Mine to Fear (Mine #3)(27)

Tawny shoots several beams of light at them, hitting them to the ground and hopefully blinding the others. But no, they get up off the ground and keep chasing. There's more distance between us now but not nearly enough to save us.

Tawny can't be captured. Neither can Annabelle. These two women mean too much, not only to others but to me. A bright orange spell flies toward Jack. I block it with a burst of green. Too much fear clouding my emotions. No one has to know that except me, though.

I flash a spell back at them, yellow and green, ready to knock them to the ground like Tawny did before. I don't know what else to do, what else will save us. A blue spell zips to me, wrapping around my ankle, knocking me to the ground.

After a stunned moment, I turn and kick at the spell still holding me down. Out of nowhere, Jack appears, slicing into the spell with a green one of his own. As soon as I'm free, I jump to my feet.

“Thank you,” I say between huffs.

But we're not safe yet. It doesn't feel like we'll ever be safe again. They are too close, and we are too far from safety.

There's only one thing I can think to do. I picture a barrier between us and them, solid and firm. I thrust the spell out behind us in a wave of dark green. Thankfully the color is dark, glowing in the night, so as not to give us away any further than it has to. Before I face forward, a yellow spell splashes against the shield.

“Faster,” Jack demands, like we aren't already going at our fastest pace.

We reach the woods separating us from safety and dart in. Annabelle slows.

“Not yet,” Jack says. “Keep going.”

She hurries again but says between breaths, “I don't know how long I can.”

We dodge through the trees, gasping for breath. A green spell slams into a tree to my right. This wasn't such a good idea after all.

I turn, blasting off another shield spell, putting all my power into it, hoping to give us enough time to run off. There's shouting from behind us, but it grows more distant as we run. And run we do. We go and go and go, everything in me aching, especially my side. I grasp onto it and keep going as fast and as far as I can. The further we get, the more we slow, but we still don't stop. By the time we reach our packs, there's not another sound besides us.

We wait there a moment, and I don't dare believe we actually got away with it. Any moment, the law officers will be back, attacking us again. But no, there's nothing and no one. Somehow, we escaped.

“We did it,” Annabelle says.

We sure did something.





Chapter Eighteen





The next day, after traveling out of our way to make certain no one's following us, we make it back to the safe house. Everything is as we left it. I can't believe we really did that. We put our things away and go back to stewing over nothing. There's too much time on our hands this way. If something doesn't change, due to boredom, we're going to end up risking our lives by attacking another law office, and maybe this time not be so lucky.

Several hours later, Chadwick strides in the room and, without closing the door, comes straight to me, wrapping his arms tight around me. I can't see anything but his shirt. I can't even move, he's wrapped me so tight. I must make some sort of noise because he lets go with such sudden force, it takes me a moment to catch myself while he's hurrying back several steps.

“Sorry,” he says. “I was just worried about you when I knew what happened to Zade in the house you were staying at. I didn't know if…”

“I'm fine. We're fine.” I motion to the others, but really I'm thinking about Tawny because she's too close to the line for the Envado throne. Of course, he wouldn't hug someone of her importance like he just did me. Must be why he felt the need to squeeze me extra tight.

“Have you heard anything about Serena or Cynthia? I sent them a warning as soon as I heard, but I haven't heard back from them yet.”

“They're safe.”

This time, I don't even try to pretend to be strong. I sink into the closest chair, all the pressure built up in me deflating. “Thank all of Envado.”

“They have a surprise for you. They will be here soon. In fact I need to return to them and make sure they get here without a problem. I only came to scout it out so I could be sure it was secure and make sure you really were safe.”

I'm already on my feet headed toward the door, though it's raining outside. “I'll go with you. We'll be back soon,” I tell the others. “Make yourselves comfortable. Cook something if you’re hungry. Make yourselves at home here.” If any of them even know how to do more than pull out dried meat. “Hopefully, we'll figure something out when I get back.”

What is there to figure out, though? I don't know what we can possibly do at this point. At least those I care about here are safe. What I want is to help Zade and Daniel, but storming in to rescue them will end in my own capture, not helping them.

What's more, I haven't any idea where he's being held. Why did things have to get so complicated? Why can't my brother just be safe?

“Of course,” Annabelle says. “Take good care of them and yourself.”

“I will.”

“And I will take good care of the house,” Tawny says. And by house, I know she means the household.