Page 69 of Break Out the Girl

Nothing so grave that I cannot continue on, and I know I’ll heal quickly, but still—I am not pleased with the state of my body.

The monstre requin was able to take several chunks from my torso. The battle was long, and our strength unfortunately matched. But I finally succeeded in crushing him, painfully, to death.

And by the time I had regained my equilibrium, the only trace of Aurora I could find was the abandoned Sadie-Mae.

But I will find her soon. There is no other option.

Though first I may need to take une petite pause.

It’s not just the injuries; I haven’t eaten, rested or hydrated for far too long. The conundrum is—whether I should shift again.

Yes, I could slither into the undergrowth and find a hideous rodent to provide nutrition, and probably heal faster in beast-form. However, dining on a rat leaves much to be desired.

I’ll rest for a moment, then decide.

Dragging my sodden, human frame upward onto a pebbled-beach, the movement sets my wounds bleeding again. Gods. The dark sky is full of cloud, and the wind is biting. Is she warm? Is she safe?

Is she close by?

Is her merry gang already heading cross-country to set up a home without me?

“There’s a room there for you, if you finally get the stick out of your ass.”

Closing my eyes, I force my mind to reach outward, searching for that invisible humming thread, the fragile bond between us. For a terrifying, endless beat, there is nothing but the static hum of my own exhaustion. Then, a microscopic spark. A faint, golden vibration echoing from the mainland interior. A direction to follow.

My guiding light.

But not in this condition.

Merde.

Shifting and rattus rattus it is.

Oh, how the mighty have fallen.

24: AURORA

The LandRover slams violently over a deep rut, making my head smash hard against the ripped foam ceiling of the cabin.

On my lap, Lil’ Hare lets out a small squeak, her tiny fingers latching into the wool of my sweater as we’re momentarily weightless.

“Blimey,” London yells, reaching back to try and grab Pepper and Sheena, who are probably bouncing around like pinballs in the trunk space. “This ride’s more bouncy than taking the tube to Clapham Common!”

I crane my neck around, trying to see if anyone is pursuing us, but so far the coast is clear. Was that police, homeowners, or just some rando?

Hopefully, we’ll never know.

Another lurch through a pothole has me banging my knee against a metal bolt that’s sticking out from the door frame.

Motherfucker.

This thing is fucking basic.

Tally makes the gears crunch horribly as we start up a rise. The Vista View family home we briefly hijacked is out of sight now. As this field is a little less turbulent, I try to unfold the map and get our bearings. It’s not easy, and I instantly feel car-sick, but after a few minutes I’m pretty sure I know where we are. “There should be a small road coming up on our right, Tally. See if we can get on somewhere.”

Rounding a bend, a scattering of startled goats zoom out of our way. London sticks a hand out of the window. “Hello, cousins!”

“Up ahead!” Basil points and Taliesin changes direction, screeching to a halt shortly after.