Mine to Fear (Mine #3)(23)

Jack shakes his head like I'm useless at this, which I am, but still. “Follow me.”

“I don't think so,” I reply.

Annabelle finally turns her gaze away from the direction of her house and onto me, giving me a strange look. “He knows his way around this area very well. He's explored it since he came to work for us several years ago. It would be wise to follow him.”

I grit my teeth and keep my eyes focused on the group though the ground seems much more appealing at the moment. It is strange to think about Jack coming to work when he was so young. He's probably only a year older than me. “Well then, Jack, lead the way. The place I need to take us is north of here. Do you have somewhere in mind that way?”

“Just try to keep up.”

Like he can't even give a real response. Why bother when we're just women? If he starts taking us farther away, I swear I'm putting this thing to a stop and making my own way with Tawny and Annabelle, dragging them along whether they'd like to or not. I pull my magic from my core, out to the tips of my fingers, ready to zap him with whatever I need to should he turn on us.





Chapter Fourteen





The whole process is much smoother than I expect. Even if he is a Chardonian warlock, Jack doesn't seem intent on turning us in to the Grand Chancellor. For now. The whole way he's been quiet and watchful, even helping Annabelle and Tawny over fallen trees when they needed a hand. Fine, he probably would have helped me too, but I'm too busy keeping an eye on him to let him get so close to me.

Still, he's done a much better job at not just leading but is nicer than I expected. Who knows what the world is coming to? We continue our walk until suddenly Jack freezes and motions for us to stay back.

“What is it?” I whisper. But then he doesn't have to reply because I see it. A brown, baby bear cub, not four feet from where we're standing. What's she doing out all on her own?

“Back up quietly,” Jack says.

We begin to do so, taking steps slowly and carefully. Still, I can't take my eyes off the baby bear. There's a growl from the woods, close. Now we're in for it.

“Keep going,” he insists when I stop.

As much as I don't want to meet momma bear, I don't know if running from her is the best option either.

Jack presses his back into me, pushing me toward the other. I want to swat him to make him stop, but momma bear appears, snarling directly at us.

Panic strikes me, but there is no time to let it. I have to think and act fast. The bear comes running for us. Make that thinking faster.

Just before she gets to us, I manage a spell that creates a wall between us and her. She slams against it, growling.

“Hurry,” I demand. “I don't know how long I can hold this up.”

We run. The bear is livid, smashing against the spelled wall. What's worse than just the bear is all the noise she's making. It could easily give away our position to the warlocks chasing us. My hope is that they can't hear her, and if they can that they don't want to investigate why an animal is so upset.

The bear crashes through my spell. “She's coming!”

“Keep going,” Jack yells. “I'll hold her off.”

Like I'm going to let him protect us all. What if he fails? Maybe I should let him fail and then help, but I just can't bring myself to do it. I turn and stop with him.

“Go!” he yells.

Ignoring him, I cast a spell that's all light hovering around Jack and I, making us look bigger with bright yellow and orange lights. Jack adds to my idea casting a green-lighted spell to my own.

The bear slows.

“That's right you bear,” I yell. “Get away from us. Go back to your baby. Shoo now. Go on, shoo!”

“Don't look her in the eye,” he hollers over my shouts.

I immediately drop my gaze while keeping up my hollering and spell. She saunters forward still, but I don't move. I stand my ground, hollering gibberish. Beside me, Jack is speaking to the bear in a calm tone. At least I'm not the only one crazy enough to speak to the bear.

Finally, the bear moves slower and slower until she turns around and heads back toward her cub. I immediately stop shouting. What have I done? I hope I haven't called the warlocks to us with all my noise, but it seems effective. The bear is no longer in sight. I drop my spell, but I don't drop my gaze from where the bear left.

“Let's go,” Jack says, heading directly left of where the bear went. “Waverly, take the rear. We've got to move fast to not only get away from the bear, but away from here in case the law officers heard.”

I want to fight him, but I don't dare. Not with what just happened. Someone needs to protect Annabelle and Tawny's backs. I just wish there was someone to protect mine.

“I hope I never see another bear again,” Annabelle says.

“I'll second that,” I reply.

We continue hurrying through the area like the bear is chasing us. I don't think we want to take any chances. We walk several more hours until Jack stops leading us and is lazily wandering into a clearing that has nothing in it and is surrounded by trees and bushes coming over a mountain. It seems he is ignoring us and has all the time in the world to lollygag.

“Is it time for a break?” Or have you just gone mad?