by Ruby Forrest
She stifled a cry, trying to ignore the pain in her chest as she struggled to get in air, the stitch that made breathing a misery and the ache and pain of motion was all that she could feel, all that she could focus on other than the fear.
She could hear them gaining on her, steadily catching up, making her feel breathless. She had to keep moving, had to keep running, but she had no more energy to give, no more energy to give as she ran and ran and ran, giving it everything that she had, everything that she possibly had to give and then some.
She could hear roaring and screaming in the distance and she prayed that Darcy was okay, that Darcy would be safe, that he could find her and join her and that everything could be fine. It struck her, as she was running through the forest, that there was a good chance that they had been getting very close to her father, to where he had been taken, to where their base was. She knew that this was a dangerous mission, but she was realizing, more and more, that she was in an incredible amount of danger that she was closer to the edge than she wanted to admit, that things were getting harder and harder and that she might have been completely out of her depth doing this in the first place.
When the root caught beneath her foot, Isabella- Fae was sent sprawling to the ground. She felt her breath get slammed out of her as she hit the ground, felt the energy drain from her as her body slammed into the ground with a dull thud. Everything hurt, everything ached. She hurt, she hurt so badly that she did not know how to take her next breath. Not only that, but her whole world was spinning and it felt impossible, almost completely impossible to stand up without falling over completely in the process.
Isabella- Fae shuddered, pushing her hands into the dirt, feeling the sting as her scrapes and cuts gave way. The pleasure of last night felt like a dream, a distant memory. The confidence that she had felt when insisting she come along with Darcy, was a memory that felt even further removed from her, further distant, further in the past. She did not know how, she did not know why, but she was determined to keep going, determined to push through the pain and make it to the end.
And yet, she could feel them, hear them breathing down her neck. Isabella- Fae barely managed to push herself upright, barely manage to stand at all, when she felt the agony of being rammed, of a body slamming into her from behind and knocking her into the dirt, knocking her flat into the roots and bushes beneath her feet. She choked, feeling the pain flood her for the second time in a few moments.
The weight on her back was heavy, and she felt claws digging into her back, felt the intensity, the hate, the intensity radiating from the creature that pinned her into the dirt. She realized, in that second, that she was close to death, closer than she had ever been, closer to feeling the bite on her neck and the life bleed out of her in a rush, as she lay dying in the dirt.
She was going to die. She was going to die and there was no way out, not this time. She was going to die and this time, she was stuck, this time, she had nowhere to turn to, no one to call for, and no one to save her. She did not know what compelled her to cry out, when she knew that there was no one to help her. She did not know why she summoned the energy she did have and called, called for someone to do it, someone to help her, for him,
"Darcy!" She called his name, feeling her voice crack and tremble, feeling the intensity of her panic and pain flood her system like a drug, like a jolt of agony that she could not bear to let go. It was too much. It was everything. It was too much. She shuddered and felt the teeth at her neck, felt the heat on the back of her skin, the anger.
She was going to die. And then she felt it. The weight on her back lifted, as suddenly as if he had been thrown off of her. Then she heard a roar, loud and powerful an intense. Then she heard the yowl of pain, and she did not know if she had been saved, or thrown into even worse trouble.
Isabella- Fae rolled over, scrambling to push herself up. At the sight in front of her, she froze. In front of her there was a fight, but not like anything she expected, not like anything that she thought she would have ever seen in her life. In front of her, two panthers were fighting, two panthers were fighting in front of her, teeth and claws grabbing into each other, slicing and slamming and attacking with all of the fury inside of them, all of the fury of a true fight. But this was something else entirely, something different from a fight in the wild.
One panther had been trying to kill her, had chased her and hunted her down, after the attack on the tent. He had been after her specifically, and he had waited, lingered, savored the moment of killing her, savored the moment of hurting her, sinking his claws in, sinking his teeth in. He had savored it in a way that was almost human. And now, now, another panther had jumped in to save her, to save her in a way that she had never expected. This was not a fight over food. The second panther had left her lying there, no interest in hurting her, no interest in sinking his claws into her. He did not seem to be trying to show his dominance either. He seemed to be trying to kill.
The whole thing was very human, very, very human for two animals who were fighting in the wild, in the jungle. Everything was all messed up and it was doing Isabella- Fae's head in, making her lose her mind, struggle to think past the insanity in front of her. What was happening? What was she doing here? Why were they fighting, one to kill and one to protect.
One of the panthers seemed to be winning and, in the dark, Isabella- Fae could not tell which one it was. Was it her savior, or was it the one who wanted her dead? She did not know and she could only hope and pray that she was going to live, going to make it through this. She tried to push herself up, feeling her body give way. She did not know if it was an injury, shock, or something else, but she did not seem to be able to move. She seemed to be glued to the spot, stuck in one place, stuck watching the horror unfold in front of her.
She felt her body tremble, sensation of panic moving through her as the fight ended. It was brutal, one harsh bite to the neck sending one of the panthers falling, tumbling to the ground, shuddering as he collapses, no more, no more life in him, nothing at all.
