The real problem lay with the other details the moon had revealed. The smaller man had high, triangular ears protruding from the top of his skull and a smattering of fur across his exposed flesh. The giant had a grey-furred snout in an otherwise human face. Worst of all, each of their hands ended in long-taloned claws.
Beast-shifters. Ones or Twos, given their limited transformations and the fact that I didn’t recognize them as first-years or second-years, but still more than deadly enough to take care of one largely powerless Crow.
So I did what I always do when things go to shit; I went on the attack.
“Gentlemen.” I spread my arms wide to make sure I had their attention, conscious that Kayleigh and the unnamed woman had less than a twenty second lead. “You’ve had your fun, but this hunt is over.”
They had already started to spread out to circle me, but were hampered by the small clearing’s layout. The smaller one paused. “Who the fuck are you?”
“One of the junior Capes,” sneered the other, his words poorly formed because of the snout. “Thinks he’s already a hero.”
“Jury’s still out on whether I end up Cape or Black Hat,” I admitted. “Maybe that’s why I’m willing to cut you two a break. Turn around now, and I’ll let you walk out of here.”
I was all the more glad I’d sent Vibe on her way. Having her present—or any woman, really—would’ve made the Shifters that much less likely to back down. More of the same stupid pride and insecurity she said all men suffered from, I guess.
Even with the Empath gone, I didn’t expect the two Shifters to take me up on my offer, not when they were already drunk on the thrill of the chase. But it gave Kayleigh time to get away, and it gave me time to locate a loose branch—as long as my forearm and several inches thick—near where I was standing.
I’d have preferred a flamethrower. Or laser eye beams like some Lightbringers had. I’d have even settled for something as basic as the steak knife I’d stolen from the cafeteria, way back when. But a stick was better than nothing.
The larger Shifter paused, pretending to consider my proposal, but I’d seen the look he sent his companion. I was in motion even before the smaller Shifter leapt at me. Nikolai’s footwork got me out of the way—if barely—and Jessica’s training had me rotating my hips as I lashed out.
The stick cracked in half, but the way the Shifter squealed and clutched his arm told me my makeshift weapon wasn’t the only thing that had broken. He took another step, stumbled over the fallen tree, and went down heavily.
Anyone who says you shouldn’t kick an opponent when he’s down has never been in a fight. I threw the branch fragments aside, and launched my foot into the fallen Shifter’s side. This time, the crack I heard had everything to do with his ribs. He rolled back across the clearing with a groan, only to have the larger Shifter haul him to his feet with a single, massive paw.
The real problem with Beast-shifters isn’t their heightened senses. It isn’t even their claws. It’s how fast they heal. Kodiak can lose a limb and grow it back before the day is out. Someone like Alan Jackson can recover from a broken bone in a matter of hours. These two were a long way from Kodiak, or even Alan, but they were still Beast-shifters; I watched as the lines of pain eased in the smaller one’s face.
“That was your only warning shot, assholes.”
The smaller one snarled, beyond human reason for just that moment, but the larger one remained unruffled. “You seem to have lost your stick, Crow.”
“So you do know who I am.”
“He’s a… what?” asked the smaller one, suddenly looking uncertain.
“Someone that won’t be missed,” answered the giant. “Hell, the school would probably give us medals if they knew.”
“Maybe so.” I shrugged, the timer in my head continuing to count. Two minutes gone now, maybe three. It wasn’t enough. “Assuming you had a chance in hell of taking me.”
“You don’t think we do?” That was the smaller one, whose ribs seemed fine again, even though his arm was still hanging limply.
“There are two of you and you seem to have some limited grasp of tactics.” I shrugged a second time. “On the other hand, you’re already halfway down the road to Fucked City, and neither of you is a Three. Hell, I’m not sure you’re even Twos.”
“Jake’s a Two,” snarled the little one, “and I’m High-One. Add those together—”
“And you don’t have shit,” I interrupted. “This isn’t math class. But fuck it, why don’t we find that out for ourselves. Maybe you two shitheads can manage what Paladin couldn’t.”
The little one went even paler at that. “Jake…”
“Shut up, Adam.”
“Did he seriously take on Paladin…?”
“I said shut up!”
“Yeah, Adam,” I agreed. “Shut up. Jake wants to see where this goes.” I looked across the clearing at the two Shifters and twisted my lips into a smile. “By all means, make your play, so I can get on with killing you both.”
“Threats don’t scare us,” growled Jake.
“After that,” I continued, ignoring the larger Shifter’s interruption, “I’m going to raise one of you as a Walker and send you back home to eat every fucking person who ever knew you.” I glanced from the white-faced Adam to the suddenly uncertain Jake. “Which of you wants to come back? Should I just flip a coin?”
“You can’t—”
“I’m a Crow.” I let my smile grow. “What the fuck do I care about can’t?”
Adam was terrified, and almost entirely back to human shape, but Jake was unconvinced, and he was the bigger threat by far. If he attacked…
The ground before me suddenly split open, sending both Shifters scrambling back. I had a moment to mask my own shock and then called out to
