Rex and Jade moaned and stirred in their sleep as if realizing their discomfort. Alina studied them as the light touched their faces. They looked so different from their immortal selves. Jade’s hair twisted in tangles around her face, and her features seemed slightly unbalanced. Rex’s face had turned cherry red from the sun. Freckles dotted his arms and hands.
Rex opened his eyes and grimaced as he sat up. “Wow, that sleep did nothing for me. I feel worse than before. Every part of my body hurts.”
“Stan disappeared in the night,” Alina blurted out.
He snapped up his head. “What?”
She explained what happened. He stared at her with wide eyes. “Show me where you last saw him.”
They walked to the tree, examining the area around it. “Hmm,” Rex said. “Nothing looks out of the ordinary.”
“I know. It’s so odd,” she said.
A rustle shook the bushes not far from them. They heard a soft growling noise. Alina met Rex’s eyes.
“Up a tree. Quickly.”
Rex dashed to Jade and yanked her up, shaking her from her restless sleep. “Which tree?” he hissed.
“Right here—I’ll push you both up.” Alina heard the low growl again. “Hurry!”
“What’s going on—” Jade started.
Alina boosted Rex to the nearest branch then pushed Jade up. “Reach out, Jade!” Alina shrieked. “Grab his hand!”
Something tore through the dirt behind them, snarling. Alina forgot about her invincibility and screamed as she scaled the trunk, grabbing branches and hauling herself up. The creature snapped at her heels.
Rex froze in place. “What in Sampson’s name is that thing?” he whispered.
Alina didn’t look down but grabbed Jade and pulled her higher into the tree. “Keep moving, Rex! Is it climbing?”
“No, but it’s trying to. It’s jumping and clawing the trunk.”
Alina looked down at the creature and gasped. A barbed snout and sharp fangs gnashed at her below its bloodshot eyeballs.
“What is it?” Jade hissed, her eyes closed.
“Be glad you can’t see it!” Rex replied.
“It’s huge,” Alina said. “And look, its tail is spikier than its nose!”
“At least it can’t seem to climb.”
The creature lifted its head and let out a long, chilling howl. “What’s it doing?” asked Alina in a hushed voice.
They heard a matching howl in the distance, and minutes later, an identical creature ripped across the ground and jumped on the other’s back. It sprung on its sinewy legs and clawed at the trunk, growling.
“They’re working together!” Rex exclaimed in horror.
“How fast can you run?” Alina asked him.
“What—do you think we can outrun them?”
“No, I’m sure we can’t. But I have these.” She pulled out the quills from her pocket. “Maybe these will hurt them. Once they’re out of our path, we’ll have to jump and run along the river as fast as we can. I’ll carry Jade.”
He nodded. “Something tells me our safe travels are over. We need to get to Stormport as soon as we can.”
“I’ll drop the quills, and if they work, then we jump from this tree and run. Let’s hope nothing else meets us. Got it?”
Rex darted his eyes around the base of the tree, then nodded again. “Whenever you’re ready.”
She took one of the quills between her thumb and forefinger, aimed, and shot it toward the creatures. It whizzed through the air and hit the first one on the nose. They heard a guttural groan as it tumbled backward onto the ground and went still.
“Hurry—the other one!” Rex ordered. She leaned forward and pitched the quill. The creature hissed as it pierced its eyeball.
“Go!” Alina shrieked. Rex slid down the tree and jumped over the creatures, and Alina leaped into the air with Jade on her back. After landing on her feet, she took off running.
Rex kept up with Alina at first, but after a minute, started to lag behind. “Times…like this…miss being…immortal,” he panted. After a few minutes he stopped and bent over, clutching his side. “Can we rest for a moment?” he asked.
“Okay,” Alina agreed, glancing around them. “I wish I could carry both of you. It’s not that I get tired—I don’t know if there’s enough room on my back.”
Rex waved a dismissive hand. “I’ll be fine in a minute.” But he held his stomach and winced. “If I could just get some decent food to eat!” he mumbled.
“We can’t be too far,” Alina reassured him. “If only we knew which way—hey, do you feel something?”
A breeze picked up, rustling the branches and blowing dirt from the forest floor. Alina looked into the wind. A dark shadow crept through the woods, clouding the trees from view.
“What is that?” Rex croaked.
“Jump on my back,” Alina ordered, and he obeyed. “Jade, open your eyes and jump on Rex’s back. Hurry!”
They both leaped on and clutched her, and Alina broke into a sprint. She moved ahead of the shadow until Jade shouted, “I’m slipping!”
Alina slowed to help Jade regain her grip. The mist moved closer, billowing like a massive storm cloud.
She couldn’t run fast enough and keep them on. As the vapor surrounded them, Alina felt Rex and Jade stiffen on her back.
“I’m burning!” Rex screamed. “Help! Oh, Alina help!”
She gritted her teeth and ran faster, tears streaming down her cheeks. Rex’s scream halted in his throat as they writhed and groaned on her back. Alina ran harder until unexpectedly, the forest cleared. Through the vapor around her, she could see buildings and homes on the horizon.
“We’re here! We made it to Stormport!” Alina cried.
Rex and Jade didn’t answer but slid down her spine, no longer trying to hold on.
A moment before she reached the city, Alina felt something vibrate through her veins like an electric charge. The vapor disappeared and a shrill siren rang out just as Rex and Jade fell to the ground. Rex gasped for breath, but Jade lay stiff and motionless.
“Help!” Alina screamed as two men raced toward her from the street.
“Don’t move!” one of them yelled.
Alina obeyed but spoke as they approached. “We
