Page 17 of Red Fire

I keep coming up with one idea, and the human isn’t going to like it one bit. I won’t be able to explain it to her. She’s going to have to trust me like I asked her. Like she swore she would. I veer to the left, hoping I make it in time. I use every ounce of control I have in me to push harder and then harder still. My legspump, and sweat drips. My breath is coming in ragged pants. I’m careful to avoid tree roots and downed branches as I go. If I so much as stumble, we will be caught.

I pray I’m going in the right direction. This feels right. It has to be. I almost cry out in relief when I see the rocky outcrop ahead. Seconds later, I scale the rocks, finding the narrow crevice I happened upon a couple of months ago. I used it in a terrible hailstorm that hit the island. I happened to be hunting in this section at the time.

I say a silent prayer as I rip off her tank top. The sound of the fabric tearing has me cringing. She makes the tiniest of gasps.

Trust me!

Please!

I let my hands grow into claws as I partially shift. I don’t take it too far; still, I find myself hoping she can’t make out my changed features. I will be bigger than before, too.

“Shhhh,” I whisper ever so softly into the shell of her ear, feeling her tremble against me. I can’t say anything more. I don’t dare.

Using one of my sharp nails, I slice her arm. It’s very superficial, but she hisses softly before biting down on her lip to stifle the sound. Using her shirt, I mop up the trickle of her blood, trying not to get any of it on myself. Then I urge her to take off her backpack and push Octavia into the crevice, getting her to go in as deep as she can. I hope they won’t catch her scent. Octavia shuffles inside, moving deeper and deeper.

Good!

I look around; the jungle is more open in this section; shifting is possible in certain areas, this being one of them. If a dragon comes close enough to this crevice, he’ll smell her. I need to lead them away from here and I need to do it now. I’m loathe to leave her, but there is nothing else I can do.

With her bloody shirt clutched in my hand, I head away as quickly as my tired legs will take me. I push myself to the limit and beyond. I can’t afford to slow down, not when Octavia’s safety hangs in the balance.

Before long, I reach my destination. It’s the edge of a sharp gully that appears out of nowhere. The base of the gully is just as dense with trees and foliage as the area around my cabin, making it hard for a dragon to land nearby. It’ll buy us time. I hook the shirt on a sharp-looking branch right on the edge. Then I drop to the ground and roll in the dirt, doing my best to get her scent off me. I kick some of the dirt and rocks over the edge. They clatter their way down the side. Lastly, I hightail it the fuck out of there.

I only hope the males on their way here will buy my ruse long enough for Octavia and me to make our escape. This is exactly what I was afraid of.

No sooner am I under the cover of trees than I hear flapping above me. There’s more than one dragon circling above.

I keep moving away from the gully, taking a path I hope no one will use. I run as quietly as I can, slowly doubling back. Then I wait a few beats before turning and running back to where I left the shirt. I get there just as two males arrive slightly ahead of me. A dragon lands behind me. I hear the cracking of bones as he shifts into his human form.

One of the males lifts the shirt and growls low. “She was here.”

Another one grunts. I recognize the third male as Spike; he is frowning deeply, looking down the gully.

I rush up to them, arriving at the same time as a fourth male – the male who just shifted. I’m already greatly outnumbered, particularly since they can shift out here. My ability to partially shift won’t help me. I’m a sitting duck if they suspect me, which they will. I only hope I can talk my way out of it.

“What are you doing here?” Spike shouts at me. “I thought you weren’t interested in the female.”

“Why did you kill Maximus?” another male snarls. “What are you hiding?”

“Of course, I’m interested in the female.” I grab at the shirt, snagging my fingers on the fabric, which tears a little more as Spike pulls it away.

“No!” he yells. “I found it. It’s mine.”

Touchy, touchy!

All of them are on tenterhooks. I can practically smell the testosterone in the air.

“I just wanted to see it,” I tell him. “I went to check out what was left of the wreckage, and you were right; a human female is on the loose. Of course, I am interested in her.” I look at the other male, narrowing my eyes on him. “As for Maximus, I can’t have him or anyone else talk shit about me. I haven’t seen the female. I haven’t been anywhere near her. He likes to talk crap. I will kill anyone who speaks untruths about me. It is as simple as that.” I push out my chest and let my lip curl from my teeth in a threatening snarl.

Two of the males take a step back. Good! They are right to fear me.

I let my stance relax a little. “It looks like she fell down the gully.” I take a step forward, peering down. “It would be tough for a human to see it at night.” I sigh, letting my shoulders slump. “The human is more than likely dead. It’s a pity.”

“A terrible waste,” another male says.

I nod.

Spike makes a noise of irritation. “Looks like it. Although it might be a ploy to put us off her scent. This female has been very clever in staying one step ahead of us. I’m not sure how she is doing it. It’s almost like she knows her way around. Or, as if she has aligned herself with someone who knows our jungle.”He sniffs the shirt, then sniffs it again, his eyes darting to me. “I smell you on her clothing.”