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But I didn’t think it was enough. I focused on the tree just outside of the fence and past my reach, hoping I could do this without touching it. Technically, I hadn’t touched every plant in my collection that first day, yet they all grew while I napped, so maybe?
“Grow your roots,” I whispered. I directed them to grow into and through the foundation of the fence.
The lion and the snow leopard still had their gaze firmly on the weedy vines, as they wrapped around the fence.
“Let’s not be too obvious while they do their thing, hey guys?” I made my way back to the wall. “How often do we get let out? Every day?”
The lion chuffed twice.
“Twice a day?” The sun looked like it was about to set, so this must be the second time today. “Again tomorrow morning?”
He chuffed again. There were no words, but it sounded like a yes.
“Good. That will give it time.” I wasn’t powerful, and while the kudzu was easy enough to grow and control, the tree wasn’t. I felt tired already and regretted not having learned yet how to ration my energy. I had learned how to stop and restart a spell, though. So I’d take a break if I had to.
I looked at the guards at the top of the tower. Now that I’d taken a longer look, they were holding tranquilizer guns, not real rifles. “What about them, when the time comes?” I hoped I was whispering quietly enough.
The two cats exchanged a look before the lion wandered off to sniff noses with the tiger. After a quick sniff of the slowly growing kudzu vines, the tiger looked over and gave me a quick nod.
Okay. I guess that was it. We had a plan. Kind of. I had no idea what they planned to do to get rid of our guards, or what would happen after we got that fence down. But I did know one thing: I wasn’t staying here.
Chapter 32
Lillian
Itwascoldandrainy the next morning. It didn’t seem to bother any of the other shifters, but I was freezing.
I’d stopped the spell last night just before lights out. I hadn’t noticed just how exhausted I was until I’d finally gotten one of the guards to let me out to use the bathroom. I had to be the first human form shifter kept here, and a woman to boot, and that must have made a difference in the way they treated me when I pleaded to the camera that I really needed to go. I doubted the others would have been allowed out. Especially since they were all extremely dangerous in their shifted forms.
One of the overnight guards had been clearly upset when Arthur confirmed to him that I couldn’t shift. He’d mumbled something about being paid to watch monsters, not innocent people. I decided to use that to my advantage and let him believe I was just a normal woman.
The walk back to the cell had been brutal, like I was trying to finish a marathon. At first, I thought I’d come down with something, but then I remembered I had two spells going and I shut them down real quick.
Gunnar hadn’t been kidding when he said it was dangerous to drain my powers. Last time, I’d been surrounded by my plants, which, as a green witch, also charged my powers. Technically, if I were to stand in the middle of a jungle, I should be able to recharge while I discharged and keep simple spells on indefinitely, even with the limited powers I had. Sitting in the cell yesterday, I hadn’t had that luxury.
I was relieved to see this morning that the plants had done their job. The ground at the base of the fence rose up ever so slightly, as if the tree roots underneath had grown overnight, pushing up the ground. And two sections of the fence were covered in kudzu.
But I wasn’t the only one who had noticed. The guard standing atop the tower had spotted the change as well.
“What the fuck? Was that there yesterday?” he asked his partner.
“Dunno. Don’t think so,” was the reply.
“Shit,” I mumbled under my breath. “Guys, we need to do this now.”
It was as if I’d given a secret signal. My new lion friend prowled away, placing himself on one side of the tower as the tiger slinked to the far end of the yard. Everyone had stopped to watch them. Only the guards weren’t looking, because they were busy taking photos of the fence.
Did the other shifters all know what was about to happen? Had the plan spread to other prisoners, even though no one technically used language in their shifted form?
The tiger started to sprint toward the lion. Both leaped into the air, the lion going straight up while the tiger aimed itself at the top of the tower. I realized it was going to try to jump all the way up there. The tower must be at least twenty feet tall. There was no way he’d make it!
But he wasn’t aiming for the tower; he was aiming for the lion. For a moment, I thought they were going to collide in mid-air. Instead, the lion boosted the tiger up higher. The tiger’s second jump had him landing right on top of one of the guards.
The man let out a scream that ended in a wet gurgle.
“Fuck!” The second guard stumbled back, reaching for his tranquilizer gun.
But it was too late. The tiger made a bloody mess of him as well in short order.