He was dead and the other panther turned towards her. She realized, suddenly, that this panther was covered in blood. This was not his first kill. This was not the first time that he had hurt someone tonight and she prayed, prayed that this was the one who had saved her.
He took a few steps forward, moving towards her. Isabella- Fae backed up, frozen on the spot. She shut her eyes, expecting the bite, expecting to feel death grip her like a vice and refuse to let her go. Instead, she felt the touch of hands on her shoulders, the touch of a hand against her, gentle and soft and very, very human.
"Isabella- Fae, are you okay?" She knew that voice. She knew it and her eyes flung open. It was Darcy!
Her heart caught in her chest, "Darcy!" She did not know what to say, how he was here. She looked around frantically. The panther was gone and Darcy was here. He was covered in blood and Isabella- Fae's eyes widened in panic, "Are you hurt?"
He shook his head, "Nothing bad. Are you okay? Did he hurt you?" He checked her over with a worried eye and a concerned touch, looking her over. Isabella- Fae glanced over his shoulder, at the dead panther on the floor and felt confusion twist inside of her, uncertainty. She did not know what the hell was going on, but she felt lightheaded.
The sun was starting to rise, flutter across the day and Isabella- Fae felt Darcy's arms around her. He lifted her up, raising her into his arms and cradling her close. Isabella- Fae's eyes fell shut and she drifted in and out of consciousness. She did not know what was up, what was down and what was going on. All she knew was that Darcy was here and he had never let her down yet. She knew that she would be safe as long as he was here. She knew that she had to hold onto him with everything she had.
She knew that she hurt, that everything was okay, that everything would be fine and they would get through this, no matter what was happening. She shuddered, closing her eyes and feeling the shuddering through her head.
"It is okay, Isab
ella- Fae. I've got you." His words were soft and gentle, comforting her mind, comforting as they reverberated through her whole body. She drifted in and out, the feelings sharp in her mind. It was perfect and he was here and no matter how scared she was, no matter how worried she was, no matter what was in store for her.
Darcy was here and it was going to be okay. She would get through this and they would find her father. The last thing that Isabella- Fae knew before she fell into the darkness, was Darcy's arms around her and the feeling of his body against hers, his warmth on her body. The last thought she had, was a worry, the wonder what had happened to that second panther. Why Darcy was covered in blood...what was going to happen next.
Before she could think deeper on any of that, she felt her eyes fall shut and the world fell silent.
Chapter 6
Isabella- Fae woke to find herself by a fire, Darcy sitting beside her. She stirred, shifting and pushing herself up. Everything ached and, all at once, she remembered everything that had happened in this last few hours. The attack flooded back into her mind, the panic, the way that she had been attacked by a vicious panther, only to be saved by another, and rescued from the whole mess by Darcy.
She groaned as she moved, her head feeling like it was going to explode. Darcy looked towards her and she swore that she could see relief on his features, "You're awake. That's fantastic. Isabella- Fae, take these...you probably hurt something awful."
He handed her a bottle of water and a couple of tablets, which Isabella- Fae took gratefully. She did not need to be told twice. Everything ached and she wanted a relief from the pain that twisted in her limbs and her body that thundered through her head. She downed them quickly, drinking a few more sips of water while she was at it, feeling the relief as the water trickled down her throat.
She passed the water back and took a good look at Darcy. He had cleaned up. She remembered the blood that seemed to cover him when he found her, that had stained his skin and his clothes. Now, he seemed to have cleaned it all off, so much so that Isabella- Fae was left wondering if it was just all a dream, if she had imagined all of it. Maybe, he hadn't been covered in blood. Maybe she had imagined the whole thing. Then she noticed the way his bag was torn, the change in shirt, the bandage up his arm, and she knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that she was right.
She hadn't imagined any of it. It had all been real. Isabella- Fae turned towards Darcy, confused, "Darcy, what was all of that?"
"The men who took your father. They found us." His voice was cool, almost cagey.
Isabella- Fae nodded slowly, feeling uncertainty twist in her body, but she shrugged, "Okay, so they found us. I guess we were close."
Darcy nodded, "I think I've pinpointed a general location. We'll head off when it gets dark."
Isabella- Fae nodded again, unable to argue with the logic of that plan, the logic that seemed very sound. She sighed, unable to shake off the worry that gnawed at her, "So, how did you find me? How did you get out in the first place?"
Darcy shrugged, "I fought my way out, and followed your trail."
"But you found me so quickly." Something did not seem to be adding up, but Isabella- Fae could not quite put her finger on it, "What happened?" Isabella- Fae frowned, worry pounding at her head all over again, "What about the panthers?"
Darcy looked like she had just lit a bomb beneath him. She could feel the tension tightening through her body and she shook her head, feeling confused, frightened, and uncertain. She had caught him in something and she needed to know what it was. She needed to know he could be trusted.
"What about them?"
"They attacked me!" Her voice caught, "Well, one of them hunted me down, chased me down. Then another was there, saving me, attacking the other one." She sounded insane and she found that she did not care, the stress of the last week really starting to weigh on her, really starting to make her feel like she might crack.
"And when it was coming towards her, I closed my eyes and a second later it was gone and you were there. How the hell do you explain that?" Her voice cracked again.
