Forsaken (Fated Saga Fantasy Series Book 8) (11 page)

She made to move forward and froze mid step.

A smoke-like mass materialized just ten feet in front of her.

She tried to scream, but her vocal chords refused to work, shutting down on her.

Jurekai Fazendiin. Standing in front of her.

The original and considered the most powerful of all the immortals.

She ordered her body to move. To turn around and blast her way out of the tent. But it betrayed her, giving in to fear and refused to obey her order.

“I’ve been waiting for this day a long time,” he told her ominously.

She backed away. The first smart thing she’d done since he’d shown himself.

But what did he mean by that? And what did he mean by the smell of her blood… he’s said something about that too.

It didn’t matter. She could ask herself those questions once she’d escaped.

Eddy came screaming into the tent, only to skid to a stop and nearly tumble over onto the ground. He caught himself, got steady and shot off a spell. Fazendiin moved so fast they didn’t see it. But he did not return fire, only moved out of the way.

A blink later, he had somehow whisked past Juliska’s head, his voice whispering clearly in her ear.

“You belong with me. Not them,” the Grosvenor said.

She spun around but he was gone already. Eddy made to come forward but stopped again when the immortal materialized behind Juliska. She’d turned to face Eddy, but knew instantly the immortal was right behind her. Very close. So close, he could touch her. But he didn’t.

“Please,” begged Eddy. “I don’t know what you want. If you just want to take someone, take me. Not her. Please.”

Juliska stared him down and shook her head.

No.

She wouldn’t have anyone suffer in her place.

“How… honorable,” said Fazendiin. “But I didn’t come for you,” he aimed at Eddy.

What both he and Juliska heard was…
I came for her… not you.

She was the reason for the attack. Not Kanda. Not the research… not just a friendly reminder that the Grosvenor were still around and dangerous…

“Please don’t,” she begged him. She couldn’t believe herself. Begging… like it would do any good.

Not now. Just… not now.
If she was taken she’d never see Eddy again. Or her mother… or the island… her life was effectively over.

Fazendiin stepped closer. “Don’t worry, I don’t hurt my own kind.” He said it only loud enough for her to hear.

She let out a gasp, aghast at his accusation.

Firm hands gripped her shoulders.

Eddy raced forward, shouting something… blood rushed to her ears cutting off her ability to hear sound and she did not hear him. Half way to her, Eddy was thrown backwards, blown into the side of the canvas tent wall.

The ground started to spin under her feet.

“Close your eyes,” the immortal ordered her. “It will easier.”

The ground was disappearing.

She crushed her eyes closed. There was no other choice.

Everything got heavy. Her breath, her lungs just trying to breathe.

Somehow, she found enough air to scream. It sucked away all her air and she went limp, unable to maintain any strength. The immortal did not loosen his hold. A moment later, her eyelids got so heavy she could not keep them open and they shut.

Everything went dark.

Outside the tent, the retreat had come to a hasty delay. The Grosvenor had increased their speed and depth of their attack. Kanda had separated herself from the group and Arnon was more than curious as to what she was up to…

A scream from inside the tent.

Juliska…

There was nothing they could do. The Grosvenor would not relent. If anything, the scream seemed to invigorate their attack.

Eddy staggered out of the tent.

“Juliska… they’ve taken Juliska,” he told them.

Everything stopped and moved all at the same time.

So many flashes of thought and memory and fear… almost like life flashing before their eyes.

Juliska’s, not theirs.

Theirs would come soon enough…

Kanda hid in the woods, trembling. She was too late. She should have transformed sooner…

A smoky silhouette flew over the empty tent and a flash later, a massive boom had them all sailing through the air. They landed hard against the ground, only to look up and see their tent dissolve into a coarse dust. Almost like sand.

Everything inside remained intact, but coated in pulverized canvas.

They’d have gladly traded all the research in exchange for Juliska.

The battle raged on, mercilessly.

Now that the Grosvenor had taken what they came for, there was no need to leave anyone else alive. In a mere flash of a smoke-like moment, the immortals showed their true speed and mastery as each of the men found themselves on their knees, hands tied behind their backs with palms bound tightly together to keep them from using magic.

Their breaths were heavy.

The hearts heavier.

If they were lucky, the Grosvenor would grant them quick deaths.

Juliska would not be so lucky…

Eddy sank to the ground, all will to live sucked out of him. How had he let this happen? Let Juliska be taken from him? She’d even warned him; people wanted her gift… it was the reason she did not trust him. It should have been so obvious that Juliska was the prize…

A white owl flew up into the branches of a tree.

Nashua saw it and nodded, knowingly. They had no other choice. Even if the Grosvenor were not here for his sister, after today, they’d know her secret.

The Grosvenor heard the screech of an owl and lifted their heads. In the time it took for this action, there was no owl, but Kanda Macawi sitting on a tree branch. 

“Let them go.” Her tone demanded their instant agreement on this. With a shimmering flash that blinded them all, her owl form flew off and landed on the ground… only as she landed, she was no longer an owl but a shimmering white coyote.

Arnon shook his head, befuddled. He’d never known any of the Tunkapog who could transform into more than one animal. He sucked in a deep intake of breath, his gaze narrowing in wonder. He turned to Nashua. “I thought it was a myth.”

Nashua shook his head, a mixture of pride and sorrow.

“We really need to back up,” stated Arnon.

