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“Thank you,” one woman said, taking my hands between hers.
More of them touched me, my hair, my cheeks, and my arms. Their love, their appreciation, their joy all flowed through me, even if each contact made me tremble and shy away. But I couldn’t run with them all surrounding me.
“Hurry,” I said, turning my head to the brawl with the guards. “My friends need you. Once we take care of the guards, we can get you out of here.”
They nodded at me and scurried down the steps and to their freedom.
A fire started in my chest that maybe, just maybe, we might succeed with this crazy mission and get out of here alive.
Sooner than I’d expected, everyone stood around, chests heaving, sucking in breaths, taking stock of all the dead soldiers they’d defeated.
Flare hugged Phantom and clapped him on the back then gave Shadow a congratulatory pat. Even Phantom shook Shadow’s hand. I smiled, knowing they worked well together as a team. My team.
Shadow searched through the crowd, ducking his head as if he failed to find any of his loved ones.
A frail, old man emerged from the crowed, hobbling, using a walking stick to brace himself. “Phantom, my boy,” he said.
“Papa.” Phantom’s face lit up like the sun.
Father and son embraced, laughing and crying. A few tears of joy leaked from my eyes as I shared in their joy. Phantom’s father was a little shorter than his son, terribly frail from being starved, and he winced when he walked.
Grimm appeared by my side, interrupting my elation at the family’s reunion. “Snow, I’ll take the strongest men to liberate the rest of the camp from the guards. You get the women and children to the tunnels.”
“I’m not leaving you,” I said, staring at him hard.
“I know what you did back there,” Grimm said, probably referring to when I’d scared off the crows. His expression turned fierce. “Something powerful dwells in you. Power you must use to protect these people.”
His hands rose and found the sides of my upper arms.
“If I die,” he said, “I want you to lead them.”
Damn it.I didn’t want to leave them all behind…especially not Shadow…and what about Phantom and his father? But I didn’t want to let Grimm down, either. Not after everything he’d done for me. If that was where he thought my talents were best used, then I trusted his judgment. Even if the idea of being separated from my panthers tore my heart in two.
“Meet you back at the council room,” I said, giving him a rueful smile before leaving to join the shifters.
My gaze fell on Shadow as I raised my hands, clapping to get everyone’s attention.
“Slave camp shifters,” I called, earning a few disapproving growls. “My name is Snow. Located just outside this camp is an ancient dwarf tunnel, which we will use to escape. Follow me to the west wall by the fields, and I will take you to your freedom.”
The group marched away into the darkness, leaving me standing, staring at Phantom. He remained attached to his father’s side. Nothing was going to separate them now they’d found each other. He turned away, picking up a sword from one of the dead guards, wiping the blood on the man’s clothes.
Then he led his father up to Grimm. “My father needs aid to walk. I’m leaving the group to help carry him.”
Grimm closed his eyes and nodded. “I understand,” he said.
He stretched out his hand, and Phantom shook it.
Raw fire burned my throat, and I wanted to burst into happy tears at Phantom and his father’s reunion.
Shadow caught up to me, taking my arm, sweeping me into his embrace. He kissed me hard and passionately, as if this might be the last time he saw me. The ache in my chest at possibly never seeing him again threatened to rip me to pieces. I didn’t want to leave his embrace, his side, his protection. But I knew I had to for the sake of the shifters. Giving it all I had, I returned the kiss with equal fervor, hoping, praying the sea god didn’t take him away from me, like He had done with everyone else. Shadow was all I had left. Frightened I’d break down in front of him, I pulled away, leaving before he changed my mind.
Quickening my steps, I caught up to the front of pack, leading the charge to the tunnel beneath the fence.Sea God,with the number of shifters we’d rescued, our group easily totaled over a hundred. It would take time to get them all through. What if more guards confronted us?
I glanced behind me. Midway back, surrounded by other shifters, Phantom was carrying his father.
My muscles braced tightly the whole way back to the fence. Every rustle of leaves through the tea plant fields had me on edge, glancing over my shoulder to make certain we weren’t being pursued. Alarm bells pealed in my mind, and I feared we might not make it to the tunnels alive.
When I spotted the looming fence ahead, my breathing quickened, and I hurried my pace.
