Chapter I'll Reach Someone Who Can Get to You
No. Tev thought, arching his back in bed as he fought what he feared was going to happen.
The Dread disguised as the crone, gripped Serdephe’s arm to wrench her from bed.
The girl awoke, panicked, as she was drug to her feet.
“Come.” The crone barked.
Serdephe followed on numbed feet. Scrubbing her eyes with one small fist as she blearily stumbled down the curving steps.
“Faster.” The crone pulled her so roughly, Serdephe cried out.
“You’re hurting me. Hales, you’re hurting me!”
Serdephe began pulling at the biting fingers to get free. “What is wrong with you. What are you doing?”
Stop. Don't touch her! Tev’s breaths heaved as he willed the crone to leave the child alone.
Where are my Demon Dogs? They should be protecting her!
The woman tossed open the door. Throwing it wide. A black Sarabi was growling and rumbling in the starting rain. It lurched at her, jaws snapping.
Serdephe screamed fearfully and fought against the crone dragging her toward them.
“No! I don’t want to go. Please stop!” Serdephe wailed. The Sarabi snapped at her and barely brushed teeth over her forearm. Missing by a hairsbreadth.
Then there was another growl and a giant white wolf came leaping from the bridge aside the house and sliding through the mud into the clearing. Splashing through the puddles and launching water the distance to them. White fur nearly glowing in the silvery moonlight. And teeth bared maliciously.
Me. Tev realized.
It suddenly dawned on him what night this was. This isn’t the future. It’s the past.
He drove the old woman who fearfully ducked inside, pulling the girl with her. But Serdephe emerged. Forcing open the door to run through the dead bodies and cling to Tev, hiding her face in his fur as she looked back at the shack fearfully. Afraid of Hales, the old crone that had raised her.
More afraid of what was inside then of me.
“Now you know…” Chavias’ voice.
Tev lurched to a sitting position. Blue scales clattering over his chest and shoulders. His hair was pulled back into a tether for bed. It floated around him now as his body fought changing. Piercing blue eyes flashed to white and darkened again as he blew slow breaths.
He glimpsed the hazy outline of his former brethren standing in the corner. “Now you know…” Chavias’ head lowered as he vanished from the room. “You know what she will do…”
Tev gasped and launched from the cot. He jumped from the deck, risking injury to race barefoot through the Netherwood. Shoving giant leaves aside and leaping downed trunks. His feet sliding through the mud. But too focused on getting to the shack to waste time changing. Or even manifesting a shirt.
Tev crossed the bridge in one bounding step and shot across the grass to the front. Horrified to see the black creatures milling around the porch.
A huge pack of Targue. Sniffing the ground and eying the door which was already cracked.
“No.” Panic tore through Tev. He looked around frantically. Trying to decide what to do.
The voice emerging from far away, floated in like an answer to a prayer. I can’t get to you.
But I can reach someone who can. Bast's voice.