Bloodrose

him was hidden. It wasn’t until we were practically on top of him that I saw it. A crooked opening like a gash in the mountain’s hide. Beyond Ethan lay only darkness. I wanted to whimper but covered it with a snarl.

Shay was right behind me. “How inviting.”

Ethan turned away, beckoning to us. “Let’s go.”

A bellow, full of pain and rage, pulled me around. Barreling up the steep slope, churning snow and ice in its wake, was a bear. But it was larger than any bear I’d ever seen. Its girth was double that of the grizzly that had attacked Shay near Haldis. This creature looked like something left over from the ice age.

“Ethan!” Connor shouted. “Looks like one got past the other team.”

Ethan’s crossbow appeared from the slit in the rock before the rest of his body. By the time he fully emerged, he was already firing. Sabine, Mason, and I chased after the flying bolts.

Our downward charge, aided by gravity, was almost too fast. We’d have no control when we hit the bear, which meant the first strike had to count. When we got close, I smelled copper and salt. The bear had already been wounded.

It’s running from the other strike team. I threw the thought to my packmates. Try to find the wound.

Got it, boss. Mason sprang into the air. He came down on the bear’s back, digging his teeth into its shoulder to keep himself from tumbling past it. Just as Mason went high, Sabine ducked low. She squeezed her limbs tight to her body, flattening herself to the slope so she slid under the bear. When it was directly over her, she struck. Her muzzle clamped onto the bear’s underbelly.

The bear roared, slowing. It turned in circles, trying to shake the wolves loose. As it moved, I saw the gash in its side. I leapt, striking as hard as I could into the bleeding wound. I bit down until my teeth met bone. The bear rose onto its hind legs, roaring its fury. Mason and I went flying, our bodies crashing into the snow-covered slope. But the bear’s desperation to rid itself of our ripping teeth threw the beast off balance. It tipped over backward. Sabine, still clinging to its belly, landed on top of the bear, which now lay on its back. Not wasting a moment, Sabine tore into the bear, shredding its abdomen. The bear swung at her, but she leapt out of the way.

The bear struggled to roll over, but Sabine’s attack had been fatal. Blood and gore spilled onto the ice, creating a river of crimson that flowed over the edge of the cliff. The bear groaned once before going still.

Any more? Mason lifted his muzzle to the wind.

Not that I can tell. I turned to Sabine. Nice work.

She sniffed. Whatever.

We trotted back up the slope.

“We clear?” Ethan asked.

I shifted forms. “That was the only one.”

“Good.” He slung his crossbow over his shoulder. “Though I’m not surprised. Pascal’s team isn’t sloppy. He’ll be furious even one got away from them.”

“They might have thought he wouldn’t get far,” I said. “The bear was already injured. Sabine just finished the job.”

“She sure did,” Connor said, leaning over and whispering loudly to Ethan, “Hey, man, your girlfriend is kind of scary.”

Ethan glared at him and Sabine snarled.

Connor pointed at her bared teeth. “See. Look at that.”

“You’re asking to get bitten,” Adne said, grabbing the back of his duster and pulling him out of range of Sabine’s muzzle. “Let’s get on with this.”

Ethan laughed and slid back into the cavern.

Sabine followed the Searcher, while Mason took up a position at her flank. I kept a few feet back from her and could feel Shay following close beside me. I glanced over my shoulder to see Connor, Silas, and Adne at the rear of our group.

The darkness glowed red as Ethan set off a flare, basking the walls in crimson light so that it looked like the rock had begun to bleed. The tunnel was narrow. We squeezed our way through a passage barely wide enough for Ethan to fit through. I held my breath as he grunted and pushed his way forward. We had to shift into human form to wriggle sideways between the rough walls of the cave.

A constant sighing of wind moved through the cavern, mournful and unsettling. Ethan’s flare sputtered out, but instead of that plunging us back into darkness, the passage remained illuminated. No longer red, the walls took on a soft, opalescent hue. I heard Ethan’s breath catch.

He looked at us over his shoulder. “We’re not alone.”

“Guardians?” Connor asked.

Ethan nodded. “Three of them. Still human.”

I crept up beside him, peering into the light. The tunnel opened up to a snow-covered hollow, nearly a perfect circle cut out of the mountain. The space was hidden from the outside world, accessible only through the narrow passage we’d scuttled through. On the other side of the open space an immense glacial wall covered the mountainside. Sunlight struck its surface, making the innumerable shades of blue sparkle like gemstones. The bright reflection made it almost impossible to see the outline of an opening in the ice, but I knew that Tordis lay within that glacier.

But between Tordis and our party, smoke was rising toward the sky. Three people huddled around a small campfire. They were outfitted in full winter gear, enough to withstand sudden, harsh weather shifts on the mountain.

“We’d better attack while we still have the advantage of surprise,” Connor said.

“I don’t think we do,” Ethan said. “I’d bet they’re just waiting for us to show. We’ve scouted this area in the past and haven’t encountered Guardians beyond the first passage in. This group is new.”

“The Keepers are tightening their watch on the sites,” Shay said. “They know we’re going for the pieces.”

“Not much we can do about that now, is there?” Connor said, drawing his swords.

“Wait.” I put my hand on his arm.

“Wait for what?” Connor said.

“They’re Guardians,” I said. “Like us.”

“Sort of.” Ethan was frowning.

“Let me talk to them.”

“Are you insane?” Ethan said. He’d unshouldered his crossbow.

“She’s not,” Shay said. “The more allies the better. Maybe the bears are disgruntled employees too.”

Ethan shot him a withering glance.

“You’ll be right behind me,” I said. “Anything goes wrong and you attack. I’ll be okay.”

Connor looked at Ethan, who shrugged. “She’s the alpha.”

“Okay, Calla,” Connor said. “If you think it’s worth a try, go ahead. Just keep in mind bears are grumpy, stubborn animals.”

“And they smell bad,” Ethan said.

“You want me to go with you?” Mason asked.

“No,” I said. “I’ll be less threatening on my own.”

“Good luck,” Shay said as I slid out of the narrow passage into the sunlight.

The moment I stepped into the open, the three Guardians were on their feet, watching me approach. I lifted my hand, waving, walking steadily forward. They didn’t shift, which I clung to as a hopeful sign. The unmistakable fragrance of bear musk hit me and I wrinkled my nose. Ethan wasn’t wrong about their scent. Not pleasant.

One of the Guardians stepped forward, pushing back the hood of its parka. A woman with dark eyes and braided copper hair stared at me.

“Pourquoi vous etes ici, le loup?”

Why are you here, wolf?

My three-and-a-half years of French class got me that much. Wolf. She knew what I was. But there was no way I’d be able to answer her in French.

“My friends and I are searching for something,” I said, hoping she spoke English.

She smiled. “You have friends who search.” Even her heavy French accent didn’t mask the spiteful emphasis she placed on the word search.