My Sorcerer

Chapter Fourteen

It wasn’t long before they barged through the door. Fang was no longer able to dissuade them from entering. She tried hard, but they paid no mind to her, at least until she tried to attack them. Then they struck her. Cora could hear it all. Her heart pounded hard against her chest. She wanted to save Fang. She wanted to stop them, but they were looking for her. If she went out there, it would all be over. She would be caught. She would lose her Fatespell. She would just lose.

“He truly must not be home,” one of the men grunted as he continued to move around the cabin. “I suppose he won’t mind if we just take a quick look around.”

She could hear his footsteps getting closer to the bathroom. It was only a matter of time before he would find her. She glanced at the window. It was small, but there was a chance that she would fit through it. It was a chance she had to take. She couldn’t just sit here waiting to be caught. Quickly, she moved to the window, pushed it open and forced herself through it. She hit the ground hard, almost landing on her head. She recovered and sprinted towards the trees. Within seconds, she had hidden herself behind a few trees and waited. She couldn’t just leave. Not when she knew Pierceton might return at any moment.

“Looks like someone was here after all.” She heard a man yell, his voice drifting through the open window.

“Get outside, men,” he ordered them.

She heard the front door being thrust open and the rush of footsteps coming in her general direction. She had to make a choice. Leave or stay. Leave and hope Pierceton would find her, or stay and hope he would save her. She chose to run. She didn’t want to be a burden and get him any further involved in all this. If she were able to lose them, then maybe she would be able to find her way back to him.

The sound of the grass beneath their feet forced her to move. She felt the earth between her toes as she moved carefully and quietly through the trees. Getting caught was not an option. “Do you hear the one running, men?” the same man bellowed. She could hear joy in his voice. He was enjoying this hunt.

She couldn’t breathe. Fear was taking over. Her feet and hands were going cold. Tears lay at the edge of her eyes. They were too close. How could she get away from them? She needed help to be able to get away or confront them. Confront... could that be an option? Stop running and start fighting.

They were too close to keep second-guessing and trying to decide what to do. Suddenly, something was happening. The air felt somehow thicker, or was it fresher? It was confusing. Then, in the blink of an eye, pain seared through her body. It felt as though she were being consumed by fire, but she couldn’t scream. She had to stop her movements as much as possible. They were closing in on her; she could hear them, their breathing, even their slightest movements. She could hear them. Every sound was louder, smells were sharper, but the pain covered most of the new sensations. She tried her best to bottle up the screams, to stop the movements, but she was beginning to fail. Her body was beginning to move spasmodically. She couldn’t control it anymore.

“She’s over here!” a man announced. His voice boomed as though it were just inches away from her face, but he was farther away, much farther.

She looked around, trying to get her bearings. He sounded close, yet was far away. Then she saw it... a tail. It was attached to her... and she was furry. Black as night. Shifted! She’s shifted! Without giving it another moment's thought, she took her off further into the forest and away from the men. The farther she went, the farther their voices became. Finally, she was beginning to feel safe again.

It was only now that she noticed nothing looked or smelled familiar. She had run without paying attention to where she was going so she would be able to return to Pierceton’s house with ease. Still, she couldn't turn back as it was. They were still searching for her. Instead, she continued ahead, thinking it might be better to try to make a big loop. That's what she did. She managed to lose them and loop back to where she guessed his cabin was. Except it wasn't there.

She tried to track him by scent. She was sure she was that far away, yet she couldn't smell him. The more she wandered, the more confused and tired she became. She decided to find shelter and wait for Pierceton’s return, then he would notice she was gone and search for her. For now, she needed to find shelter. Luckily, she found a tree with large roots that appeared to have been dug out. She surmised that another animal must have used it as its home at some point. She curled up inside and soon fell asleep. She would worry about finding her way back to Pieceton in the morning.

Soon the sun rose, and she was trying to blink away sleep. Then she heard something... footsteps. They were nearing her. Peering around, she tried to devise a plan of escape, but first she waited. She couldn't be sure they were after her. It could be a local or maybe it was Pierceton searching for her.

“Over here!” She heard the familiar voice of one of the men who had been hunting her.

She waited a moment longer before she prepared to launch herself from the hole and dash straight ahead, through the trees at full speed. She had just pushed herself from under the root and began her sprint away from the sounds when something stopped her dead in her tracks.

“Got her boss!” bellowed a burly man. “You are one hard pup to find,” he chuckled as he pulled her up from the nape of her neck. He looked her over once before speaking again. “I suppose pup wouldn't be the appropriate word anymore, seeing as you have shifted.” He gave her a menacing grin.

“Tie her up and let's get out of here,” the leader ordered.

She struggled, trying her hardest to escape from the man's grasp, but it proved futile. “You're going to need all that energy, so I suggest you stop,” he advised her.

She wanted to call for Pierceton, but it would only cause him to become wrapped up in her problem. So, she stopped. She decided to reserve her energy and wait for the right time to slip away. “Good girl,” the man complimented her sarcastically.

She wanted to tear his throat out, but he had the upper hand... for now. So, she allowed him to tie her legs and throw her over his shoulders as though she were a prized deer he had shot and was now going to take home to have for dinner. They walked for about ten minutes or so through the trees before they came out to a clearing and a dirt road with a black SUV idling in wait. One of the men opened the trunk, and the man carrying her over was just about to toss her in like a sack of potatoes when they all heard a deafening bang. The man nearly dropped her as he spun around trying to see where the sound had come from.

“I believe you have something of mine,” she heard an all too familiar voice, Pierceton.

“We were unaware that someone else was sent out to collect her. However, as stated in the contract, if we are to catch her first, then we will be the ones to receive payment for her,” the leader informed Pierceton.

“I believe you misunderstand what I mean,” Pierceton chuckled humorlessly.

“Then enlighten me,” the leader growled at him. It was easy to tell he was exhausted. He had been trying to catch her for well over a month now, after all.

“She is my Fatespell, and therefore she is mine,” he informed me. “Now, I suggest if you all wish to keep your lives, you ought to release her and run along.” His voice was dark and commanding. She had never heard him sound like this before. If she hadn’t known him before this moment, she would be frightened by him.

“You, against all of us? Do you really believe that you stand a chance against us?” the leader laughed. “Men, teach him a lesson,” he ordered.

The man carrying me dropped me to the ground with a thud and rushed toward Pierceton, not a hint of doubt in his eyes. While I, on the other hand, worried about my mate. What if they caught him? What if they harmed him? It would all be my fault. I struggled to free myself from the rope that had been wrapped around my legs, but it seemed futile. The man had tied the knots so tight that I could barely move without feeling as though I were cutting into my skin with the rope.

“Just a moment.” I heard Piercton’s voice. However, when I looked over to him, he was focused on the men in front of him. It had been some magic, I supposed. Just as I was about to look away, he winked at me, and then the rope vanished.

I sprang to my feet and snapped down on the calf of the man closest to me. He screamed out in agony and then dropped to the ground. “You mutt!” he bellowed as he swung at me, but missed. I clamped down on his arm and pulled him away from the others. As I did, I noticed not one of the other men flinched or looked his way. It appeared as though they did not care that one of their party members was being attacked. I pushed the ideas away and focused on subduing the man. One at a time. I had to do this one at a time so I could be of use to Pierceton.