, and he has brought reinforcements that have lined themselves between the beast and civilians. I heard someone shout ‘fire’’ and a second later, round M-166’s shot off, breaking through the tough skin of the beasts. Large drops of blood mingled with the drool and mud. Like on Monday though, the bullets had no effect. The fight looked hopeless, if someone didn’t do something, a lot of people were going to die.

“What’s the plan super-girl?” Scotty asked.

“Running?” I suggested, watching as another officer was snatched up.

“Screw running.” The words came from Sara who had magically appeared beside me.

“Do you have any brilliant plans?” I asked, lifting a brow at her.

She looked at the beast and nodded. “Tell the officers to retreat.”

I didn’t take time to question her, Scotty and I yelled for retreat. The call was echoed through the line of men, and they scurried back to the parking lot, not wasting any time. The dogs took enjoyment from the running men, picking one or two up between the three of them. Shouts and cries filled the night. In the chaos, Sara had picked up a twig twice her size, but somehow she managed to hoist it above her head.

“Nice puppy,” She shouted, throwing the stick at the first big dog. His eyes follow the stick until it reached mouth level and he snatched out of the air, crushed the wood with his bare teeth and let out a low, guttural growl. It eyed Sara who had her finger pointed at him, shaking it.

“Bad puppy!” The beast shook his head, his jaws opened wide as another growl shook the ground. Sara’s face paled and her other hand pressed back against my chest.

“Run, run now!” The ground shook as the over-sized mutt gave chase. Grabbing Sara by the collar of her yellow sun dress, I dragged her half-running behind a large rock, Scotty dodged around another one nearby.

“Really Sara? Fetch?” I gave her my best angry sister look, but she just shrugged.

“It could’ve worked. At least it was an idea!”

“They’re man-eating beasts! What part of that says friendly to you?”

“You’re a witch, just use your magic. Cast a spell or something.” Scotty suggested.

“He knows?” Sara was shooting daggers at me. I chose to ignore her.

“Actually, not so much…anymore. Kind of lost my powers.”

Scotty stared at me, eyes wide. “You lost your magic? How does a witch lose their magic?”

“I don’t know! It’s not like this thing came with a manual!” I tossed my hands in the air in my best Sara-like, dramatic fashion. Scotty and Sara exchanged looks.

I groan. “Don’t even.”

Their voices unified over the gale-force breathes of the beasts. “We’re so dead.”

“Y’know, a little faith would be nice!” I rolled my eyes, ducking as a dog’s snout graced over the rock hiding us.

“Okay super girl, what’s the big plan?” Scotty challenged again, brows raised.

“Scotty you go left, Sara you go right, and I’ll go down the middle.” I ordered, signaling the directions with my fist.

Scotty eyed me with uncertainty, “And the plan is what exactly?”

“Running.”

“Hey, that was my plan!” Sara glared at me.

“It was my plan first!” I argued.

I push her. “Just go!” With a huff, Sara took off and Scotty followed right behind her. Ahead of me, I spotted another rock. Without hesitation, I pushed off the rock and took off running down the path toward the second rock.

I leaped behind it, barely making the land. The rock shook with the breath of the beast above me. I closed my eyes. “Whoever you are, please help.” I begged quietly.

The answer was almost immediate. Not in words or spoken, but in a wind that didn’t match the breath of the beast. A tingle of magic that surrounded me. And a clank of something hard landing at my feet. I looked down, surprised to find the sword of the dragon at my feet. I remembered Monday night and how it sliced through the creatures without fail. Maybe this sword would do the same here.

“That’ll do.” I summer salted forward, grabbed the off the ground and swung around to shove it in the beasts face.

One head looked down at me and then at the sword.

It froze, transfixed by the glint of the blade. I had only one shot. I had to do this right. That was when I noticed it. The glowing green mark at the center of the beasts chest. I didn’t know how I knew, but I knew that mark was my target. It was now or never.

“Keep them distracted!” I yelled at Scotty and Sara, but I didn’t wait on the answer.

I jumped. I soared through the air, landing- or more like bouncing- off the rock I hid behind. The beasts snarled and snapped at me but missed by an inch. Instead, I used his teeth as leverage, pushing off them with another leap toward the mark. I aimed the sword and swung hard.

The sword ripped through flesh and bone, crunching beneath the metaled weight.

I jerked it out and fell back down to the ground. The earth shook once more as the beast stumbled and rocked. All three heads swung side to side and crashed together. Blood poured to the ground, covering even me in the aftermath. I watched in awe as the creature crashed to the ground, only shook from the unnaturalness of the scene as arms pulled me backwards. A second later, one of the heads hit the ground right where I’d been standing. I felt my knees give way and I fell to the ground beside it.