Roland scowled. “I know. I hate this. We just need to get a bit closer and then we might be okay.”
She frowned. “Closer to what? Why won’t you tell me where we’re going?” She didn’t like this. They usually made plans together, but he, apparently, had an idea and refused to tell her. “What if we become separated and we need to meet up?”
“Then let’s not become separated. We’re almost there, little sister. Just believe.”
She wasn’t sure what to believe in right then. If he wasn’t telling her where they were going, then it must mean she wasn’t going to like the destination. But still, she should be told. Needed to be prepared. Anyplace had to be better than the middle of nowhere on the run from humans who wanted her head.
But once Roland set his mind on something, there was no way she could stop him.
Instead of asking again, though, she went about healing her wounds, gently placing her hands on her knees and chanting softly. The water in her system touched her soul and ignited the power the goddess had blessed her with. She wasn’t a true Healer like the wolves had, but she had enough power within her to heal at least somewhat. It was a maternal family trait within her witch line.
The sharp pain in her knees eased into a dull throb and she stopped, not wanting to use too much power in case they needed to use it again later. Not that she was sure she could use magic out in the open. There were always eyes on them.
Always.
Roland worked on his cuts and scrapes, his magic a warm pulse against her own. She looked up to ask about the next step in the plan, then found her face pressed against the rocks, her twin’s body covering hers, a cacophony filling the air.
Rock shattered around them as the humans kept shooting. Since there was a ridge of rocks between the humans and her brother and her, there was a slight chance they might make it out of this alive. Sharp rocks exploded in front of her as the enemy shot again and she had to duck to avoid flying shards. Thankfully, the angle between her and the one shooting at her wasn’t the greatest, so she and Roland had a small window of time where they could escape. At least, that’s what she hoped.
Her brother pulled her up, and they scooted to the side, using a lower rock formation for cover.
“When I say go, run, crawl, do anything to get out. You hear me?” Roland’s voice held an edge of fear she hadn’t heard from him before, and she gripped his arm.
“Don’t you dare play hero. We’ll get out of this together.”
He kissed her forehead and nodded. “I promise, little sister, I’m not leaving this world anytime soon.” He held out his hands, and she reached out to grip his arms.
“Roland! They might have cameras! They did before. You can’t use magic.”
He raised his chin and looked over his shoulder at her. “Maybe it’s time to fight for our lives, rather than protect a group of people who’ve never wanted us.”
Her heart ached, but she couldn’t stop him, not when he was like this. If the cameras and surveillance equipment were there and they caught Roland using magic, all might be lost. Or maybe these humans only had guns and bullets.
When had she started hoping for merely guns in the hands of the enemy?
What had her life become?
Magic washed over her as Roland pulled on the pool and a wave of water crashed into the humans just now crawling over the rise. They screamed, trying to fight for air, and she had to look away. With all she’d seen, all she’d been forced to do, she should have been able to deal with death or dying, but she couldn’t.
Not anymore.
It was all too much.
Instead of focusing on what her brother was doing to save their lives, she did her part. She searched the edges of the pool for another tunnel or pathway, knowing going back the way they had come might be lost to them. Even if Roland dealt with those at the edge of the pool, there were most likely others at the entrance to the tunnel.
She narrowed her eyes, focusing as hard as she could.
Tendrils of sensation covered her skin and she fought off a shudder. She hated using magic for this. She’d prefer to heal or help the earth, rather than use it to save herself.
There.
A darkened crevice that looked big enough for even Roland’s broad shoulders. She pushed out with her magic, letting it dance off the water molecules in the air. Humans wouldn’t be able to see this, thankfully, but she was draining what little powers she had. Fast. She did her best to settle her pulse so she could sense if the air in the tunnel was stale or not, but it was a lost cause with the screaming, the crash of water, and her brother by her side, doing what he could to save them. She couldn’t concentrate properly.
Finally, when she was able to center herself enough to focus on her intent, she realized that the air tasted fresh. She could have cried, but held herself in check. She could weep when they were safe. And since she didn’t know if that would ever be possible again, she would just have to hold in the tears. Forever.