Rooming with the Wicked

31 | flags to snatch

"Don't worry," Haze said," we manag—"

Fuzzy's jaws closed around his unprotected hand.

In the split second before Haze grabbed Fuzzy by the ear, his eyes turned pitch black. Then Kenas's gigantic form blocked my view as he charged at the three other shifters surrounding Haze. Judging by Fuzzy's yelp a second later, Haze won that battle.

Kenas shoved Aidan out of the way as he was about to bite Haze's injured hand, grabbed one wolf by the hind leg, and pulled him backward. Big mistake getting into a physical fight with a giant, buddy.

The shifter struggled until my half-giant roomie finally pinned him to the ground by pressing one foot on his shoulder. Growling ferociously, the wolf snapped at nothing but air until some sort of realization seemed to set in that they were not getting out of that.

With dark blood dripping from his hand, Haze hopped over Fuzzy and held him in a headlock. The other brown wolf aimed to sink their teeth into Haze's calf, but with a quick sidestep on my demon roomie's part, the shifter jumped right into Kenas's waiting arms.

With Danox wrestling with Wolf Number Five, Aidan was the only one not currently losing to someone on our team. And he was fuming. Lips pulled back in a snarl, he ran at the only team member who likely wouldn't be able to fight him off with superhuman strength or reflexes.

Me.

Jaydis dropped to the ground next to me. I heard the bowstring being drawn before I saw the tip of a silver arrow aimed right at Aidan.

"Don't even think about it," Jaydis said, for once not playful whatsoever. His stance was relaxed, but the muscles in his arms were steady and taut.

Aidan skidded to a stop, his wide white eyes darting between us. When they settled on me, I knew he was past caring. Well, this time I wasn't about to give him the opportunity to attack first.

I uncapped the Crescetra, and once Aidan came at me again, threw the orange liquid in his path. Most of it landed in a puddle on the ground, but the moment he ran through it, it latched onto his paws and stopped him in his tracks. Literally.

"What's that?" Jaydis asked, eying the orange goo with what had to be scholarly interest.

"A fun little science project," I said smugly.

That entertaining hyena laugh of his broke the tension instantly. "I think you and me need to start a study group for alchemy."

Now that'd be some chaotic fun.

Seeing their team leader incapacitated, the other shifters stopped struggling and surrendered. They didn't look particularly happy about it, but who could blame them?

"Oh, I almost forgot." Jaydis lowered his bow and shrugged a black backpack—my backpack—off of his shoulders. "Figured you might want this back."

"I... Thank you."

Losing the potions would have been unfortunate but otherwise unimportant, but my nightlight and binoculars...not so much.

With the biggest smile on his face, Jaydis stuffed our glowing bundle of flags into his quiver. Kenas dusted himself off and, wearing a subtle grin, started further down the mountain. Danox appeared next to me, ears swiveling in the direction of the shifters.

It took a surprising amount of self-control not to brush the leaves off and pat his fluffy head. I quickly lowered my hand and followed Kenas.

Hearing Aidan continue to struggle, I hesitated. Without turning around, I nodded in the general direction of the stream and said, "It dissolves on contact with water."