Heart of Vengeance (Alice Worth #6) - Lisa Edmonds Page 0,53
wide, two-lane country road. No vehicles were in sight. Not surprising in the middle of the night.
Without hesitation, my wolf turned left and trotted in the grass along the road, heading south toward the city.
“How do you suppose she’s tracking the magic in the scroll?” Malcom asked as we followed. I plodded on the shoulder while he walked on the grass beside me.
“No idea. Not even a theory right now.” Damn it, my knee ached. I ignored it and increased my pace.
“Is she making a beeline for the scroll, or are we following the same path Mariela took when she arrived here?”
“I don’t see how we’re following Mariela’s trail so long after the fact, but we’re walking along a road and not cutting through that field.” I rubbed the bridge of my nose, which was just about the only part of my body that didn’t hurt. “That makes it seem like—”
I stopped in my tracks. Ahead, my wolf growled at something in the trees to our left.
A large, dark shape moved in the undergrowth. Twigs snapped. Something growled back at my wolf.
“Alice,” Malcolm hissed. “What the hell is that? Is that a bear?”
The creature lumbered from the trees. I slowly unzipped a side pouch on my backpack, took out my Smith & Wesson, and chambered a round.
The thing turned toward the sound and stood upright, its long, striped tail curled around its legs. Its eyes were bright red.
“That is not a bear,” Malcolm said.
“Thank you, Captain Obvious.” I raised my gun.
“You sure we should shoot the giant demonic trash panda?” Malcolm asked. “That might just make it mad.”
The raccoon-thing growled at us. “Don’t call it a trash panda,” I muttered. “I think you hurt its feelings.”
The creature went back down on all fours and lumbered in our direction. I took aim between its red eyes.
Something else rustled in the undergrowth to our left—several somethings, judging by the sound. Multiple pairs of eyes glinted in the moonlight. More raccoon-things, or some other Broken World creatures?
My wolf tripled in size, her golden magic swirling around her body. She snarled and raced toward the raccoon-thing, her teeth bared. It hissed, turned, and disappeared into the trees, crashing through the undergrowth.
My wolf stopped at the tree line, raised her head, and howled. The sound was almost deafening and must have traveled for miles.
Dead silence. Not even a peep or a rustle from the forest.
Malcolm cleared his throat. “I think she just established this as her territory.”
“So much for keeping a low profile.” I stuck my gun in the side pocket of my backpack where I could get at it quickly, readjusted the pack, and started walking again.
My wolf trotted ahead of us, staying close to the tree line—presumably in case something decided to try its luck and attack us. Nothing else did, however. That howl had apparently sent the creatures of the forest scurrying away.
We’d walked for about ten minutes when I heard a large engine approaching. It sounded like a heavy truck. My wolf slipped into the trees to stay out of sight. Not a bad idea, since I didn’t know who that truck might belong to. We joined her just inside the tree line and hid.
Headlights appeared over the top of a hill ahead of us. A military-style vehicle with dark paint and a large gun mounted on the back passed our hiding place moving fast. As it went by, I spotted an unfamiliar but unmistakably military seal on the side: a circle with a Latin motto, a vicious bird-of-prey figure, and a scale of justice. Two people in dark uniforms rode in front: a woman, who was driving, and a man in the passenger seat.
When the vehicle was gone, we emerged from the trees. “I wonder who they were,” Malcolm said.
“Some branch of the military they have here that we don’t have.” I hooked my thumbs in the straps of my pack and started walking again.
Malcolm floated along beside me. “Wonder if they’re the good guys or the bad guys.”
“That’s the million-dollar question. I suggest we stay away from them, regardless. Any contact with law enforcement, military, or even nosy civilians could bring a quick end to what we’re here to do. We need to be invisible and not attract any attention.”
Malcolm looked pointedly ahead at my enormous wolf. As if sensing his stare, she turned her head to show us her golden eyes and sharp teeth, then returned her attention to following the trail of the scroll.