While the branch Tate had gotten me was perfect -- length, weight, age, shape -- that didn't mean I had any idea how to whittle it. First, it was nearly impossible to get through the bark with the knife. I sat and swore at it until the crythal approached and sunk a claw into the base, allowing me to have a starting point.

   We ended up working together to shave off the bark. It was hair-raising to be next to a deadly animal of diamonds, but he never made any move to validate that caution. Tate sat nearby and made a splint for his forearm to brace the break. 

   Once all of the bark was gone, I started to try and shape the staff. It was a lengthy process. I dug the knife into the wood, pushed, and ended up cutting my hands pretty often. By the time it was slowly beginning to take shape, my hands were slick with blood. I kept wiping them off onto my clothes, so if they hadn't been gruesome before, they were definitely now.

   I slept the rest of the night in the tree, woke, and got to work early. I wanted out of this damn place. The crythal sat beside me, licking his arm, as Tate snapped awake. He had been asleep at the base of the tree. The moment his eyes opened, the crythal's head lifted. They both looked in the same direction.

   I frowned. "What's the problem?"

   The crythal's ears rotated and flattened. Tate struggled upright, his arm cradled to his chest. "I can hear multiple sets of footprints. Maybe . . . two guys, two women?" The feline flicked a whisker. Tate shook his head. "Sorry. Three guys and one woman."

   "You can hear that?"

   "Part of the package of being a shifter." His eyebrows creased. "They're sneaking. They're masking their breathing. People only do that if they are trying to hide from a shifter, but it's practically impossible to."

   So they know he's here, and they're hiding from him. Why? "It's got to be the hunters. Did you leave a trail?"

   Tate grimaced. "I tried not to, but it was hard, considering I couldn't fly and I had to drag that branch here."

   With his arm broken, it would be obvious Tate was the hawk they had attacked. I had no idea why they were after him, but it was getting annoying. I pushed myself to my feet and grumbled, annoyed. "Well, I might not be at my full capability, but I can still scare them off. And you can help." I said to the crythal. He got up.

   Tate frowned. "You're walking on one leg."

   "And you have a broken arm."

   "Your own arm is slashed clean apart."

   "Your eye is swollen up like a wasp died in it."

   "Your good leg barely has a shoe." He's pulling at strings at this point.

   "Dude, you don't even have a single shoe." I shook my head. "Just sit down and shut up. I know what I'm doing." Tate muttered under his breath, unhappy, as I followed the crythal towards where the hunters were about to show up. As I limped, I slipped the branch through the straps on my back, and held the practice staff.

   The crythal slunk under some bushes. I stood on the other side of a tree, where the hunters couldn't see me. The flicking of the crythal's tail told me as the hunters got closer. It got slower and slower until the tail stilled completely, silencing all noise.

   I heard the footsteps once the four people were within twenty feet. How Tate had heard them from a mile away was bizarre. I held my staff in both hands, readied my feet, and counted footsteps. The first person -- a tall guy with grey hair and beady eyes -- stepped past the tree. I spun behind him and cracked my staff into the side of the head of another guy. His feet were completely knocked out from under him and he tumbled.

   There were shouts. With both hands, I jerked the staff backwards so the butt of it slammed it into the first man's gut. He spat. The crythal launched with a snarl into the third guy, pinning his shoulders flat into the ground. The feline's ears were flat against his head, sapphire eyes narrowed. The man froze completely. He was a buff guy, his hair long and tied at the nape of his neck. 

   The first person I'd hit started to get up as the woman launched towards me with a growl. My eyes widened as I saw the black claws protruding from her fingernails. Sharp, white fangs replaced her canines. I lifted the staff and caught her wrists, shoving them upwards, and let go with one hand to punch her in the stomach.

   The woman was much faster than I was. Her arm was a blur as she caught my wrist and twisted, her claws digging into my wrist. She twisted my arm so far that it began to sear with pain. I turned myself into her grip and drove my elbow into her gut. She'd tried to step back, but because she was holding my arm at such an angle, she had no room to escape. 

   The staff was ripped from my hands. I shouted and wrenched myself free from the gasping woman. The first guy I'd hit threw the staff away, his eyes lighting up. "She was right. You're weak in here, Reilly."

   My brain took a split second to register what he'd said. She. She'd said I would be weak. I knew exactly who she was. My lip curled in hatred. 

   The woman straightened, hissing at me. The crythal still had one pinned, but the other three were perfectly intact to fight. My fists clenched and I felt my lips curl into a malevolent smile. "Dani. She sent you after me. She wouldn't herself come, so either she doesn't care, or she doesn't want to deal with me. Mind telling me which?"

   The woman snorted. "Like she'd want to deal with you. It's hardly a task for someone as important as her."

   "Important?" I turned my head. "How so?"

   The grey-haired man chuckled. "You don't have time to care. Besides, you'll find out soon enough." He cricked his neck, his pale pointed ears peeking out from under his hair. Either fae or elf . . . I couldn't tell the difference. Heck, I was surprised I remembered that much from the books.

   "Oh, good," I replied sweetly. They blanched a little, not expecting such a tame response. "I was worrying I was going to have to track her down myself. Fortunately, you'll take me right to her. Won't you?"

   "You're either insane or stupid," said the long-haired guy flatly. 

   "Just insane, don't worry." I rubbed my hands. "Can we get to business, please? I want to start kicking your asses and you're making me wait." Adrenaline started to pump faster in anticipation.

   There were multiple clicks. I blinked. Three gun barrels were pointed directly at my skull. An annoyed sound left my throat and I groaned. "Dude, really? Guns in a magic fight? Isn't that kind of cheating?"