Lucy gripped my arm and gestured toward some large trees framing the back of the house. They weren’t going to offer much cover, but better than being caught in the open.
Moving quickly, we made it just in time. Through the branches I spotted a man standing in the exact spot we’d just vacated. And – wait for it – he was tall. Notice the pattern: Quarn was tall; Brace even taller. Even I was reasonably tall. I looked down at Lucy; she was going to hate it here.
“Guess I know where your ridiculously unfair height advantage comes from,” she whispered indignantly.
I was determined not to laugh at Lucy’s predictability. She was so touchy about her height.
As we watched, he turned on the spot, surveying the forest from all angles. He looked to be around thirty, with blond, shoulder-length hair tied back against the nape of his neck. He was good-looking, but in that boring guy-next-door way, with lightly tanned skin and a few laugh lines framing his eyes.
My attention was suddenly drawn to a large black baton resting over his shoulder. I shuddered, thinking about being smacked around with that. It looked kind of lethal. I was distracted from this by movement close to his feet. Emerging from near-by ferns, an enormous gray animal padded over to sit beside him.
What is that? I turned questioning wide eyes to Lucy. She was mesmerized, her mouth open. I turned back. The only comparison I could think of were pictures of a pack of wolves from my animal textbook. The basics were there: body shape, four legs, pointed ears. But everything else was slightly off, its features more elongated, its eyes extra-large and intelligent.
I’d always wanted a pet – what kid doesn’t? – but animals were rare in the city – practically non-existent. And don’t ask me why. Trust me, it’s better you don’t know.
“Bady, I don’t see anyone, but the alarm did sound. Can you take this side of the zone and I’ll patrol the west end.” The man looked down as he talked to the animal.
Lucy nudged me, not that she needed to. I’d heard – same accent again. There was a smooth quality to this man’s, something Quarn’s lacked, although I preferred the throaty quality of Quarn’s voice. It was more real.
Taking into account how foreign this land was, I wondered again about their ability to speak English. I shook my head. Yet another question to add to the growing list.
Bady took off at the command. Either he was well trained, or animals were far more intelligent than I’d been led to believe. The man disappeared around the front of the house.
“Got a plan yet, Abbs? That animal thing is heading our way,” Lucy asked worriedly.
I peered back through the bushes. Bady was running in diagonal strips, sniffing the ground as he went.
I spoke quickly. “Either we speak with the man, play dumb and see where we’ve ended up ... or we make a run for it and hope to find a town nearby.”
Lucy looked around nervously. “Not really a fan of the stick he was carrying. Let’s make a run for it.”
I nodded. That was my preference too.
Holding hands, we backed through the trees. Ten feet later, we turned away from the house.
“That way.” I pointed to the less foliaged area.
Freeing my hand, I pushed Lucy to move first. She sprang out of the bushes. I was right behind her. We hurtled through the dense growth. I couldn’t see a thing in front of me and winced as the low branches and vines whipped and stung. Glancing over my shoulder, I was relieved to see no pursuers yet. My gaze snapped forward at Lucy’s yell.
I immediately saw the cause of her alarm: a strange gleam suspended in the air.
We were too close. No way to avoid the impact.
Lucy hit first and flew back past me. Closing my eyes, I threw up my hands and cushioned the collision, before a loud thump catapulted me backwards. With no time to panic, darkness claimed me.
Chapter 6
A heavy pounding reverberating through my head was the first indication of a return to consciousness. I drifted through the haziness for an unknown period of time before disjointed memories intruded.
Oh, right – dreamland.
Gasping, I sat upright and forced my heavy eyelids to open. Biting back panic, I looked left and right.
What the eff?
Not even a sliver of light broke the endlessness. I’d either recently gone blind or I was somewhere in complete darkness. I fumbled around with my hands. I was tucked into what felt like a soft bed. I clutched at the edge of the fluffy covers, pulling them up to my chest.
I was clearly no longer in the forest.
This place was cool, with none of the damp heat from outside.
I tried to remain calm, but without being able to see Lucy it was difficult to fight back the rising panic.
Reaching to my left, I choked on a scream. Jerking my hand back, I sucked in a few deep breaths. Someone was lying next to me. Reaching out again, I felt a small relief as familiar fluffy hair grazed my fingers.
That hair belonged to Lucy. Not some weirdo in bed next to me. Lucy.