I poked Riggs with my nose. “Mount up.”
He eyed the limited space available behind the machine. “I can run.”
“Not like I can,” I said. “Geet on.”
He grabbed the bundle and swung up behind it.
Cody took a giant leap, and Leah uttered a little shriek, her hands buried deep in his thick mane.
And we ran.
Sid moved easily beside us with Nar clinging to him. On his own, the Anisau could likely outrun the Trantil. Maybe me, too, if I wasn’t carrying so much weight. But Cody was built to stand and fight, not run. And as we sped through the forest, I could hear the Trantil gaining.
By the time the ground dropped beneath my hooves, and we hopped a small stream, I knew there was no way we were going to outrun them, not weighed down as we were.
Water.
I slid to a halt, and spun, almost unseating Riggs. Galloped back to the stream.
Caliel?I asked, my thoughts clear in my mind.
Not a good idea.His mindvoice was laced with tension.
It would work.
This is only an exercise,he stated. Not worth the risk.
I am useless to this team unless I can tap into what I am,I said.
“Are you debating with Caliel?” Riggs asked.
“He’s afraid the monster will break free,” I replied.
His answer was to draw his sword. He leaned over and planted the tip in the ground.
The water rose from the stream, thousands of tiny droplets hanging suspended. He kept them coming until they were thick.
I sensed Caliel sigh. And then he created the tiniest of openings in the wall he’d built.
The monster tried to come through. I sensed it, but I reached out with my nose, and pushed it against Riggs’s hand on the sword’s hilt. The surge of energy shoved the monster back, allowing only the smallest trickle of power through.
Lightning bolts of pure ice radiated from my skin as I grabbed it to create a wall between us and the oncoming mounted guards.
Riggs kept suspending the water, and I used it to build, until the wall would support itself. Then he pulled the sword free, and I spun to trot back to the others.
They were standing on the rise beyond the stream, staring at us.
“Well done,” Cody said.
“I haveen’t done much,” I stated. “Not compared to you guys.”
Sid snorted a laugh. “Are you serious?”
Cody fixed me with his coppery gaze. “Trrust me when I tell you, Bree,” he growled, “that when it comes to talents on this team, you arre the heavy hitter.”
His gaze shone with sincerity—he really meant what he’d said. Warmth permeated me at his praise, and if I’d been human, my face would have flushed.
To cover my embarrassment, I asked, “So what is this machine wee’ve stolen, anyway?”
