Davina (Davy Harwood #3)(29)

“Roane.”

He whipped his gaze to Bastion’s. The silent thought sent to him could’ve been picked up by another, but he saw Bastion’s gaze was trained on the ground.

A foreboding sense began to fill him and it increased as his gaze turned to see what Bastion was riveted by.

There, in the middle of five Goliath-sized wolves and four Romah guards in full armor, was a woman.

He knew who she was.

This was Mother Wolf, the one that Christian told him about. She was stunning. Black hair fell free and loose past her shoulders. She wore a blue and silver robe. The colors were striking, matching the air of strength she was emanating. Her eyes were dark. Her lips were bright red, curved into a half smile, and her head was raised in a confident and authoritative manner, but that wasn’t all that clung to her—magic. He felt it in the air. Older magic that he never felt was in the air, and as they progressed below them without sensing their presence, Roane was surprised.

If anyone would’ve felt him, it would’ve been her, but it hadn’t happened. They waited another half day before dropping back down to the ground. Once they did, both vampires groaned from the impact. Their legs had hardened into stone from the lack of movement. Both had gone without blood for days. There was no point to talk. Both needed sustenance if they were going to get around the army and back to theirs. Christian would need to know Mother Wolf was with the army, and she was protected by Romah vampires, but hearing a leaf stepped on in the distance, Roane lifted his head up and smelled the air. It was deer—that meant blood for them.

Both vampires took off and were on the deer within moments.

Both fed because both knew their days ahead would be grim.





DAVY


All right.

I had to admit to myself that the idea of going alone was ambitious and honorable. It also sucked. I was hungry. My feet were bleeding. My back was sore, and my hands were almost frozen. The first leg of the trip had been glorious. I used my Immortal speed and zipped over any cliff that needed an extra boost to cover. My head had been high and my shoulders were firm. That lasted a day. I was on day four and because I was doing all this the ‘human’ way, I had an entire mountain still to cover. I didn’t know why I’d been so eager to blast us so far away with my Immortal powers before, but like Gavin said—we’d been safe.

Oh yes.

We were safe. We’d been four mountains over safe. I was cursing myself, just like I’d been the last day, when I heard a sound that I didn’t think I’d hear again.

“You doofus! We need that to burn the Mary Jane.”

Humans.

Glorious, doofus-saying, Mary-Jane smoking, humans.

I almost doubled over in relief. The mere sound of that voice slammed an old sense of reality back into me, one where I had been human, somewhat normal, and I hadn’t been interrogated, tortured, wounded, or hunted by a supernatural being, or an entire army of supernatural beings.

I was so overwhelmed that I was frozen in place as two guys stumbled past the clearing and onto the same path that I was on.

I was there, standing with my hand wrapped around a walking stick, and my eyes so damn wide a flying saucer could’ve entered them. I knew I must’ve been a sight. I’d alternated between shivering and sweating over the last day and a half. I still didn’t want to use any more of The Immortal powers than necessary, and because I wasn’t expecting to find anyone so close to me, I hadn’t resurrected the cloaking spell. I was still stunned. I hadn’t even thought about making myself invisible.

These two guys, one was tall and lanky, with a bright green rain jacket and glasses on his face, and the other was an inch shorter and pudgier, wearing a matching jacket, stared at me. They both had hiking boots and had large hiking bags strapped to their backs. They were dumbfounded.

Then, one broke out, a wide smile appearing, “Hey! Are you a hallucination?”

The taller one frowned and smacked the shorter on the back of his head. “If we’re both seeing her, I doubt it.” He paused, his frown deepened, and he took his glasses off. After cleaning them, he put them back on and leaned forward. “Nope. She’s still there.”

“Hey!” The shorter one pumped his hand in the air. “What’s your name? Do you speak English? I’m Spencer.”

“Of course she speaks English,” the taller one muttered, but stopped and scratched behind his ear. “Wait. She might not.”

At the same time, Spencer twisted around and muttered to him, without moving his lips, “You don’t know that. This place has some strange folks in it. She could be from some native tribe or something.”

“She’s wearing jeans.”

“Oh yeah.” Spencer nodded to himself, his smile brightening even more. “What’s your name?” He jerked a thumb over his shoulder. “This is Cal. We’re here on holiday. We’re hiking through these parts before heading back to the States. Figured this was a trip of a lifetime. We were nearby in Brunsby on a semester visa, but that’s done for in a week. You on holiday, too? Wait.” He glanced around, narrowing his eyes and pursing his lips in concentration. “Where’s your group? You’re not alone, are you?”

This was absurd. Both were from America, and both were high. A laugh started deep in my throat and before long, it doubled in volume. I couldn’t contain it. They were hiking. They were on holiday. They thought I was a student.