Chapter 9

  The magical circles spun faster, casting blue light across the ground. I watched the mage gesture with his staff, and suddenly a massive circle appeared high above the forest canopy, easily a hundred feet across and glowing with orange fire.

  Oh shit…

  The circle pulsed once, twice, then began raining down balls of fire like some twisted meteor shower. They slammed into the trees below, exploding on impact and sending up columns of flame that turned the night into day.

  The bastard was trying to burn the entire forest.

  Below me, my wolves were already reacting to the flames lighting up around them. The survivors on their backs were screaming, probably thinking they were about to be roasted alive. The ones on foot were running in panic, scattering in different directions.

  No, no, no!

  Another wave of fireballs crashed down, closer this time. I could feel the heat even from thousands of feet up. The forest was catching fast, dry leaves and branches turning into an inferno that spread between the massive tree trunks.

  Smoke was starting to rise in thick columns, and I realized with growing horror that this wasn't just about cutting off escape routes anymore. The fire was spreading faster than anyone could run. If those survivors didn't find shelter soon, they'd burn to death whether the knights caught them or not.

  Guide them to the stream, I commanded my wolves. The water's the only safe place now.

  But even as I sent the order, I knew it might be too late. The fire was everywhere, spreading in all directions

  He was going to burn down the whole damn forest just to kill a handful of survivors.

  I had to do something. But what the hell could I do against magic from up here?

  Then I saw movement through the smoke. The knights were pulling back, retreating toward the town as the flames spread. They'd done their job.

  My hands clenched against Fei's feathers.

  These weren't just killers. They were fucking monsters.

  =====

  Through the smoke and chaos, I watched my wolves guide the survivors toward the stream. The fire was getting closer, but thankfully, they were making decent time now that the slower ones were riding.

  When they reached the water, the group immediately waded in. The stream was maybe waist-deep, enough to protect them from the flames but not deep enough to drown anyone. For a moment, I let myself feel relief.

  But it wouldn't last. The fire was spreading fast, and I could see burning branches falling into the water upstream. Soon the whole area would be an inferno.

  Think, Vera….

  I ran through my options. Nox and Orion could each carry two people if they had to. Fei was bigger—he could probably handle four total. Two on his back, one in each talon if I was really careful about it.

  It was risky as hell. If Fei couldn't handle the weight or if someone slipped from his claws...

  But it was better than watching them burn.

  I commanded the plan to my monster telepathically.

  I directed Fei into a steep dive toward the stream. The survivors looked up in terror as the giant eagle descended, probably thinking some new monster was coming to kill them.

  "It's okay!" I shouted, hoping they could hear me over the roar of the flames. "We're getting you out of here!"

  The woman with the child was first. I helped her climb onto Fei's back behind me, then carefully positioned the child in front of her. Two down.

  The old man was next. His legs were shaking, but desperation gave him strength. Fei gripped him gently in his left talon, the man's arms wrapped around the eagle's leg.

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  One of the teenagers took the right talon. The kid was terrified but held on tight.

  That left three more. Nox had the injured man and one of the other survivors on his back. Orion carried the last teenager and another adult.

  "Everyone ready?" I called out.

  The heat was getting intense. Burning embers were raining down around us, and the smoke was making it hard to breathe.

  Go! I commanded.

  Fei launched himself into the air with a powerful thrust of his wings. The extra weight made him work harder, but he managed it. Below us, my wolves bounded through the forest, carrying their passengers away from the spreading flames.

  We climbed higher, away from the smoke and heat. The people Fei was carrying were probably scared out of their minds, but they were alive.

  That's what mattered.

  Looking back at the forest, I could see the fire spreading in all directions. The mage's spell had turned the entire area into a death trap. But we'd gotten them out.

  All of them.

  =====

  The flight back to camp felt like it took forever, but it was probably only twenty minutes. Fei's wings worked steadily, the extra weight making him grunt with effort. The old man in his left talon was gripping so tight I thought he might cut off circulation, and the teenager in the right talon had gone completely silent.

  Behind me, the woman kept whispering what sounded like prayers in a language I didn't recognize. Her kid had buried his face in her shoulder and hadn't moved since we took off.

  But nobody fell. Thank god, nobody fell.

  When we finally touched down in the clearing, my legs were shaking so bad I nearly collapsed getting off Fei's back. The woman with the child slid down more gracefully than I did, then immediately dropped to her knees and started kissing the ground.

  Nox and Orion arrived seconds later, their passengers looking just as rattled but alive. The injured man was pale as a sheet, but he was breathing. The teenagers were clinging to each other, probably in shock.

  Seven people. All alive. All safe.

  G1 and G2 stood motionless by the shelter.

  The survivors sat heavily on the ground, staring at nothing. The woman with the child was crying now, clutching her kid like she couldn't believe they were both still breathing.

  I knew the feeling.

  But as I watched them try to process what had happened, reality started creeping back in. These people had just lost everything. Their homes, their town, probably friends and family. And now they were stuck in the middle of a forest with a stranger who commanded monsters.

  What the hell was I supposed to do with them?

  The fire was still burning in the distance, painting the night sky orange.

  Wait. Shit. The fire.

  I could see the orange glow creeping closer through the trees, while it was still a mile out, I needed to do something.

  "G1, G2!" I shouted.

  The stone golems turned toward me immediately.

  “Dig a trench, clear all the brush, tear down any trees that might carry the flames. Make it wide enough that the fire can't jump across."

  The golems didn't waste time as they started moving, their massive stone hands tearing into the earth like it was soft clay. G1 began ripping up bushes and small trees in a wide circle around our shelter, while G2 started digging what looked like it was going to be a massive trench.

  I turned back to the survivors, who were staring at my golems with a mixture of terror and awe.

  The woman with the child was still crying softly, but she'd managed to get to her feet.

  "Thank you," she said, her words clear despite the tears. "Thank you for saving us."

  The relief that hit me. "You don't need to thank me," I said, though my chest felt tight. "I just... I couldn't watch."

  The old man who'd been limping spoke up. "You saved our lives. All of us."

  He gestured to the other survivors, who were nodding and murmuring their own thanks.

  "Are you hurt? Any of you?" I asked, trying to push past the uncomfortable feeling of being the center of attention.

  "Bruises and scrapes," the old man said, then gestured to his leg. "Old wound acting up, but I'll live."

  "The fire," one of the teenagers said in heavily accented common tongue. “Are we safe now?”

  I looked toward the orange glow on the horizon. It was definitely getting brighter, but G1 and G2 were making good progress on the firebreak. The trench was already knee-deep and growing, and they'd cleared a strip of land maybe thirty feet wide in a rough circle around our camp.

  "Probably." I said honestly.

  The woman shifted the child in her arms, the little boy finally lifting his head to look around with wide, frightened eyes. "Is there somewhere safe for him to rest?" she asked. "He's been through enough for one night."

  I looked at our shelter - sturdy now, thanks to the golems but definitely not built for nine people. Still, it was better than nothing.

  "Of course," I said. "There's not much room, but it's good. And safer than being out in the open."

  She nodded. “This is more than enough.”

  As the survivors started settling in, I found myself staring at G1 and G2 who worked with tireless efficiency.

  We just had to survive until I could figure out what the hell came next.

  Because one thing was clear - going back to my quiet life in the forest wasn't an option anymore.

  This was bigger than just me and my monsters now.

  Like it or not, I was involved in something one way or the other.