raked her with its talons, leaving six deep gashes across her chest and shoulders.
Hector faced the beast charging toward them with swords at the ready, but Shadowfang reached it first, hitting it broadside and tumbling to the ground in a furious whirl of claws and fangs. They separated, both bleeding but both still focused on the other as they circled.
“Hector, Horace, get Ayela into the tree,” Isabel shouted.
She cast a light-lance at the chameleon lizard, but instead of burning through it, the focused beam of intensely hot light hit the creature and refracted in every direction, creating a brilliant display that lit up the surrounding jungle. The chameleon lizard turned and bolted away. Before Shadowfang could follow, Isabel ordered him back to the tree.
Hector transformed into vapor and gently floated up to the crook in the giant tree. A moment after he retook solid form, Horace tossed a rope up to him, then looped the trailing end around Ayela’s waist. He quickly climbed the tree and he and Hector pulled Ayela up to safety while Isabel watched the jungle for any sign of the chameleon lizards.
She didn’t have to wait long. Two of the creatures came at her from different angles. She could hear their rhythmic footfalls more than she could see them. Bracing herself against the trunk of the tree, trusting her shield to hold, she drew her sword and waited. A moment later she was knocked sideways by the first, landing hard and trying to roll out of the way when the second pounced, landing on top of her and pinning her to the ground, trying to crush her skull with its powerful jaws.
Her shield held, but only just. She could feel it failing under the force of the attack. Looking into the mouth of the beast, she stabbed wildly with her sword, hitting the lizard in the leg, not deeply, not seriously, but enough to get its attention.
It leapt back in pain and surprise, opening the way for the second to attack. It landed on top of her, one foot to the side and the other on her chest. When her shield failed, its talons gouged holes into her armor, piercing her flesh. Then Hector was there, stabbing the creature in the side, driving his blade deeply into its chest and pushing it off Isabel.
She struggled to her feet. The lizard roared in frustration at Hector, who was now facing it, swords drawn.
“Get to the tree,” Hector said.
Isabel didn’t hesitate. She reached the rope and expended the last of her strength scrambling to the relative safety of the tree just as the first of the three chameleon lizards reemerged from the jungle, racing toward her. It leapt for her, missing her by inches, snapping at the air and clawing at the side of the tree.
Horace took her hand and shouted to his brother, “I have her!”
Hector transformed into vapor and floated into the tree, leaving the two chameleon lizards below, wounded and circling, hissing in fury at the narrow escape of their prey.
Ayela had lost consciousness, her face was pasty and uncharacteristically white.
“You said you still have healing potions,” Isabel said.
Horace nodded, digging into his pouch for his last of the magical draughts.
“Help her sit up,” Isabel said, gently slapping her face. “Wake up, Ayela, you have to swallow this.”
Ayela blinked and murmured something.
“Tip her head back and hold her nose,” Isabel said, carefully pouring the potion into her mouth. Ayela coughed and sputtered but managed to swallow most of it before slipping back into unconsciousness.
“Take the other,” Hector said, holding the last of the healing potions out to Isabel.
“No. Save it,” Isabel said, stiffly unbuckling her armor. “I’ll just use some of the salve you brought.”
Hector handed her a jar barely a quarter full of Lucky’s salve. She carefully spread it into her wounds under her tunic and lay back against one of the giant limbs.
“Keep watch while we’re out,” she muttered, already succumbing to the effects of the magical salve.
Chapter 27
Alexander appeared moments after she woke, groggy and disoriented.
“Are you all right?” he asked.
“I think so,” she said. “How’s Ayela?”
“Still asleep,” Hector said, “but it looks like her wounds are healing well.”
“What about the lizards?” Isabel asked.
“They’re lying in wait,” Alexander said, pointing out two different spots in the jungle. “One’s right over there and the other is there.”
“And the Regency?” Isabel asked.
“About an hour away,” Alexander said.
“Then they’ll be here before nightfall,” Isabel said. “This isn’t exactly the kind of ambush I had in