Page 32 of Consumed By Fire

“Titan!” one of the others calls from the other side of our camp. “I found a trail. The footprints are deep in places, suggesting that they are running. I’m sure if we follow the path, it will lead us to them.”

“South is a dead-end.” It sounds like Ranger has returned as well. “The footprints eventually double back, which means they didn’t run off that way.”

“What should we do?” Rocky says. “I think we should follow them.”

Titan doesn’t say anything for a while. Then he walks around camp. It sounds like he is following the various tracks. One leading away and one leading back. Fuck! He is reluctant to leave. He knows we’re still here. At least, he suspects as much.

“They’re getting away,” Rocky says. “Didn’t you hear me? They’re running. They might be far enough away to shift without us knowing. We need to go after them before they get too far.”

Someone must be smiling down on us because there is a noise that comes from that exact location. It sounds like someone or something crashing through the jungle. It lasts all of a few seconds. I suspect it’s one of the predators we heard earlier. Or it could just be a branch falling.

“What did I tell you?” Rocky says. “That’s them!” he shouts.

“Let’s go.” To my ears, it sounds like all three run in the direction of the noise.

For several long seconds, I’m paralyzed. What if I’m wrong? What if they come back? Even worse, what if they never left? What if we move from our hiding place and they find us? Trinity is afraid for a reason. I would hate it if anything happened to her. I meant what I said earlier. She is in my care. I am responsible for her right now. For both her and her unborn child. I don’t know what to do. Even worse, I am hesitant to make a decision. It has never happened to me before.

We need to move now, or we will be caught.

The thought finally pulls me out of my head, and I stand, lifting her. “Let’s go,” I say almost too softly to hear.

We wade into the water, which only comes up to mid-thigh at the deepest section. Then I dunk under, quickly washing off most of the muck. Trinity does the same. I don’t want to leave a trail of mud for them to follow. We dunk under a second time, and then I tug Trinity to the other side of the river. We wade down the bank a little further, trying to be as quiet as possible. Then we exit the water, and we start running.

I still don’t want to shift. If we did, we would more than likely be caught. We need to run, and we need to hide. If we can make it to sunrise, we’ll be okay. We’ll be able to make it back to camp. The Reds will run back to Mistveil, and we’ll be safe. Only the night feels fucking endless right now.

11

Trinity

We run through the jungle until my muscles burn, until sweat drips, until I am shaking. Then we run some more, jumping over fallen branches and thick roots. Ducking under branches and vines. My skin is streaked with sweat and blood from scratches. I ignore them. They’ll heal up soon enough. I ignore the fatigue. I ignore all of it. Titan is here. It’s him.

Then Octane grips my arm, yanking me against a tree. He covers me with his body. I know the drill. The three dragons are circling above us again. If they see us, hear us, catch any kind of wind of us, they’ll land and come after us.

I can’t have that happen.

Please, no!

It’s Titan. He hates the Draigers probably more than Octane hates us. He’ll kill Octane in a hot minute. Although I suspect that Octane would give him more than he bargained for. That the Draiger might just win, even against three. I don’t want to test the theory, so I stand completely still. I feel Octane’s heart beating against me. His breath is in my ear. It is oddly reassuring.

The flapping of great wings sounds above us, together with the rumbles of dragons communicating. They circle and then slowly move off. Octane keeps me covered for a few more minutes. Then he pulls back and takes my hand. We start running again, trying to be as quiet as possible, which isn’t easy in the dense undergrowth. It’s a catch twenty-two because the vegetation is what is keeping us hidden.

I can’t go on for too much longer. I’m exhausted. My muscles are aching. I put a hand to my belly.

Hold on, little one.

Octane must see a potential hiding place because he changes direction, gripping my hand tightly.

“This way,” he murmurs.

I nod and follow him. I don’t see anything but a sheer cliff wall ahead of us. We run along the cliff. Long minutes go by; we’re moving slower.

What is he doing?

Octane seems to be looking for something. He lifts branches or pulls up vines every so often. Then we run again. I’m about to ask him when he lifts a thick blanket of vines, revealing a small entrance.

Octane sighs, and his shoulders drop. “We can hide here. Do you want to go first, or shall I?”

“Are you serious?” I ask him. “That doesn’t look safe.”