Where Wolves Fear to Prey by J. A. Ironside

Author:J. A. Ironside [Ironside, J. A.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Blue Stone Press
Published: 2023-03-22T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter Thirteen – Moon-touched

I wouldn’t recommend running barefoot across unmown fields in August. I definitely don’t recommend it in mid-February. If the proximity of the hot, ravenous presence pressing against my internal radar hadn’t been taking up most of my concentration, I would have been far more concerned about my feet. But the pain of bruised heels and then the numbness as the cold ground seeped into them, were shoved to the back of my mind.

“This way,” Claudia had regained some of her decisiveness and now that she couldn’t avoid this impossible situation, she sought to dominate it. Her hand wrapped around my wrist, and she dragged me in a flat-out sprint on a diagonal line across the field.

I run around three miles about four times a week just to stay in shape – cardio is a necessity working for Harker & Blackthorn – but Claudia was taller, faster and apparently even fitter than I was. My lungs burned and the cold night air sliced into my throat.

A shape loomed out of the darkness. I flinched, then saw it was a blackthorn bush on the edge of the field. A few more steps and the rest of the hedge appeared. Before I could baulk at shoving my way through the thorns, Claudia had guided us to the stile. She set her hand on the post and vaulted over; I scrambled gracelessly after her. My feet hit tarmac. An unmarked country road.

“Which way?” Claudia cast a hunted look back down the road.

The Touch gave a firm tug to the left. “This way.”

We began to jog up the road, not bothering to keep to the verge. If a car came, we’d try flagging it down.

“Maybe we should have stayed with the limo…” Claudia began.

A bladder loosening howl sounded out of the darkness, followed by a sound like fingernails screaming across slate. Metal tearing. I looked at Claudia – we’d both stopped dead in terror.

“Or perhaps not,” she said shakily.

I didn’t reply, forcing my legs to move, trying to coax more speed out of my muscles. We had one chance. There was something nearby, a quarter of a mile maybe, that could help us.

“Amy,” Claudia sobbed for breath, “I have to stop.” She pressed a hand to her ribs, bent half double.

“No. If we stop, we’re dead.” I threw her arm around my shoulders, seized her waist and forced her to stumble on. She stifled a whimper and forced herself through the pain barrier. But neither of us could keep this up.

“What…?” Claudia’s breath ran out before she could complete the question.

But I saw what she meant. In the distance a few pale orange lights gleamed through the trees. Human habitation. A village, perhaps. Although still far too far away to do us any good in time. There was something else, though. A new source of coolness to the air. A smell like lush green growth and a faint rushing sound.

“There’s…a…stream…” I gasped.

“How will…that help?” Claudia limped on regardless.

“Need to…cross running water…”

There was no chance to explain further.

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