Darcy sighed and frowned. He was staring into the fire light, an intense look in his eyes, and a dark look on his face as he shook his head slowly, "Look, I don’t know what to tell you, Isabella- Fae. You wouldn't believe me anyway, so what am I supposed to say?"
Isabella- Fae bristled, feeling tense. So he was hiding something from her, "You tell me the truth!"
"You know what, I think I'll just show you." Darcy pushed himself up, to his feet, staring her straight in the eyes. There was a tense feeling in the air, like electricity was cracking between them, strong and shaky and volatile, burning and shuddering, like a drug, like a prayer, like a promise. She could feel it building and building and building, like it was finally about to give way.
Then it happened. Before he very eyes, Darcy changed, his body shifting and morphing into something else, something different. He shuddered and suddenly, Darcy was no longer standing in front of her. Instead, there was a panther staring back at her, eyes glittering like darkness, glowing in the dim afternoon light.
Then Darcy was back again, standing a few feet away from her with his hands up, "Don't freak out. I have enough to deal with and I can't be trying to chase you down too. I'm a shifter." His words came out in a rush, "A shifter, a panther. It is why I was chosen to protect your father, and it is how I've been tracking him." He swallowed, "I'm not one of the bad guys. I'm here to help. I promise."
Isabella- Fae couldn’t believe what she was hearing could not believe what he was saying. A shifter? It sounded absolutely insane. If she hadn't just seen it with her own eyes, she would not have believed it. Even now, she was having trouble getting herself to accept what he had said as truth. She could not believe that all of this insanity was real. The stress about her father was already coursing through her veins, the near death experience acute and sickening. This just left her reeling more and more.
Again, she felt it, the tense feeling in the air, like electricity was cracking between them, strong and shaky and volatile, burning and shuddering, like a drug, like a prayer, like a promise. She could feel it building and building and building, like it was finally about to give way.
"You don't have to like it, and once we are done, you never have to see me again." Darcy's voice was cool and focused, "But we need to find your father and this is our best chance. We have to move now, before I lose their trail."
His words drove his point home sharply and Isabella- Fae knew that he was right. She needed to make sure she did what she set out to do, no matter how crazy things seemed to have gotten now, no matter how intense things seemed to be at the moment. She needed to keep moving.
"Okay." The word was out before she had a chance to consider. She knew that she needed to get over this, get past this, so that they could save her father. And no matter how crazy the situation was, Darcy had never been anything but good to her. He had saved her life, more than once. He had kept her safe, taken her with him, made sure that she was protected. He had risked his life for her more than once. He had lied to her about this, yes, but not directly and Isabella- Fae couldn’t blame him.
He barely knew her, and to reveal something that crazy to a woman you did not know, without knowing what her reaction would be...well, Isabella- Fae probably wouldn't have releveled it any more readily than he had. She could not blame him for it, and could not find it in her heart to be angry at him about it, could not find it in her heart to hate him for him, or find anything other than respect for him.
The initial anger, and incredulous feelings that had risen inside of her, the panic and fear and uncertainty...they all seemed to fade away, to ease into nothing. Isabella- Fae swallowed, feeling a little sick at the roller-coaster that her emotions had gone through. She swallowed and turned towards Darcy, "Let's go."
He nodded and she could see the surprise in his eyes, "This way."
Isabella- Fae grabbed her bag and followe
d Darcy as he hurried through the jungle. Suddenly, the ache in her body did not seem important. They were so close that she could taste it, so close to her father that she could almost feel him. She swallowed back the fear, the aches, all of it. Nothing else mattered. Finding her father was all that mattered and she needed to make it count.
As they approached, Darcy gestured for her to be quiet, to move slowly. Now that she knew more about him, she was noticing things that she hadn't before, noticing the way he moved, the way he shifted, so catlike and predatory, so much like the animal that he could change into.
It was insane, but she was comforted by it. She had watched him fight and she did not doubt his ability to get her out of here alive. Hopefully, they could get her father out too. Her chest ached at the thought of him but she pressed onwards.
They were so close. At Darcy's signal, they approached the building. Isabella- Fae's heart pounded in her chest. She was so close.
It was time to move.
Chapter 7
They raced into the building, Isabella- Fae following Darcy’s lead, the way that he moved with such purpose and grace, the intension burning in him, the lack of doubt, the lack of worry and the certainty giving her strength where she felt like she had none. She could do it. She could get through this, move forward and claim what was hers- her father. And his safety. She could do it. Now that they were so close, the fears were all but gone, leaving nothing but a burning sort of determination in their stead, in their wake. She shuddered and hurried after him, as Darcy bashed down doors and kicked through partitions. He was not being gentle and he was' trying to be stealthy and Isabella- Fae felt like she could understand that. After all, if other people here were panther shifters like he was, she could only assume that their sense of smell was great, and that they would have known that they were coming by the time they entered the doors. The only way that they could get around this, that Isabella- Fae could see, was by just ploughing forward regardless of the consequences regardless of what might happen. The only way to move forward was to keep moving forward, to not stop, no matter what. It set Isabella- Fae on edge, but there was nothing else for it.
