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He wiped sweat from his forehead with a sleeve. “Thanks. But we should get moving. If we’re not far enough from its nesting ground, it will wake up and start hunting us. And considering we already have one monster on our trail, it’d be a good idea if we kept going. Come on.”

She sensed the slightest shift in their group. A begrudging respect was blooming for Theo. It was not lost on Ren how easily he could have died. It was one of the first selfless acts he’d taken out here. All of them kept quiet, bags tucked to their sides, as they made their way across the graveyard of bones. Most of the remnants looked relatively small. Mountain goats and rock rats and smaller birds of prey. Whatever the wyvern had hunted over the years. Ren tried to ignore the femurs and skulls that looked larger, more human.

There was a single path leading through the mountain brush ahead. They all edged around the slumbering creature, hoping the rapid beat of their own hearts didn’t betray their passage. Theo reached the path first. He held back a few branches for them to pass through, when a sharp crackle cut through the air.

Everyone froze. The wyvern shook its head sleepily, two eyelids lifting in brief flutters. Ren’s eyes darted to Timmons. She pointed to her friend’s ear. The lonely humming-sword bird dangled there. Timmons scrambled to remove the little keepsake, but her fingers fumbled nervously at the clasp. Another crackle sounded. It was followed by a crooning voice.

“And I’ve never known a fire like yours. And I’ve never known desire like yours. And I’ve…”

Timmons ripped the dangling metal out of her ear. Blood spattered the stones. The sound cut out, but as they looked back into the clearing, Ren saw it was too late. The wyvern’s great wings were unfolding. Those amber eyes fixed on them. Theo ran forward again, empty-handed this time, straight into danger. Ren was the only one with spells ready. Instinct drowned out fear. She’d practiced this magic a thousand times. She swung her horseshoe wand in the direction of the beast and shouted.

“Everyone down!”

Timmons and Cora hit the ground, but Theo was a step too slow. The spell that barreled out looked like a miniature sun. It struck the wyvern right before it could slash Theo’s chest. Ren shielded her own eyes as the light exploded. She heard the grating screech as the creature reared back on its hind legs, blinded by the magical blast. Theo dropped to his knees with a sharp cry.

Ren hit the wyvern with a second spell before yanking Theo by the arm.

“I can’t see! I can’t see!”

“Shut up,” she hissed. “Stay quiet!”

The wyvern scratched at its own eyes before unleashing another roar. Lacking the main sense it had always used to hunt, the creature charged forward with reckless, brutish strength. Ren barely pulled Theo clear of its chosen path. Another roar sounded as the creature raced past them, on the verge of running straight over the edge of the cliff.

Ren was guiding Theo toward Cora and Timmons, who were already safely hidden in the brush, when the creature’s armored tail whipped back around at the last second.

“No!”

It raked a brutal path across Theo’s stomach. Blood gushed instantly. His scream had the creature’s head swiveling. Claws dragged against stone to bring the wyvern to a stop. It was trying to follow the sound. Ren slapped one hand over Theo’s mouth, hissing for quiet, as she stumbled through the gap in the bushes with him. Cora was there. She pressed a spare cloth to his stomach, trying to staunch the flow of blood. All of them fought forward, through the overgrowth, ducking under scrub trees and around bushes. There was another roar as the wyvern took flight, blinded but on the hunt.

No one made a sound. The creature’s flapping wings helped them. Each gust of wind covered their smaller footfalls. Ren was trying to figure out how far they should run before stopping to take care of Theo. He was losing a lot of blood. Cora had his other side. Ren saw her starting to sag beneath the extra weight.

“It hurts.…” Theo’s face was growing paler. “Please. It hurts.”

They kept moving until he passed out. Then the weight was unbearable. Timmons turned just in time to catch his forward fall. All three of them struggled before Cora hissed in frustration, “Set him down. Levitation spell.”

Ren and Timmons backed up as she performed the magic. His unconscious form floated up, suddenly weightless. Cora snagged him by a sleeve and spun him around so that his stomach was facing the sky. The gashes there were massive, still gushing blood.

“Find a safe spot,” Cora said. “I need to start working on him. Now.”

Everything was laced with fog. Ren thought the wyvern had given up the chase, but a moment later there was a piercing cry overhead. They finally found an offshoot trail. Ren saw why Cora had chosen it as they ferried Theo along. Rock curled overhead to form a makeshift shelter. The trail led to a covered ledge that looked out over the western valley. Ren saw a normal-sized nest tucked into one corner, but knew the space was too tight for any large creatures to reach. It was the best they could have hoped for.

“I’ll ward everything,” she said. “Get to work on him.”

Timmons helped with his buttons as Cora undid her levitation charm. Ren wasn’t sure if any magic could really keep them safe once the wyvern recovered fully, but for now she layered the air with every ward she knew. It cost her precious ockleys, but if they didn’t save Theo Brood, they’d have nowhere near enough magic to survive the passes. Once the wards were in place, she settled in beside Cora. The girl had unrolled her medical kit and was quietly muttering under her breath.

“Tore through the muscle. Damn. That’s going to require…”

Ren watched as she exchanged tools, making quick but precise decisions. Magic churned in the small space. Each of her surgical implements was thick with enchantments. Ren sensed traces of spells that made them sharper and cleaner and steadier. She was thankful the girl was so prepared. It took less than an hour to seal Theo’s three wounds. The puckering slits were barely visible when Cora had finished her work.

“Bound the layers of muscles back together,” she said, wiping her hands. “He’ll be sore, but a little rest and we’ll have him back to normal in a few days. Lucky it wasn’t worse. Two inches higher and that strike slits an artery. He’d have bled out in minutes.”

“Great work, Cora.”

Timmons nodded. “All class. You were steady as a stone.”

In response Cora sagged back, putting all her weight on hands still stained with blood. She heaved a massive sigh. “What happened? What was that noise?”

Timmons showed Cora her earring. “It’s enchanted. If you put it on, you can hear the music that’s being played at the Minstrel. We’ve been too far for the spell to work.”