Breakaway - Sadie Jacks Page 0,1

a mess with twigs and leaves sticking up from it all. “The Oaks have told me that there is no answer to your riddle, Hollyn. You are trying to buy time.”

I snorted, kept shuffling backwards. “No. There really isth an ansthwer. I’ll even give you a hint.”

They all stopped, straightened.

Filipe leaned forward, sniffed Lucinda’s hair. A look of ecstasy crossed his pointed features. Eww.

“It’sth an insthect.” I pointed to the ground. They all looked down as if I’d showed them the answer. Idiots. “You know, the kind that crawl on the ground.” I wiggled my fingers to give them a good visual.

Lucinda sniffed as she looked back up at me. “It’s not going to work, Hollyn. The master demands you at his side for the new moon. We will deliver you and earn our eternal reward.” Her eyes were sharpening under the haze that filled her brain.

Crapsticks. Summoning what little magic I held in my body, I balled up my hand. I sucked and pulled on everything that was sludging through my veins. I wasn’t even sure what it could do, but I figured fighting for my life was a good enough reason to figure it out.

For once, I was thankful we hadn’t had rain in the last few months. I just hoped I didn’t burn down the whole thing. I focused on fire. Sparks. Embers. Anything that could produce enough smoke and flames to give me cover to get out of here.

I threw the little marble-sized ball of magic at the forest floor.

It hissed and fizzled.

Well, it wasn’t quite what I had wanted, but it was enough to divert their attention. I shot off towards the wall. Ten feet.

Five feet.

Hands outstretched, I pushed through the magical barrier as I yelled my answer, “The ansthwer wasth a CTHENTIPEDE, thuckersth!!”

My howling laugh turned into a girly screech of pain as I smashed into something that felt harder than the rock the barrier pretended to be.

Chapter 2 – Thane

“I don’t care what it costs, just get it done. He either dies or we do,” I hissed down the line. “This whole thing has blown up in our faces. Make it go away. Now.” I tapped the disconnect button of the earpiece before the other person could say anything else. “Idiots.”

Running was supposed to be my escape. My time to myself. Sacrosanct. A pop in my jaw told me I was failing to find my zen. I pushed aside the troubling call. Focused on my breathing. I could control this part at least. I would control this.

Inhale.

Exhale.

My fists clenched and relaxed. Clenched and relaxed. I ached to tighten them around his neck. He was the one who’d done this. Forced us into this position. But he would soon realize, the Ladon Clan was not to be fucked with. I would handle it.

We would handle it.

A shrieking, lisping voice was the only warning. The next thing I know, I’m falling through the night air, my arms full of what felt like a woman.

At the last moment, I maneuvered us so we fell to the pavement instead of the oncoming traffic. I looked over my shoulder. There was nothing there but a high stone wall. Where had this thing come from?

Unraveling myself, I scoot back on the cement and get to my feet. Twigs and leaves crowned a head of long dark hair. Slim muscled legs poked out from a pair of shorts that looked made for a man—a much bigger man. They were tied around the waist with—I leaned forward, my head tipped to the side—braided vines?

The entire front of the dirty shirt was covered in a black gleaming substance my nose told me was blood. There was a ton of it decorating her shirt. The press of stiffened peaks told me no bra was under the crimson spattered material.

I reached down. Held out a hand. “You good?”

She skittered back without looking up. She didn’t even move her hair out of her face. “Where am I?”

I felt my eyebrows wing up. “Triport.” I dropped my hand. “Where did you come from?” I inspected the wall. Pushed against it. It was solid. I turned back to the woman.

She’d shifted her hair back. Other than the blood, she was beautiful. A wide face with cheekbones to make a model jealous. Light-colored eyes dominated her face. They held my attention. Until I looked at her mouth.

“Eternal shit.” I crouched down at her side. “What happened to your mouth?” I winced at the puffed, broken skin that more