"Jefferson Street."
Paenther released Skye and swung her to face him. "You need to stay here."
"Paenther, no." The last thing she wanted to do was face Lyon alone. "You may need to shift."
He thought about it for three seconds, then grabbed her hand. "All right. I'll drive, Stripes. The Escalade's warm."
Tighe eyed her with a look that was neither friendly, nor truly antagonistic, but he nodded.
The sunshine disappeared, the day turning gray in an instant. The wind started to kick up. Tighe looked up and frowned.
"I'll ride in back," Skye suggested, as they reached Paenther's black SUV.
"No." Tighe's response was quick and sharp, leaving her no choice but to get in front with Paenther. It was clear he didn't trust her with his mate. As soon as they were in, Paenther took off. The trees bent to the fury of the wind, a small branch tumbling across the drive in front of them. The wind was definitely kicking up.
They drove the short distance in silence. "There's Foxx's Mustang," Paenther said, when they turned onto the residential road only a few streets from the one where Feral House sat.
A red car sat on the side of the road appearing empty and abandoned.
"Do you see them?" Paenther asked.
"No. They're probably in the woods." But a moment later, Tighe's tone matched the sudden tension in the car. "I called them telepathically, but there's no answer. If they're chasing Mage, they should be in their animals."
Paenther pulled out his cell phone and punched some numbers. "No answer."
"We're going to have to track them."
Paenther pulled over to the side of the road. As the car slowed to a stop, Tighe threw open the door and leaped out, shifting midleap into a house cat.
"He can change his shape," Skye murmured, surprised.
Delaney leaned forward. "A lot of the Ferals can. It helps them blend into the human landscape. Zoo animals tend to draw unwanted attention."
Skye glanced at Paenther, tempted to ask him if he could change size, too, but his concentration was elsewhere. She suspected Tighe was talking to him.
As if in answer, he shoved open his door. "Let's go."
"Did they answer him?" Delaney asked.
Skye opened her door, having to hang on tight to keep it from getting away from her as the wind tore past.
"No." His expression was grim. "He smells blood."
Paenther grabbed Skye's hand, and the three ran into the sharp wind to where Tighe, now a man, stood at the edge of the woods. Skye smelled the carnage before they reached it and prayed Tighe hadn't found the bodies of the Ferals. But when he looked up, a hint of grim satisfaction weighed in his eyes, and she knew he hadn't.
"Mage," he said as they joined him. "Now I understand the sudden turn of bad weather. Mother Nature is pissed."
Skye covered her nose as she looked down at the two badly mutilated bodies. The men's chests had been torn open. Their hearts were almost certainly gone. But enough of their faces remained for her to recognize them.
"I know them."
"Friends of yours?" Tighe asked carefully.
She met his gaze without rancor. "I have no friends among Birik's Mage."
Tighe nodded, seemingly satisfied, but his expression quickly turned to one of confusion. "These two were killed by animals. Feral animals. So where are Jag and Foxx, now?"
Paenther released her hand and stepped back, stripping off his shirt. "Let's find them." When he was fully undressed, she stepped forward and pressed her palms to his chest. He covered her hands briefly, then released her as he began to shift.
Skye jumped back as the panther emerged where the man had stood. He took off into the woods but the tiger didn't immediately follow. The great striped cat was staring at her with deadly green eyes.
Tighe's voice cut through her head with hard warning. If you harm Delaney, witch, you die.
She answered him in kind. She's a good person, Tighe. I would never hurt her.
With a warning growl, he turned and bounded off after Paenther.
"Was he threatening you?" Delaney asked beside her. The wind whipped at her loose hair, sending it flying about her face like a dark mist.
Skye threw her a wry look, then went back to watching the cats. "You know him well."
"Oh, yeah. They're prickly as hell about who they let in their inner circle, but once you're in, watch out. The cavemen had nothing on these guys for sheer stubborn protectiveness."
"That's nice for you. To be protected like that."
"Do the Mage do that?"
