Spark (Legends of the Shifters) (37 page)

It
was pitch-black inside, reminding me of tent number 81. I was tempted
to change into half-form, but I quickly swept the thought away when I
remembered what Roland had said just before he betrayed us. He had
called me beautiful...but he had probably only used the compliment as
a tactic to throw me off guard so that it would be easier to capture
me.

Gradually,
eyes adjusted to the darkness, but only to the point where I could
make out the shape of a long, flat rock. It was the best option, so I
crawled onto it and rested my head on my arms.

The
rock made for a very uncomfortable night’s sleep, but it was
better than being out in the rain.

I
woke up with the morning sun shining in my face. My shoulders and
back were sore from sleeping on such a hard surface. I looked down at
the ground where Roland was snoring. The area where he was sleeping
was uneven and bumpy, and I felt a little bad for him until I
remembered why we were in these circumstances in the first place. He
hadn’t had to sleep in a carriage for days like I was forced
to.

I sat
on the edge of the rock and rubbed my aching shoulders. It didn’t
register in my mind that there were voices until I heard a booming
laugh coming from outside. I went completely still.

“
Roland!”
I whispered. He kept snoring.

I
slid across the rough surface of the rock and kicked him.

“
Mmm,
what?” he grunted, cracking his eyes open.

“
Voices!”
I said in a hushed tone.

He
sat up, alert, and listened. They were coming closer. “Come
on,” he said. He stood as much as the cave would allow him and
crept to the back. I hurried after him. We continued until we could
barely see anything and then we hid behind a large stalagmite.

“
Here
it is, finally,” said a man’s voice, probably the same
one that had laughed.

“
There’s
no one here,” scoffed a different voice, this one the smooth
falsetto of a woman.

“
No,
but it was worth a try,” replied the man.

“
Perhaps
they went in a little deeper,” she said.

I
stopped breathing.

“
Come
on, we’re wasting time,” the man said. “They
probably didn’t even know about this place, and if they did,
they’ve already moved on.”

The
woman was quiet for a moment, but then she sighed. “You’re
probably right,” she answered. “Let’s go.”

I
hadn’t realized it, but I was gripping Roland’s arm
tightly. He pried my fingers off and whispered, “I think it’s
safe to go.”

“
A
few more minutes,” I replied quietly. “Just in case.”

He
consented to wait a little longer. There was no sound.

“
Now?”
he asked.

“
Alright,”
I answered.

We
stepped out from behind the rock and headed for the mouth of the
cave. It was disconcertingly silent.

“
That’s
strange,” Roland said.

I
glanced over at him. “What is?”

He
bent down to look at some footprints that were clearly defined in the
mud. From where I was standing, I could see four sets of footprints.
We had only heard two voices. Then, I realized that some of those
footprints must have been our own.

Roland
looked back at me, worry lining his face. “Run,” he said.

“
What?”
I said stupidly.

Then,
a crashing noise came out of the brush beside us. The man tackled
Roland while the woman headed straight for me. My instincts kicked
in, and I dodged her. She stumbled slightly, a moment that I was able
to take advantage of. I pushed her to the ground and turned,
sprinting off into the woods.

Behind
me, I heard loud footsteps. Twigs snapped and leaves crunched loudly.
When I turned to look, I fully expected the man to be chasing me, but
I was relieved when I saw that it was only Roland. He picked up his
pace until we were shoulder to shoulder.

Out
of the corner of my eye, I saw a flash of movement. Something was
running alongside us. I glanced over momentarily and saw a large cat,
its muscles bunching under tight skin as it ran. Its stride was
relaxed and nimble, and I could tell that we would be easy prey. The
only way we could escape was if I used the same tiring method as
yesterday, when Roland and I had escaped from the clutches of King
Ciaran.

I
changed into the phoenix just before the cat jumped at me, claws
outstretched. It missed, but took a few of my feathers with it as it
fell to the ground. I grabbed Roland and started off into the sky. He
groaned in pain, probably still sore from the day before.

It
seemed like he was lighter this time, perhaps because I had had more
rest. I carried him longer than I had the last time until I figured
we were well out of the reach of any grounded search parties. I knew
that there could be some in the air, but I could only hope that they
hadn’t seen us.

When
I couldn’t go on any longer, I dropped Roland at the edge of a
large field. Both he and I landed heavily. I changed form almost as
soon as I touched land and focused on breathing.

“
That
was a close one,” Roland said, brushing the mud and grass seed
off his knees.

I
nodded in agreement.

