Page 60 of Claim the Light
I prepare for the pain I’m about to feel, the burn that could tear the skin off my palms, and ready myself to push the animal out of my way.
All I want is to create enough space so I can reach Micah and drag him out of here.
Both of my hands close around the deer’s antlers.
I’m shocked when the tines warm beneath my touch, remaining mahogany in color.
There’s no ice, and I feel no pain. What’s more, the deer doesn’t react by charging at me. Its eyes widen at the contact and its head lowers even farther, a strangely meek gesture.
I don’t have time to wonder why.
Pushing as hard as I can, I command the deer, “Move aside!”
I don’t want to hurt it. I stepped into this clearing wanting to save life, not to take it. Of course, I have no idea if it will understand my speech—I highly doubt it will—but my shove should be indication enough of what I want.
The animal complies so fast that I nearly fall on my face with the force of my push. I release its antlers as quickly as I can, allowing it to back away from me while the deer next to it also sidesteps, its head remaining low to the ground. So low that its antlers are scraping the ground.
I stare at both deer in shock, but I can’t waste time trying to figure out their behavior.
Five paces away, Micah is straining to keep the stag at bay—and quickly failing.
The air sizzles again as the stag’s icy tines reach the Grudge dragon’s chest and burn a tear through his shirt.
My heart is in my throat as I launch myself across the clearing. “No!”
The stag’s deep-brown eyes widen at my cry, although it’s impossible to know if it’s because the animal is surprised or confused. Or some other stag emotion I can’t possibly understand.
It doesn’t back off. If anything, it increases its efforts, ramming its antlers even harder at Micah’s chest.
Fuck!
I don’t have time to scream, focusing all my energy into my speed as I race across the final distance and throw myself at the stag’s neck.
At the same time, I reach out, my hand closing around its sharp tine—the one that’s tearing across Micah’s chest.
For a split second, I feel the burn.
It’s icy. Beyond cold. So freezing that it feels like I’ve plummeted into the water beneath a frozen lake.
As cold as death and it threatens to consume me.
CHAPTERTWENTY-TWO
The icy power in the stag’s antlers collides with the well of power within me and it’s like a bullet hitting a target.
Instinctively, my body reacts.
Warmth flows through my palm.
Beneath my touch, the tine transforms back to its mahogany color, the icy-blue vanishing and taking the chill with it.
The beast jolts backward. I release it, but its movement is so fast, and Micah must have been holding on so tightly, that it pulls him with it.
He lands on his hands and knees in the undergrowth.
The beast’s eyes are wild as it backs away, but only another step, swishing its antlers from side to side like a warning.
I’m too afraid to stop. For all I know, I’ve merely startled it and it will resume its attack at any moment. What’s more, it’s only two paces away from Micah. Not far enough for comfort.