"Protect their females? Some do. When I was a little girl, I lived among Mage would have risked everything to keep me safe from the outside world. Unfortunately, it was another Mage who wanted me, and there was nothing they could do to stop him." She sighed. "The only one who ever tried to protect me in the caverns was Paenther. And he was chained at the time."
She felt Delaney's probing gaze. "He's more than protective of you. I've seen the way he looks at you, Skye. It's a lot like Tighe looks at me. Some of the Ferals think you've enchanted him, but I don't think it's that simple."
Skye met Delaney's gaze. "I love him. And he told me he feels the same."
Delaney grinned. "Well, there you have it. Sounds like we're going to be sisters-in-law...or whatever it would be. Feral Warrior wives-in-law?"
Skye smiled, the rush of longing making her chest ache. "I'd like that." She'd more than like it. Having friends, a home, a family again was a dream she'd barely dared to imagine.
Look left!
Tighe's voice rang in Skye's head, tearing her thoughts from the fragile hope. At her side, Delaney's head jerked left and she knew he was speaking to them both. Two men. Do you recognize either of them, Skye?
She saw the two he was talking about a distance away, walking casually, like humans out for a stroll. They were dressed in casual jeans and barn jackets rather than the blue tunics of Birik's sentinels. But as one of them turned, she caught his profile. They're Birik's men, Tighe.
The two cats gave chase. Immediately, the Mage took off, running in two different directions.
Get in the car and lock the doors, Tighe barked. Both of you.
Delaney made a sound of disgust. "I hate getting relegated to the role of helpless..." She whirled, pulling her gun. "Freeze!"
Skye spun around to find a third man running directly for them. A man she recognized all too well. Devrell, one of Birik's cruelest sentinels.
"He's Mage." In her head she screamed, Tighe! Paenther!
The sound of gunfire exploded in her ears as Delaney shot at the man, but he was immortal and the bullets did nothing to slow him down.
"Skye, run!"
Skye hesitated, wanting to help her new friend, but there was nothing she could do. Besides, she knew it was her the Mage wanted. She turned and fled in the direction she'd watched Paenther go.
Beauty! What's happening?
There's a third Mage. Delaney shot at him, but...
She glanced behind her and gave a mental shriek. She's down! He's coming for me.
Run, Beauty! I'm coming.
Her feet felt awkwardly heavy in the borrowed running shoes as she ran through the woods, leaping over the uneven ground, the forest-scented wind whipping at her face. The heavy thud of her heartbeat pounded in her ears as terror crawled up her spine.
She wouldn't go back there!
All around her, birds landed on nearby branches. Squirrels chattered angrily in the trees as if preparing to come to her aid, but she didn't call them. They'd only get hurt.
Behind her she heard the low chant of a Mage spell and her heart sank. Seconds later, a rock the size of her fist rose from the ground and flew at her. She turned her head and raised her arm, but the rock slammed into her shoulder, knocking her off stride. More rocks flew at her, as if Birik's nightmare had come to life, hitting her legs and sweeping her feet out from under her. With a thud, she landed on her back on the forest floor, the wind knocked out of her.
Before she could leap to her feet, Devrell was over her, staring down at her with cold eyes ringed in a copper as bright as her own. He grabbed her and hauled her to her feet. Skye fought him, struggling against his hold as he dragged her back toward the road. Even though his strength was nothing compared to Paenther's, it was still far greater than her own.
Paenther!
I'm coming, Beauty.
Moments later, a flash of black caught her eye.
Devrell released her, pulling a knife from his belt. As the panther leaped at him, going for the throat, the Mage slid the knife between the animal's ribs. The sleek animal knocked the man to the ground with his powerful body, taking two more stabs to the chest and throat before he bit clean through Devrell's wrist, tearing off his hand.
Blood sprayed from the Mage's arm as the great cat lay across him, lengthwise, his deadly teeth mere inches from Devrell's face. Tail twitching, blood matting his fur, the cat stared down at his captive like a hunter about to take a juicy bite out of his prey.
