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I grabbed the front of his shirt, digging my nails into his skin to drag his attention away from the woman who I knew was just trying to rile him up. “Eric, you can’t shift right now. We have to find a way out.”
Teresa laughed. “The only way out is through me.”
I glowered at her. “Not if I can help it.”
She cackled. “Is this your new toy?” She sniffled while wiping her right eye as if a tear had escaped it. “Sad, really. You’ve gotten so boring over the years, Eric. I can’t believe I was ever interested in you.”
“If you were never interested, then why did you just say you were playing both sides to protect your family?” I posed thoughtfully. I pressed the tips of my forefingers and thumbs together to create a triangle that pointed directly at her. “But I suppose we can find out soon enough with a quick memory spell.”
She sneered. “Don’t you dare play dirty magic tricks on me, little girl. You don’t know who you’re messing with!”
She raised her fist just as Eric tore his shirt from his chest. There wasn’t much use trying to stop him when he was already halfway shifted into his wolf form. Just as Teresa began to sprint toward us with her fist up high, Scorn appeared behind her, waving his hands wildly.
“T, it’s a trap!” he yelled. “Come back this way—!”
Her momentum slowed, giving me time to grab a magic grenade from my pocket. Once I hurled it, I grabbed Eric by the scruff and used an extra magical boost to give me the strength to hold him back. He fought against my grip like a rabid dog, salivating at the mouth with a partially extended snout. Unearthly growls vibrated his entire body, tickling my palm and nearly causing me to let him go.
Sit.
His bottom slammed against the ground. I stared wildly at him for a second, noticing the stark silence as his snout retreated into his face to become his chiseled jaw once more. With labored breath, he turned with wide eyes to me, utterly shaken by what just transpired between us.
Were we psychically connected?
“Move! Let’s go!”
Someone grabbed my elbow and yanked me away from Eric. I clawed the air, trying to grab hold of his flesh like it belonged in my hand. He was just trying to get a hold of a situation that had gone completely off the rails. He was just trying to protect me.
My heart thudded as he lunged from the ground and darted after us—me and whoever the hell was clutching my arm. I turned to get a good look at the character, expecting some kind of supernatural creature to be yanking me through the dense darkness of the tunnels.
A snap from my fingers illuminated enough for me to catch a glimpse of my kidnapper—or rescuer.
It was just another human. Practically a teenager.
I hissed when I felt Eric catch up and grab my other arm. “What’s happening?”
I didn’t have time to shrug or respond as we were flung forward. Both of us. With the sort of strength that could only come from something magically powerful. The teenager stayed behind, hardly a glimpse of him left to capture as the ground beneath me gave way.
And then I fell.
My arms flailed at my sides as my legs kicked. I worriedly grappled with the air, trying to find something to grab to stop me from barreling at an unknown speed through the dark. Eric howled beside me, near me, or above me. It was hard to tell which direction was which as I spun about helplessly.
After several stomach flips and a loud screech, I landed on a fluffy surface. The buoyant material flung me back in the air, caught me again, and then tossed me aside. I landed with a hard grunt on a wet cement surface, a pungent odor of stale water surrounding me. I didn’t care how it smelled. I gulped it down, glad to be stationary with my hands flat on the slick ground.
Eric grunted as he landed beside me. I lifted my head in the shadowy area, looking around as my eyes adjusted. Lanterns cast a soft mustard glow over a wide tunnel with water trickling down the middle. It looked like a sewer that would lead us through town—or perhaps it would lead us away from it. I wasn’t sure.
When I glanced back, I realized the only way to move was forward.
Hot hands landed on my shoulders. I gasped as I was hoisted from the ground, balling up my fists and clenching my teeth to prepare for a fight.
And then I was crushed into a hug.
“Oh, sweet goddess, I’m so glad you’re okay, GG. I was scared. Fuck me, I was downright terrified that you were about to get your guts splattered all over the walls of this—”
His breath hitched, causing his chest to balloon right into my cheek.
Oh. Oh. That was such a nice feeling. I circled his waist with my arms, clinging to him like he was the last man alive. He might as well have been at this point.
“Me too,” I whimpered. “Gods, I was scared too.”
