The Opal Witch: Prophecy (Book Two)

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Kitty

Kitty hated this. Not the attack–she thought she might actually enjoy the adrenaline rush of a fight. No, she hated feeling helpless. Standing behind a man while he protected her. The day she discovered she was a witch, she'd swore she would never be forced to rely on someone else to protect her, yet here she was. Cowering.

The bit of magic she'd stashed in a hidden stone was long gone. Used the night she locked Lux in with Declan, and the spell she had cast to fight against Morgause and Morgan had cost her dearly. It was a price she would willingly pay again if that was all she had left when the day came that they faced Morgause and Morgan, but as dire as their situation was right now, it wasn't bad enough would shred her own soul to join the fight.

"To your right," Calum shouted at Declan while he slung his stone missiles at a charging beast.

Declan responded with a whir of his staff. Blood arced through the air as the end of the staff struck his jaw, and one rock shot through his stomach. It was too much to hope that would end the monster. The creature merely stumbled sideways, growled, and retreated to regather itself.

"Are you okay?" Declan asked. He slammed the butt of his staff into the cave floor, and she felt the pulse of earth magic rise and refortify the wood.

"Peachy," she replied before screeching, "Watch out!"

This time, two of the wolves launched themselves at their party. They were smarter than their brothers, choosing to go over the imaginary hedges rather than navigate the ever changing landscape. Kitty hoped Percy and Travis paid attention to that. They would need to alter the illusion to keep the monsters confused.

Declan and Calum danced in unison, flinging magical attacks at them. It was an impressive sight to behold and gave her a new respect for the Guardians. She thought their single Talent limited them, but now, she could see the benefits of becoming a master of their power.

A low growl made the hair on her arms raise, and she looked over her shoulder to find that the constant shifting during the fight had moved her closer to the cave's entrance and away from Declan's protection.

"Good doggy," she said, adding a nervous chuckle. The big black beast reared back on its hind legs and gnashed its yellowed, dripping teeth at her. "That's just uncalled for."

In response, it raised its scarred snout and howled before springing for her. Kitty dove out of the way. Her shoulder caught on the stone wall and pain shot down her arm. Keeping the injured limb against her chest, she ignored whoever shouted her name and ran in the opposite direction of the attacking animal, desperate to put distance between them, even if it meant running into the storm. She was little more than an animal herself in this moment–driven by pure instinct and the will to live.

"Kitty!"

"Kitty, stop!"

But she couldn't. Not while she could feel the heat of the black shuck's breath against her back. The hedges rose around her, boxing her in. She knew they weren't real, but it didn't stop her from closing her eyes as she barreled through them. Thankfully, the wolf didn't realize he could do the same, and she cheered when she heard its angry snarl growing fainter with every step she took.

Sleet slapped her in the face and melted in her hair as she ran while her coat protected her from the worst of the cold. Snow and ice crunched beneath her boots, each step sinking a little further as the snow deepened. Until at last, she couldn't raise her leg high enough to take a proper step. She pitched forward, choking back a scream and fell face first into the frigid white.

"Aaaghh," she shouted against the ice before raising her head and spitting out dirt and snow.

With a simple spell, she could have pulled the entire cave down on the wolf, but because of her stupid decisions, she was without the only thing that made her powerful. Rolling to her back, she sat up and squinted in the direction she'd run. Any hope she had of following her tracks back to her friends disappeared when she saw the footprints closest to her were already disappearing, filled in by the constant precipitation. Overhead, the dim gray sky was darkening, and Kitty knew if she was left out here after nightfall, she wouldn't make it to see another morning, but her only choice was to wander blindly, hoping she picked the right direction and didn't run into a prowling black shuck before she found her friends–if she found them at all.

"Damn it," she whimpered, pushing the heel of her palms into her eyes to stop the tears that threatened to fall. After everything, was this how she was going to go out? Having failed her best friend at every turn. Would the universe at least not let her save Lux before it claimed her for her sins?

"Get up."

She shot to her feet, eyes wide, and chest heaving. "Whose said that?"

"Walk to your right."

The voice belonged to a man, but Morgan could glamour her voice. Still, if Morgan was here and wanted her dead, she would only have to sit back and wait for the weather to kill her. Why would she call for her? And would it not be better to risk it than to sit and die?

"Now, child."

She sniffed. Whoever it was possessed little patience. "Forgive me for weighing my options here."

"I see only one. Obedience."

The wind whipped harder, the icy blades in it cutting through her chilled cheeks, but there was a sound in the wind that gave Kitty pause. A trembling of branches. But she had run into the clearing and away from the forest. If she was close enough to the forest's edge, surely she would see at least the dark outline of the large pines.

Kitty gasped and took her first step. "Merlin?"