Paenther snarled, his eyes glowing green. But as Skye stepped closer, he swung his head toward her. Are you okay?
"Yes. What about you?" she asked worriedly.
Fine, Beauty. The panther growled and turned back to the Mage. Who sent you?
"B-Birik," the man stuttered, his voice thready with shock.
"Where are my friends?"
"Took them. The others...took them."
"Why?"
"The Feast of the Moon Spirit. Three Ferals...to open the blade."
Skye's heart seized. "He's going to sacrifice them?"
"Yes. Birik wants you, too, if we can get you. Otherwise, he'll use the viper shifter and pull his own power."
You'll not get her. Ever. The panther turned to look at her. Is there any reason I should spare his life?
"Other than the Earth getting even angrier than she already is?"
Paenther tilted his face to the wind as if just realizing the weather had changed. Other than that?
"None. He deserves whatever you do to him."
Paenther watched her through his cat eyes, his body ablaze with pain as it always was when he was in his animal, trebled by the knife wounds. Wounds he could feel healing slower than they should be. He shoved away the deep worry clouding his mind and concentrated on Skye, on the echoes of old pain and deep hatred swimming in her summer-sky eyes. A pain that cut him deeper than the knives had.
He hurt you. It wasn't a question. The truth was written all over her face.
"He enjoys bringing pain to others."
To you?
She looked away, then met his gaze, her mouth tight. "When Birik chained me to that rock where you were kept, he invited his sorcerers and sentinels to use me, too, figuring the worse it got, the quicker I'd cave. His men still had souls at the time and few took him up on the offer. This one joined me on that rock every night, usually with two blades. One of flesh, the other of steel."
Paenther snarled deep in his cat's throat, his gut twisting with rage for the child subjected to such brutality.
He stared down at his captive. You die. For her, you die. He made sure Skye heard the words as clearly as did the Mage beneath him.
The man yelled in fear as Paenther struck, ripping out his throat before tearing at his chest until he had the heart in his mouth. He looked up at Skye. If he'd seen horror in her eyes, he'd have tossed the heart aside and ended it there. But those blue eyes blazed with gratitude and vindication, so, his gaze fixed on hers, he ate it.
For you. Thunder rumbled angrily in the sky.
"I'd kiss you, but you're a little messy."
Paenther gave her a feline smile, then called to Tighe.
Is Delaney okay?
Yes. You?
We'll be right there. He looked at Skye. Help me shift back, Beauty.
Small pellets of hail began to fall. The Earth was angry, all right. She was going to get a hell of a lot angrier once he got his hands on Birik.
Skye slid her hands in his fur and helped him shift back with a burst of pain that nearly sent him to his knees. When he was standing on two feet again, he pulled her against him, shielding her from the hail, and led her back toward the road.
"Where did the blood go? You're clean."
"That's the upside of not being able to keep my clothes on when I shift. I don't retain much of anything."
"You don't even have to take showers?"
"It doesn't work that well. Besides, I've found I'm rather fond of showers."
He could almost feel her blush. Holding her against him like that, he felt that overwhelming protectiveness well up inside and spill over. Never again would anyone hurt her. Not as long as he drew breath.
The hail grew in size until he could feel it tearing at his bare back. Hell, his Escalade was going to be dented for sure. But he didn't care. Goddess, he didn't care. He'd slain one of Skye's dragons, and for that he felt on top of the world.
Skye's hand touched his arm. "Are you sure you're okay? Those stab wounds healed?"
"They healed." For the most part. Things weren't right in his body, and it was seriously starting to worry him. He remembered all too well the way Frederick's body had turned mortal just before he died.
The rage burned through his mind stronger than before, requiring a control greater than he'd ever had to exert. And the pain when he shifted was getting worse. A pain that was as much of the soul as the body. A pain that whispered of loss and isolation. And a rending inside him he wouldn't survive.
If he lost the panther spirit, he would die.
