Page 66 of Consumed By Fire

“What are you doing?” Trinity yells, but Titan grabs her.

“Trinity!” I shout.

Igor steps forward and hits me so hard on the side of my head that I am out before I hit the ground. The last thing I see is Trinity screaming as she tries to get to me. She can’t; Titan is holding her too firmly. Her eyes are filled with fear and anguish.

20

Octane

I wake up. The side of my head is pounding. I put my hand there, and my fingertips come away bloody.

I get up, staggering a step or two before finding my feet. Pain rips through my skull as I shake my head, trying to dislodge the dizziness…the fog.

Trinity.

I need to get to her.

I need to save her.

That male, Igor, is a monster. Who would force someone to be with them against their will? It doesn’t matter what Trinity said. I know she doesn’t want to be with him. Igor knows it, too, but he doesn’t care. That crazy look in the male’s eyes is worrying. He is going to hurt Trinity. He might even end up killing her. He is deranged.

There is no time to get backup. Besides, I know for sure that my friends wouldn’t approve. They would try to talk me out of it. Shadow would command me to stay on Draig. A command I would disobey. No! There is no time for anything but action. I’m going to find the tunnel, and then I’m going to Mistveil.

There is nothing else to it.

I look down at my naked chest. At the markings there. I need to cover up. I grab my shirt from the dirt where Trinity left it earlier, pulling it on. Then I pull on the sweatpants she discarded. The pants are too small, but they’ll do. I forego on the yellow flip-flops because they’re too small and too damned ugly. I’m not winning any fashion awards, but I’m covered. I only hope that the Reds wear clothing, or I’ll stick out like a sore thumb.

If they live in cities, use money, and there is a hierarchy, I’m pretty sure they wear clothing. At least some of the time.

Then I start walking. I’m making for the southern side of the mountain. I don’t have much to go on. I know that I need to look for a large boulder in the denser part of the jungle.

I look down, the action causing my head to throb. I ignore it. At first, I don’t see anything, then I see a drag mark in the sand.

Trinity.

I keep going, my eyes on the ground. There’s another drag mark ahead. Then a footprint. Then a freshly broken branch.

I keep going, my heart racing with each step. The shadows of the jungle seem to close in around me, but I push forward. Each indication of Trinity’s path fuels my determination to find her.

I must!

The jungle grows denser with each passing moment, which is a good thing. It’s exactly as Trinity described. Also, the dense vegetation makes it impossible for the Reds to hide their tracks. I see shifted vines, snapped branches and twigs, as well as displaced leaves.

They were here. I wish I knew how long I was out for. Could have been minutes, but it also could have been longer. That fucker hit me hard. My head is still throbbing a little. My right ear is ringing. I’d guess that I was out for a while. Perhaps as much as an hour. It’s hard to tell.

I almost walk into the boulder. I know it as soon as I see it. If I wasn’t looking, I wouldn’t know that it was out of place, but it is. There aren’t any other rocks around. When I rap my knuckle on it, I know for sure that it isn’t made of actual rock. It’s a clever fake. One that is hiding a trapdoor beneath it. I lift the boulder, and it opens easily on an oiled hinge. Beneath the boulder is a hole with a ladder that leads down into the tunnel that will take me to Mistveil Island…to Trinity.

I might never get to return to Draig – this could very well spell my death – but I have to try. I won’t abandon her. I climb onto the ladder and, using a rope attached to the fake boulder, pull it shut above me, which seals me in almost complete darkness. It takes a few minutes for my eyes to adjust, and then I’m descending into the unknown.

Trinity

We emerge from the tunnel, keeping quiet so that no passersby will hear us. The entrance is in a secluded spot on the edge of the jungle on the outskirts of town, so it’s highly unlikely, but we’re careful, anyway.

The tunnel has been cordoned off with a ten-foot fence and padlocked gate. In other words, not much has been done to keep shifters out, but then again, the king made his wishes clear, and normally, the king’s command is adhered to.

Not this time.

Not where Igor is concerned.