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Both cats ears were pinned to the sides of their head. My hounds did the same thing when intimidated. Shoulders hunched, tails taut, the panther on the left slowly inched backward. His partner, however, refused to submit and lunged at me, nicking my boot with his teeth, tearing the buckle.
I tossed the rock at the hunter, but it bounced off the wall and rolled off the edge of the cliff.
Flipping hell.There went my weapon.
Something heavy and solid landed on me, slamming me to the ground. Unimaginable pain tore through me as a panther bit into my neck. Blind terror pumped through me, and I screamed. Teeth gouged my flesh. The pain consuming me brought on the flashbacks of my torture. Images tore through mind—blades slicing into my flesh, a hot poker searing my skin… My pulse banged in my ears. That little voice inside me screamed at me to move, but terror had claimed control of my body. All I could do was roll into a ball to shield my face.
Through the crack under my arm, I caught sight of a panther streaked with silver ramming into the beast on top of me. Flare rolled several times, coming to a stop at the edge of the cliff. Rocks tumbled as he climbed to his feet, ready to fight.
Flare.Defending me twice in a day.Flipping hell.What had come over him? Didn’t my proximity to him mean the collar seized control of him? Why wasn’t he attacking me as well? Maybe there was a way to overcome the device’s magical force.
Two more hunters rounded on him.
Someone was by my side, lifting me to my feet. “Snow. Are you hurt?”
Phantom.
At that moment, I couldn’t recognize friend from foe, and I pushed him aside. It was as if my memories had turned me into a wild animal. Armed with my satchel, I charged forward, swinging it, hitting one of the hunters threatening Flare in the face. Over and over, I beat the panther until he slashed me, drawing blood. Limping, I grabbed my leg and hobbled sideways.
“Snow!” Phantom shrieked, pushing me behind him.
Like a viper, the hunter launched at us. I took the brunt of both their weight as I was crushed beneath them. Pain lanced through me. Blood dripped on me as Phantom sustained the gashes meant for me. The shock of seeing Phantom hurt shook me from my stupor.
Adrenaline gave me enough strength to wriggle free. Wobbling to my feet, I found the hunter’s face and scratched with everything I had. He flung his head back and roared. A mass of red wept from a wound across his eye and nose.
Great. Now I’d really pissed him off, and now, I’d suffer the consequences.
Over the rumbling in his throat, I heard the crackle of Phantom’s bones as he changed. He leaped onto the hunter before he was fully in his panther form. Together, they clashed, rolling on the ground, each trying to claim the upper hand.
To my right, Shadow tackled another hunter, cornering it, but the two younger beasts, including the one I’d grappled with, trapped him.
Flare came to his rescue, nipping at the heels of one of the hunters, tearing a deep gash in the panther’s leg. The beast stumbled backward, and Flare leaped onto his opponent’s back, seizing him by the neck. Soon, Flare had the creature pinned to the ground. Another hunter attacked Flare, slashing at him, opening a gaping wound.
Stomach coiling with fear, I jammed a hand into my satchel, searching for the knives. Finding them, I drew them out. I swung one of the longer blades, slicing the hunter’s side. Hissing, he swiped back at me, knocking one weapon from my hand. Quickly, I switched to the other, jabbing the beast, getting him in the neck. He snarled, scratching me on the thigh, and I stumbled backward.
The hunter screeched as Flare grabbed him by the leg, dragging him away, closer to the edge of the cliff. Both Phantom and Shadow were engaged in vicious battles, tumbling with hunters, snapping, biting, ripping at each other. Fur and bloody spit flew everywhere.
My lungs turned hard like stone, and I couldn’t breathe. I had to do something before it was too late.
“Stop now, hunters!” I shouted, calling to my magic, giving them an ultimatum. “Join us or die.”
Something was wrong. Where were the blasts of glass I’d summoned? I needed to stab the hunters.
Sigils on all four hunters’ collars blazed even brighter. Horror rattled along my spine as they all stopped fighting and turned to me. Their eyes turned magenta, as if the magic had taken complete control of them. Strange burping and growling noises flew from their open mouths. The horrid sounds beat to the drum of my heart.
Iciness gripped my insides as the hunters stalked closer.
Now, I really was a dead woman.
