“It’s only temporary, kid,” Connor said. “I don’t find this cave any cozier than you do. I’m itching to say adios to this place. But you need that hilt and you can’t get it without us.”
Shay nodded slowly. “So you’ll distract the bats . . .”
“And you run for that alcove,” Ethan finished. “It’s set far enough in the corner that if the bats are already distracted, they won’t notice you heading there.”
“You need to let us lure the bats,” Sabine said.
“I don’t think so.” Ethan glared at her.
“I’m a big girl.” She bared her teeth. “And wolves are faster than Searchers. We can jump in and out of the water. And the group of us running around will confuse them.”
“She’s right,” Ren said. “Let the pack handle this.”
“Yes,” I said, knowing I’d snatch a few bats out of the air in the process. There was no way I was going to let that happen to Silas and not get a little payback.
Connor shrugged. “As long as you’ve all had your rabies shots.”
“I’m going to pretend you didn’t say that,” Sabine growled. “But only because Ethan likes you.”
“Jumping in and out of the water, huh?” Mason smiled. “I hope you’re prepared to accept how bad wet fur smells.”
“We’ll manage,” Adne said. I noticed she was shivering too and there were streaks of water on her cheeks that I didn’t think were from the dive. “Can we just do this? I can’t look at Silas lying there anymore.”
Connor nodded. “Okay, Scion, you run back here as soon as you have Eydis so Adne can weave a door and get us out.”
Shay shrugged off his tank, pushing it toward Gabriel. “I’ll be faster without it.”
“Ready?” Ren was looking at me. As alphas we’d lead this strike.
“As ever,” I snarled, drawing on my anger to push away any fear.
I’m sorry, Silas. I’ll try to make it up to you.
One by one our pack submerged, swimming away from Shay and the others. We stayed beneath the surface as long as we could. When the water was too shallow, Ren and I shifted forms in sync, two wolves bursting from the water. The ceiling came to life. Mason was running at my flank, while Nev and Sabine stayed close to Ren. The swarm of bats dove; I could feel the wind stirred up by hundreds of tiny wings brushing across my fur.
Now. I sent the thought to the pack.
We scattered.
A horrible shrieking echoed in the cavern. I leapt up at intervals, snapping at the air. Sometimes my jaws ripped apart a wing or crushed a small body. At others I bit nothing, the swarm having moved on to pursue one of my packmates.
A yelp jerked me around and I saw a dozen or more bats clinging to Nev’s shoulders. His muscles bunched and he jumped off the shoreline, crashing into the water, sending some of the bats careening through the air while others were sucked beneath the surface when Nev shifted forms and fully submerged again.
It was working. The bats couldn’t track so many of us, moving so quickly. And when the swarm did fix its hunt on one of our number, we were fast enough to get into the water before they could do too much damage.
Another splash echoed through the cavern. Sabine was in the water, taking bats with her—a lot more of the creatures clung to her than had to Nev. They were getting better at focusing on one of us at a time. I felt the rush of wind again. I didn’t have to look over my shoulder to know the swarm had targeted me. The first bat landed on my spine; its teeth cutting across my back was light as a pinprick, but the feeling of its tiny tongue lapping up my blood almost made me stumble. Another bat clung to me. Then another.
Calla! Ren’s shout filled my head. There are too many on you; get in the water now!
I didn’t want to know how many was too many. But I could feel their weight on my back and my blood leaking from dozens of minuscule cuts. I wheeled and flung myself into the water. The force of my leap slammed my chest hard into the surface, knocking the breath from my lungs. The bats struggled to free themselves from my fur and take flight before the water captured them. I shifted forms, trying to put in my mouthpiece and get air. My heart was pounding, but I forced myself to be still, drinking in the silence of submersion. Beneath the surface everything was dark, though my eyes were open. I felt as if I were floating in empty space rather than underwater. I was desperate to get back into the fight, but I had to be steady first. When I was sure I had my breath back, I swam to the shore, shifting, and burst back into the fray.
But there was no fray. The rest of my pack stood still, ears flicking back and forth, watching the ceiling.
The bats had vanished.
What happened? I padded to Ren’s side.
They left. He pawed the ground in agitation. The cavern shook and they all flew out of the opening to the cave.
The cavern shook? I hadn’t felt anything underwater.
Just a little. Sabine was licking a cut on Nev’s shoulder.
Mason and I exchanged a look. His tongue lolled out in a wolf grin. He’s got it. Shay found Eydis.
How do you know? Ren’s ears flicked back and forth when he turned toward Mason.
The cave shook in Switzerland. I nipped at Mason’s shoulder playfully. Go, Shay!
Right. Ren remained tense. But why would that make the bats leave?
I bristled. Let’s get back to the others.
We had started toward the alcove when the cavern rumbled again. The earth rolled under my paws, throwing me onto my side. The water’s surface began to stir, spilling over the edge of the shore. Soon it looked like a boiling cauldron.
What’s happening? Mason called to us.
I could hear the Searchers shouting, but I couldn’t make out their words over the roar of water pouring into the cavern. Scrambling to my feet, I started to run toward their voices. My paws were splashing through ankle-deep water. It should have been impossible. Water coming through that tiny cleft in the rock we’d had to worm through couldn’t be this forceful. But somehow it was. Water that had been at my knees was already at my waist and rising, forcing me to swim. The cave shuddered again. Slabs of stone dropped from the ceiling.
I could see Connor waving to us. Adne was beside him, fumbling with her scuba gear while Gabriel tried to help her. Ethan began swimming toward us.