After
we rested for a few minutes, we set a clipped pace toward the east
and didn't stop until we came across a small town. We paused our
journey there, and Roland then took the lead into the baker's shop.
He purchased a small loaf of bread for us to split, and although I
wanted to toss the bread on the floor, leave him in that bakery, and
continue alone, he still had all the money in his possession. I had
no weapons, supplies, or food. To survive, I needed that money.

Plus,
I hadn't eaten anything in days...

Before
we left the baker’s shop, Roland asked the man where we could
buy horses. He directed us to the inn, located at the edge of the
village. The horses that we bought weren’t pretty—they
were both dull brown with scars from old saddle sores up and down
their backs. Neglected as they were, they were still better than
going the journey on foot.
My legs and feet were aching from
walking for so long without breaks.

We
started the horses off at a trot and traveled until the road was no
longer visible because of the darkness. Their hooves clomped in the
mud, spraying it up on my dress and the horses' flanks. The day
lasted way too long for my exhausted body. The saddle I was riding on
was not of good quality, and the insides of my legs were sore and
bruised from riding so hard. The farther we went, the foggier
everything became.

The
fog was so thick that we didn't see the lights of the village until
we were upon it. While we walked our horses through the town, there
was not one person in sight. After passing only a few buildings, it
seemed like the town had ended, but there was one more little light
farther out from the others. Roland led the way toward it.

As we
got closer, I realized that the light was bobbing up and down, as if
someone were walking with it. I stopped my horse. “Roland,”
I whispered fiercely, willing him to stop also. He heard me, and
stopped his mount.

The
light stopped moving. “Who goes there?” yelled a man's
voice.

The
voice was threatening. I stayed silent out of fear.

“
We
are travelers!” Roland said loudly through the darkness.

The
light bobbed as it came closer. “Travelers to where? All that's
beyond here is the Isle of Ginsey.”

“
Yes, we
know
,”
answered Roland.

The
man came closer until we could see his face. The lantern lit it up in
an sinister sort of way. “I don't suggest that you go there,”
he warned.

“
We
don't have a choice,” Roland countered.

The
man squinted his eyes. “It's your death, boy.” He paused
for a moment, lifting his lantern to study Roland and then me. “But
if you really feel like you need to continue, I won't be the one to
stop you. Follow me.”

Roland
looked at me for a moment before hesitantly dismounting. I followed
suit, and would have slipped in the mud had I not kept a firm grip on
my horse's mane.

We
followed the man at a distance, leading the horses back toward one of
the lit up buildings. His was a little farther away from all the
others, at the very edge of the cluster of houses.

Inside,
a warm fire crackled, lighting the room up nicely. I studied the man
for the first time. He had balding white hair that was grown out to
shoulder length and a short, scraggly beard. His gray, ghostly eyes
appeared sunken into his head.

“
Tell
me more about your journey,” he ordered, gesturing for us to
sit down at his table.

“
Um,
well...” I started.

“
We
are from Leviatha,” said Roland, taking over the conversation.
“The Crescent Isles to be exact. We were sent on a mission to
get to the Isle of Ginsey and learn more about the natives.”

He
was lying. Headmaster Drake would be proud.

The
man narrowed his eyes warily. “To learn more about the natives,
eh? And why is that?”

“
Our
headmaster is somewhat of a...well, a scientist, I suppose,”
said Roland. “He was very curious about the natives, and wanted
us to come here to see if we could live with them for a few weeks.
Just to see what it's like to be one of them.”

The
man scoffed. “Are you serious? Who is this professor of yours?
If he thinks that this is possible, he is not in his right mind.”

Roland
shrugged. “I suppose we will find that out on our own.”

The
man laughed, the harsh sound cutting through the air like a rusty
blade.

I
studied him suspiciously. “And how do you know so much about
the natives?” I asked.

He
looked at me, one eyebrow raised. “Because...there have been
other people that go on the sort of quests that you are going on, and
they
never...come...back
.
There was only one that escaped, and he was driven mad from whatever
they had done to him. He wouldn't even talk to us, and he was always
jumping at the sounds of the forest.”

Roland
shrugged. “That might not have been the native's fault.”

“
Maybe
not, but the disappearances probably were.”

I
knew that this man had to be telling the truth. Jane, Matilda's
daughter, had been one of the missing individuals.

But
we
were different. Both Roland and I are both very rare. We were trained
at the Crescent Isle Conservatory and have powerful second forms. I
had to complete this mission, even without Roland's help. I would not
turn back now, after everything that I've gone through.

I
jumped from my thoughts when the man spoke up again. “You both
are thinking that nothing like that could happen to you. You're
wrong.”

I
scowled at him. “Perhaps I know things that you don't know.”

He
laughed. “You're stubborn, aren't you? Fine. If you can't get
it into your heads that you shouldn't go, then it might be best that
you do.”