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I stumble back, nearly tripping on a tree root the size of my arm. Another beastly snarl rumbles so loudly that the iron cage trembles, followed by the unmistakable sound of sniffing. Something hard and sharp swipes across the enclosure, like talons scraping over metal.
Calm down. It can’t reach you.
There are fences. Lovely iron fences imbued with spells to keep them in and me safe. Smoothing my damp palms down the side of my shirt, I pivot and break into a soft, controlled jog.
Predators are attracted to running things, right? I should probably walk.
I think of Chatty-Cat, who surprise-assassinates my ankles every morning when I’m half asleep, his inner psychopath awakened by my jerky movement as I half hop half stumble to the toilet. But when his adorable murder mittens bat my feet, the worst that happens is I trip, loose a barrage of curse words, and owe penance to the swear jar.
Whatever lurks behind that fence promises a much bloodier end.
Walk. You should definitely walk. But fear overrides my good sense, and I find myself slamming through branches as I hurtle down the path. Mud and leaves fly in my wake. I’m mid-leaping over a moss-covered log when I hear what sounds like the squeaking of a metal gate.
My heart punches into my throat. Screw my life. My brain tries to rationalize what I heard. There are gates that open to the forest, but they’re to let the nice, cute, less murderous creatures roam.
The fluffy ones, Summer. Fluffy.
But the piercing cry that splits the morning air isn’t fluffy, nor is it behind the cage.
Blind panic sears my vision. My arms pump the air. I’m running so fast my feet hardly touch the ground.
Light trickles from up ahead. The lake shimmers in the distance, students dotting the campus behind it. A quick check behind me reveals nothing but trees.
I slow a little, feeling beyond foolish. Nothing is chasing me. I overreacted.
I’m ten feet from the tree line when something darts across the path, causing me to freeze. Frick! Hands on my knees, I peer through sweat-burning eyes at the black shape slithering across the forest floor.
Shadow. It’s a shadow—a really freaking big shadow. Which means—
I whip my gaze up to see something that at first glance, doesn’t make sense. The spread of ginormous white wings flares from what looks like the muscled body of a lion. Taloned claws similar to a bird of prey cut through the treetops, raining the forest floor with branches.
Another predatory shriek bursts from its golden beak, and then I watch in complete shock as the beast turns its eagle-like head to look down.
Shrewd golden eyes hone in on me.
Griffin. I barely have time to congratulate myself on recognizing the creature before my legs propel me down the path.
Above, the crack of entire tree trunks being snapped in half shakes the forest as the griffin shoots straight for me.
9
My first thought as I burst from the woods is that I’m going to die a very public death. The shoreline around the lake mills with students who had the same bright idea I did about extra training. They’re just far enough away that I won’t put them in danger, at least.
I fling a look over my shoulder, and my stomach hollows out. The griffin smashes through trees like they’re made from dust, the sword-length talons protruding from its paws shredding everything in its path.
The closest tree groans as it plunges forward. Cursing, I leap out of the way a split second before it would have flattened me.
Weapon! I spin around, scouring the grass for anything—
A broken branch rests near my feet. Plucking the crooked limb from the ground, I sprint toward the lake. Dizziness sends me careening sideways, and I gulp the air like its ice-cold Mountain Dew in a heat wave.
I hardly make it five feet before a whoosh of air slams into me, blowing my pale hair around my face. Brandishing the limb high above my head, I whip to face the beast.
Ebony claws swipe from the air—
I duck, swinging the branch like a baseball bat. My arms nearly pull from their sockets as the griffin jerks the weapon from my hands and snaps it like a twig.
Well, that went well.
