Unstoppable (Their Shifter Academy #6) - May Dawson Page 0,32

for me, but Rafe would make sure they stuck to the plan. As long as they did, they would be safe while I dealt with this threat. Then we could return to our mission.

The faint tremble of the snowy ground underfoot alerted me to the snowblazers even before I heard the whine of the engine. I leapt up and caught the slick branch of a tree overhead; snow came loose and fell in my face, sending cold, damp trickles down under my jacket. As I moved swiftly into hiding in the tree, my magic was already erasing any sign I’d ever been there.

Frederick was on one snowblazer, but he wasn’t alone. My old friend Warren Campbell, who had tried to arrest me for my so-called crimes, rode on the second snowblazer, just behind him and to his right.

Both of them wore goggles to protect their eyes from the spray of snow, but I still recognized the way they held themselves and Fred’s tuft of stubborn red hair sticking out under his uniform cap. After all, I’d shared a room with the man all my life, from the long row of beds at the orphanage to our room in the house of rebel magicians. I should recognize him anywhere. I ran my hand over neck gaiter covering my mouth and jaw, making sure it was still in place. I wasn’t eager to have to change faces again, because it took an obvious toll on my travel companions; Echo was familiar to Maddie, at least.

Warren came to a stop, and Frederick stopped and leaned, canting the snowblazer to one side with his dramatic turn. The runners slid to a stop across the snow, leaving a wide arch in the untouched snow.

Over the whine of the engines, Warren called, “Are you sure you saw him? This isn’t another one of your wild imaginings like at Eastbrick?”

“I think I’d know Silas,” Frederick muttered back, almost too quiet to hear over the blazer; he nodded at Warren. “Even without seeing his face.”

“Good,” Warren said. “I still want that bounty.”

He flashed a cruel smile at Frederick. “And I know how much you want Belly.”

Belly. Frederick’s stupid nickname for Isabelle; she couldn’t break him of the habit. Was she still at Elegiah?

Fred would do anything for her. Even betray the Rebel Magicians. And I was supposed to be willing to kill him for that.

But not today. I could have today to show mercy to an old friend, as long as he stayed out of my way, and I’d still be a rebel magician. Keen wouldn’t approve, but then, she wasn’t here.

Not that Fred would necessarily appreciate my brand of mercy. My fingers worked, weaving my spell, and as if he sensed something, he suddenly looked up toward me.

Too late. I whistled to get Warren’s attention too, and as his head jerked up, I was already leaping from the tree toward him.

Warren’s eyes widened. Fred threw up his hand, sending magic sizzling through the air in my direction—rude, I’d given him a Christmas present every year since we were four years old—but I shielded myself, deflecting it. His magic arched harmlessly back into the pines, blistering the needles off a tree overhead so they rained down to earth. A scorched scent filled the air as I slammed into Warren, knocking him off the snowblazer.

As I flicked my fingers at Fred, he flew backwards off the other blazer. I gripped the handlebars, heard the engine whine as I released the brake. Shit, it had been a long time since I’d last ridden one of these.

The other snowblazer sailed smoothly through the trees ahead, guided by my magic, but the one I was trying to control by gripping the handlebars weaved back and forth, sending a spray of snow over Fred.

“Sorry,” I shouted at him as I finally got control of the thing and sped off.

Fred was still picking himself off the ground, wiping snow out of his mouth as he sat up. Warren finally got himself together and tried to send a blast of magic at me, and I heard Fred curse and roll to one side as the spell rebounded off my shield.

I wasn’t actually sorry.

I raced off to join Maddie and company. Warren and Frederick were probably operating as an isolated patrol unit; help would ride to their rescue, but it would take time.

How long did I have until reinforcements arrived and they were no longer moving on foot? Was it long enough to get my friends