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Wolves.
One of them snarled, revealing bone-white teeth glinting in a stray moonbeam.
Though I hadn't thought it possible, fear spurred within me once again. I was in a den of wild predators, and I was alone.
The other wolves continued to approach me slowly, with several feral growls ripping from their mouths. I swallowed hard and let the coat drop back to my shoulders with a rush of cold air all across my face and neck. Their teeth would rip me to shreds, and there would be no coming back from that.
The bark scratched against the skin on my neck, and I froze. Maybe the way out would not come from running. Maybe it was up. I glanced up at the tree one more time.
Antonio had made me practice rappelling more than any other skill in the training center. It had usually deteriorated into disaster, and it hurt like hell when I fell, but my arms were strong.
I looked back down and held the gaze of yet another deadly animal.
To the side, one of them stalked out of hiding.
I tried to keep my breathing even, but there was a shout behind me.
"¡Lobo!" the Guardia shouted. A gun went off, right toward the creature.
A high-pitched yelp sounded in the air, but instead of scattering, the beast snarled. Just as another throaty growl ripped from one of the other wolf's mouth, I turned and threw my arms around the tree.
My limbs shook, but I pulled myself up just a little. Another bullet went off, and the wolves became more incensed. I had counted four upon the first encounter, but there seemed to be at least twice as many pouring out of different hiding spots. They attacked anything human within reach. Some dashed toward the source of the gunshots. The bark caught on the synthetic fabric of my pant legs while I inched upward.
I slipped and tried to continue, but one of the wolves had stayed behind. It snarled alarmingly close, and I cried out in fear. There was no way I was still hidden from the Guardias.
Wrapping my thighs around the trunk with more force, I tried to inch as high as before, but there was a snap when sharp teeth caught on the hem of my pants and tore the fabric. This time, I screamed.
The wolf tumbled back to the ground.
I looked down just in time to see the shaky, snow coated fur of the monstrous creatures. Strange jealousy snuck up on me over their innate adaptation to the warmth. All I had was anger to keep me from freezing.
My time inspecting the enemy cost me, because another one leapt up with greater accuracy. Instead of catching my clothes, it caught onto my ankle. Pain seared through my leg.
I screamed again. The wound was much more severe this time, and my weak blood had already turned my skin gold in a frantic attempt to save me.It was too much power. I saw spots, but a torn ankle was much worse than a minor injury on my tongue.
The wolves were getting more and more ferocious with each passing second, and more gunshots sounded through the night.
San Volcán, did they have no sense of aim? Damned idiots.
Stuck in an impossible situation, and basically alone, I wondered if this was how I was going to die. Torn apart by frenzied wolves in the middle of a snowy forest, with no one to save me.
What no one had told me was just how high wolves could leap. Even though I was halfway up that tree, a second wolf's teeth were about to make contact with my flesh. With a rush of strength, I extended my body as far as it could go while squeezing the tree trunk with my legs and I grabbed a nearby branch.
I pulled myself up. The wolf barked, but I was already out of reach.
One of the Guardias shouted something unintelligible. I kept climbing until I was high enough for the wolves to be unable to reach me.
Once I was sure I was safe, I collapsed against the trunk. The beacon of my gold skin sputtered out almost as quickly as it had come. I was struggling to breathe, and my ankle was throbbing and burning because of the torn flesh. I let the tears come, my body shaking in the chilly night. My magic still fought to work, and was going into overload, which would bring on hibernation. Anything could happen. That terrified me.
The torn flesh was knitting together too slowly, and my brain squeezed.
Golden blood oozed from my skin and dripped down onto the wolves, which yelped in pain. My magic was toxic to all others but me. One wolf watched me and then backed up several dozen paces. I didn't have time to feel relief before it charged back towards the tree and used its powerful front paws to ram into it.
It rocked, and I did my best to hold on. This tree was looking more and more like my straight and tall grave.
Just then, the sound of footsteps pounding through the snow returned. I cried, too exhausted to do anything else but hold on as the wolves snarled and launched themselves against the tree.
"Over here!" a Guardia shouted.
