Freeks(78)

But then the branches beside me started cracking. There was something else in the woods, charging toward us. Was there more than one demon?

A loud snarl erupted from the trees beside me, and I saw a flash of silver before it collided into the demon. The demonic shadow tried to engulf it, so the new creature almost disappeared, but it fought back hard, crashing into the swamp.

I had no idea what was going on, but I knew I had to escape while I had the chance. Grabbing the roots of a tree, I hoisted myself up out of the muck. The clouds had parted enough to allow the moon to shine through, and I saw the light glinting off the metal on my crossbow.

As the fight roared on behind me, I scrambled to grab my crossbow. Behind me, I heard heavy footsteps and ragged panting. I whirled around, pointing the bow at whatever was chasing after me.

Instead of the darkness of the demon, it was a massive silver wolf, and it would’ve easily dwarfed a bear. Its fangs, exposed under the curl of its lip, could easily snap me in two. I took aim with my crossbow, right for its chest, but the wolf’s expression softened and there was something in its eyes—dark golden brown and strangely familiar—that made me hesitate to pull the trigger.

Then the wolf lowered its head before turning and bounding away into the trees.

I lay on my back in the dirt for a second, catching my breath and trying to figure out what the hell was going on. But I didn’t have much time for that; I had to get out of there before anything else tried to kill me.

I’d just gotten to my feet when a guy burst through the bushes. But it wasn’t just any guy—it was Gabe, shirtless and barefoot. The only clothing he wore was a pair of jeans that looked like they’d gone through a shredder. His hair was mussed, his eyes were wild, and he was out of breath as he walked over to me.

“We have to go,” Gabe commanded.

“Where did you come from, Gabe?” I asked in a trembling voice, but I already knew the answer and stepped back from him. “You were that wolf, weren’t you?”

“We can talk about it later, but we have to get out of here now before that thing comes back.”

“Mara!” That was my mom, screaming just outside the edge of the forest.

“Mara!” Gideon’s voice followed right after hers, his accent lilting with panic.

The trees rustled behind us, and there was no more time to think or talk. Gabe grabbed my hand and pulled me along. His legs were longer and faster, and he nimbly leapt over a fallen tree before picking me up and lifting me over it.

We broke through the forest at the edge of camp and ran straight into Gideon, pointing his Luger right at Gabe.

“Don’t shoot, it’s Mara!” Mom yelled, and she practically pushed Gabe out of the way to wrap her arms around me. “Thank the heavens you’re alive. I couldn’t lose you, qamari. I love you more than the stars in the sky.”

She let go of me long enough to grab my shoulders and give me one rough shake. “I gave you the crossbow and told you to harness your powers to protect yourself, not to kill yourself, Mara!”

“You shouldn’t have followed me,” Gideon said once my mom finished scolding me. He put his leathery hand on my shoulder. “I couldn’t have lived with myself if you got hurt because of me.”

“Did you protect her?” Mom asked, eyeing Gabe’s shirtless torso. He had a few scratches on his chest, but they seemed superficial, so they were probably from branches clawing at him.

“I tried,” he told her, but his eyes were on me, searching.

Everything happened so fast, and I couldn’t think or catch my breath, and I just wanted a moment where the world didn’t feel like it was falling away from me. I looked away from him, just for a moment, just to think, and I spotted Roxie. She was standing next to Luka’s trailer, sobbing loudly, and Hutch had his arm around her.

That’s when I noticed the tears in my mom’s eyes, and the blood on Gideon’s clothes. Dark, like the color of flaking rust, mixed with mud and leaves and a few strands of frizzy brown hair.

“What happened?” I asked.

Then I saw her. Luka was a few feet away from the campsite, crouched over her. Even from this distance, she looked like a rag doll that had been torn apart.

“Gideon found Blossom,” Mom said gently, and rubbed my back. “She’s dead.”

“I know,” I said.

I should’ve known it sooner. Blossom had been talking to me since she’d been gone—I’d heard her voice in my head quoting “The Spider and the Fly.” And as I looked over at her body, my stomach twisting, I realized that she’d been the one who turned my stomach sour. She’d been trying to warn me of danger.

“I saw her in the forest,” I said softly. “She told me to run.”

Mom’s breath caught in her throat as she stifled a sob. “She’s watching out for you.”

Behind me, I could hear Gideon asking Gabe where he’d come from and what he was doing out here. I wiped the tears from my eyes, knowing that I would cry plenty for Blossom soon, but right now, I had to find out what the hell was going on with Gabe.

“I need to talk to Gabe.” I gave him a hard look. “Alone.”

“We should all go back inside,” Gideon said, but I’d already turned and started walking toward my trailer. Behind me I heard Roxie crying, asking what they were going to do with Blossom, and Gideon promised that he’d keep her safe and they would decide what to do in the morning.