Rooming with the Wicked

28 | take cover

A flurry of arrows whizzed through the air. A cool breeze caressed my cheek right before the last one buried itself in the tree trunk just behind me. At least they weren't shooting incendiary arrows any longer, but, damn, these guys weren't playing around.

The tall brown wolf growled, and, in response, the other four lowered their heads and changed course away from the fae, who, almost in perfect sync, appeared at the tree line across the clearing, bows drawn and ready to fire. The wolves had their backs turned to them, but...they didn't shoot. They didn't even glance at them.

These jerks. They were teaming up on us.

Five more arrows were sent our way, forcing us further back and giving the wolves another opportunity to advance unchecked. If we didn't do something soon, we'd not only be outnumbered, but surrounded as well. Not exactly a great way to start this game.

From my spot just behind Kenas, I could barely see anything. The distinct snapping of branches and increasingly loud panting and snarling told me all I needed to know. We were running out of time.

I peered around Kenas's massive arm in time to see the blond fae girl giving a string of hand signals too quick for me to decipher.

Had they planned this?

With a haughty expression on her face, she called out, "I guess I should thank you for stumbling right into our little trap. You made it so easy for us. Not a very smart move, I might add. We thought we'd have to comb through half of the forest to find you."

"Your... Your little trap?" Jaydis asked, barely keeping a straight face.

Another arrow sliced through the bush he was hiding behind, but he didn't even have to dodge it.

"Tell me, Calla, did part of your little trap include losing your flag?" he continued.

Calla's smile disappeared. Keeping her bow trained on Jaydis, she tilted her head to the side and glared at one of her teammates. "You lost our flag?"

"I-I didn't..." The poor fae blanched even further. "They... They—that shifter—h-he was..."

"He was what?" Calla hissed. "Too fast for you?"

"Y-yes. I mean, no—"

"You're a—a lost cause. A disgrace. Consider yourself off the team." With that, her icy eyes snapped back to Jaydis. "And you. You got lucky. Prepare to kiss both flags goodbye."

"Spoken awfully confident for someone conveniently camping out in a tree," Haze said, voice as smooth and taunting as ever. "You think they're magically gonna come floating your way?"

"Shut up, demon."

"Running out of things to say already? Disappointing." He laughed. "I expected more. Especially from someone who enjoys the sound of their own voice as much as you do."

Her frustrated shriek pierced the air, and she released another arrow, this time missing by a mile.

Guess my assumption about him annoying the crap out of the other teams wasn't even that far off.

As if to antagonize her further, Haze tsked in mock disappointment. To an outsider, it might seem like that was all he was doing, but there was more to it. He was providing an opening.

While the wolves were preoccupied with witnessing this exchange with both annoyance and confusion, Danox had managed round the entire clearing without anyone noticing. With his white eyes trained on a seething Calla in the tree in front of him, he waited, tail twitching back and forth.

"Don't just stand there," Calla screamed. "Do something!"

That seemed to snap everyone out of it. Three of the fae hopped down from their trees and the wolves continued their advance. Seeing the window of opportunity, Danox launched himself at Calla's tree, and, before she knew what was happening, knocked her off.