Where was Shay? I couldn’t spot him among them.
Shay nodded slowly. “So you’ll distract the bats . . .”
“And you run for that alcove,” Ethan finished. “It’s set far enough in the corner that if the bats are already distracted, they won’t notice you heading there.”
“You need to let us lure the bats,” Sabine said.
“I don’t think so.” Ethan glared at her.
“I’m a big girl.” She bared her teeth. “And wolves are faster than Searchers. We can jump in and out of the water. And the group of us running around will confuse them.”
“She’s right,” Ren said. “Let the pack handle this.”
“Yes,” I said, knowing I’d snatch a few bats out of the air in the process. There was no way I was going to let that happen to Silas and not get a little payback.
Connor shrugged. “As long as you’ve all had your rabies shots.”
“I’m going to pretend you didn’t say that,” Sabine growled. “But only because Ethan likes you.”
“Jumping in and out of the water, huh?” Mason smiled. “I hope you’re prepared to accept how bad wet fur smells.”
“We’ll manage,” Adne said. I noticed she was shivering too and there were streaks of water on her cheeks that I didn’t think were from the dive. “Can we just do this? I can’t look at Silas lying there anymore.”
Connor nodded. “Okay, Scion, you run back here as soon as you have Eydis so Adne can weave a door and get us out.”
Shay shrugged off his tank, pushing it toward Gabriel. “I’ll be faster without it.”
“Ready?” Ren was looking at me. As alphas we’d lead this strike.
“As ever,” I snarled, drawing on my anger to push away any fear.
I’m sorry, Silas. I’ll try to make it up to you.
One by one our pack submerged, swimming away from Shay and the others. We stayed beneath the surface as long as we could. When the water was too shallow, Ren and I shifted forms in sync, two wolves bursting from the water. The ceiling came to life. Mason was running at my flank, while Nev and Sabine stayed close to Ren. The swarm of bats dove; I could feel the wind stirred up by hundreds of tiny wings brushing across my fur.
Now. I sent the thought to the pack.
We scattered.
A horrible shrieking echoed in the cavern. I leapt up at intervals, snapping at the air. Sometimes my jaws ripped apart a wing or crushed a small body. At others I bit nothing, the swarm having moved on to pursue one of my packmates.
A yelp jerked me around and I saw a dozen or more bats clinging to Nev’s shoulders. His muscles bunched and he jumped off the shoreline, crashing into the water, sending some of the bats careening through the air while others were sucked beneath the surface when Nev shifted forms and fully submerged again.
It was working. The bats couldn’t track so many of us, moving so quickly. And when the swarm did fix its hunt on one of our number, we were fast enough to get into the water before they could do too much damage.
Another splash echoed through the cavern. Sabine was in the water, taking bats with her—a lot more of the creatures clung to her than had to Nev. They were getting better at focusing on one of us at a time. I felt the rush of wind again. I didn’t have to look over my shoulder to know the swarm had targeted me. The first bat landed on my spine; its teeth cutting across my back was light as a pinprick, but the feeling of its tiny tongue lapping up my blood almost made me stumble. Another bat clung to me. Then another.
Calla! Ren’s shout filled my head. There are too many on you; get in the water now!
I didn’t want to know how many was too many. But I could feel their weight on my back and my blood leaking from dozens of minuscule cuts. I wheeled and flung myself into the water. The force of my leap slammed my chest hard into the surface, knocking the breath from my lungs. The bats struggled to free themselves from my fur and take flight before the water captured them. I shifted forms, trying to put in my mouthpiece and get air. My heart was pounding, but I forced myself to be still, drinking in the silence of submersion. Beneath the surface everything was dark, though my eyes were open. I felt as if I were floating in empty space rather than underwater. I was desperate to get back into the fight, but I had to be steady first. When I was sure I had my breath back, I swam to the shore, shifting, and burst back into the fray.
But there was no fray. The rest of my pack stood still, ears flicking back and forth, watching the ceiling.
The bats had vanished.
What happened? I padded to Ren’s side.
They left. He pawed the ground in agitation. The cavern shook and they all flew out of the opening to the cave.
The cavern shook? I hadn’t felt anything underwater.
Just a little. Sabine was licking a cut on Nev’s shoulder.
Mason and I exchanged a look. His tongue lolled out in a wolf grin. He’s got it. Shay found Eydis.
How do you know? Ren’s ears flicked back and forth when he turned toward Mason.
The cave shook in Switzerland. I nipped at Mason’s shoulder playfully. Go, Shay!
Right. Ren remained tense. But why would that make the bats leave?
I bristled. Let’s get back to the others.
We had started toward the alcove when the cavern rumbled again. The earth rolled under my paws, throwing me onto my side. The water’s surface began to stir, spilling over the edge of the shore. Soon it looked like a boiling cauldron.
What’s happening? Mason called to us.
I could hear the Searchers shouting, but I couldn’t make out their words over the roar of water pouring into the cavern. Scrambling to my feet, I started to run toward their voices. My paws were splashing through ankle-deep water. It should have been impossible. Water coming through that tiny cleft in the rock we’d had to worm through couldn’t be this forceful. But somehow it was. Water that had been at my knees was already at my waist and rising, forcing me to swim. The cave shuddered again. Slabs of stone dropped from the ceiling.
I could see Connor waving to us. Adne was beside him, fumbling with her scuba gear while Gabriel tried to help her. Ethan began swimming toward us.
Where was Shay? I couldn’t spot him among them.