“Let them go,” Kanda beseeched a second time. She was in human form again. A hazy glow surrounding her body. The Grosvenor hissed and edged closer, showing no fear. A few of them sneered and laughed, their mouths widening to nasty looking grins underneath their hoods.

Their attention on Kanda, the others were able to get to their feet and run.

“Eddy! C’mon,” Balloch encouraged loudly. He used his legs to nudge his pupil to his feet and get him moving. They took shelter behind a group of trees at where the backside of the tent would have been if had not been destroyed.

They watched as Kanda fell to her hands and knees, the ethereal shimmer engulfing her in a cocoon of magical energy. She did not transform like her brother or the other Tunkapog. The energy pulsed like a heartbeat, reforming her body.

The Grosvenor hissed, backing away a few steps. They tossed a few questioning looks at each other and back at Kanda.

Only she wasn’t Kanda Macawi any longer.

What stepped out of the cocoon…

It took their breath away.

Everyone’s…

Thwack.

A long thick tail pounded down hard against the ground.

It snake-like form stretched outward, its movements glistening like pearls under the moonlight.

The tail swept across the ground. Half the Grosvenor dematerialized into smoke; the other half did not act fast enough and scales collided with solid bodies, hurling them in all directions.

One of the Grosvenor slammed into a tree trunk, a gut wrenching crack breaking it. Its body crumpled to the ground. It would not die. Eventually it would heal… but there were just seven left to fight now.

The ground shook.

A muscular leg lifted out of the cocoon pounding down onto the earth in a purposeful step. Then another, another and another.

“Oh my,” exclaimed Milo in disbelief.

Arnon watched in great awe. An owl. A coyote. And a dragon…

Not a myth… he guessed just a well-guarded secret.

She was a true shifter, unlike her kin who could walk in the skin of a single animal.

“Well…” said Cornell, clearing his throat. “This puts
our
efforts to shame…”

“Yeah, the woman kind of kicked our asses,” Arnon agreed. They caught themselves and peered back at Eddy. Juliska had fought well, and they’d failed in protecting her. Balloch tried to comfort his student but had a difficult time keeping his eyes off the dragon.

Nashua watched with a mix of emotions…

The energy inside the cocoon lessened, two white wings spreading out wide. They shimmered, carrying a bit of the ethereal glow they’d stretched out of.

A fiery exhalation escaped alongside a growl.

Teeth. So many dagger like teeth.

Protected by a fierce mouth, long snout and spiked horns that glistened.

The Grosvenor regrouped and eyed the dragon like a prize they’d fight to the death for.

Arnon wasn’t sure even a dragon could win against the Grosvenor.

But it was their best hope.

He jumped when someone grabbed his hands from behind. He looked over his shoulder to see Nashua had freed himself and was doing the same to him.

“Transformed into a wolf,” he explained. “Bindings slipped off.”

Once free, Arnon and Nashua freed the others.

Eddy sprang to life. He didn’t care about the dragon fighting the Grosvenor…

“We have to go after Juliska.”

The others agreed, but their immediate concern was staying alive long enough to be able to.

Kanda’s dragon taunted the Grosvenor. Her powerful neck lunged out at them, her tail thrashed. The attempted to use magic on her but anything they threw at her ricocheted off her impenetrable scales.

Her movements were mesmerizing… the way her body swayed and gleamed in the moonlight.

Kanda could not kill the Grosvenor, but she could definitely take them out of commission long enough for her friends to escape. She tilted her head upward, releasing a rush of fire into the sky, lunging upward straight through the flames. Her wings snapped against the air, her body moving with a graceful agility.

The Grosvenor fled out of her path. But one not quick enough and she clipped its body. It lost its smoke-like form and plummeted to the ground. Another blast of flames spewed out of her mouth, a direct hit to another Grosvenor swinging over her head, trying to catch her off guard. It let out a hideous screech and flew to the ground, rolling around on to put out the fire.

The remaining Grosvenor dashed through the air with extreme speed, but they were no match for the size and strength of the dragon. Kanda body slammed two more Grosvenor and they smacked into each other before falling to the ground. She dove, her mouth opening wide as a torrent of flame escaped. The Grosvenor raised their palms to defend themselves but it was too late. The damage was done.

Seared Grosvenor… Kanda liked the smell of it.

She thrust out her neck and caught one of them in her teeth, crushing its body. She let it fall back to the ground in a heap. One of the burned Grosvenor hissed and hobbled over, grasping the crumpled body. They disappeared. Fleeing…

The others followed just seconds later.

They would not win this prize today.

And Fazendiin had what he’d come for.

Kanda rent out a victorious roar that shattered the night.

The men on the ground breathed out in partial relief.

They were alive. And had no life threatening injuries.

But there had been a great price paid.

Kanda had outed her gift.

Juliska had been taken prisoner.

Two events that could not be undone.

A swoosh of wings soared high overhead. A pearly glow surrounded the dragon form, nearly blinding them. Kanda was coming in for a landing. However, by the time the dragon landed she was the dragon no more, a woman once again, lying on the ground.

Before Nashua could assist his sister, Arnon ripped off his jacket and ran over, covering her. He helped her sit up.

“Thank you,” she whispered breathlessly.

He lifted an eyebrow in grim amusement. “I think
we
should be thanking you…”

“Maybe you’ll believe me from now on when I say I can take care of myself.”

“Actually, I was hoping if I was ever in trouble, you’d be there to save the day.”

She shook her head and he helped her to her feet.