Shifted Fate by Alicia S.Rivers

Chapter 481

We ran through the trees, heading to the darkest recess of her mind. Every so often, there was a skittering sound that made their ears twitch. Something was watching us. There was a shadow that lept above us. The noise sounded again and my back crawled. It was almost like a million little legs were crawling over something. It gave me the willies.

Nix's voice was low as we ran. "Something is hunting us."

Megan chuffed an agreement, but it was Shanara trembling that had me looking around. Her body remembered the feeling, and it was warning her to turn back.

I ran my fingers down her side. "It's okay. We are here. We have you." She nodded, but I could still feel how tense she was. She kept running, but I could feel that she wanted to turn back. She was only going deeper because we were with her.

She ran around trees, but every sound had her jumping. I just kept running my fingers through her fur. I was mumbling some words of encouragement when something landed on us. Megan saw it first and lunged towards me, but I felt something sink fangs into me.

I screamed as I fell from Shanara's back. The darkness enveloped me, and I was terrified. I shook my head, trying to clear the fear, but it was like every pull that this creature made. It injected me with fear. This was how it worked. This creature, whatever it was, was a manifestation of the rune. As Vince pulled power from the affected, it made them fear him a little more. It was keeping everyone in line.

what was happening, but the darkness was absolute. I pulled into myself, trying to think of happier times. I was whimpering; the fear was so

bubbled up in my mind. It circled around until I finally understood what my brain was telling me. The light orb. Nix and Megan both

than my first, and I threw it up into the air. The thing on top of me screamed. Then tried to run, but I grabbed it to keep it in the

body was

its body. A dark, eerie laugh echoed through the clearing. "Stupid females. Do you think you can kill me? I am the destroyer, the ravenous. will eat through all of your energy and in the end I will be the one standing, and you will be husks of your former selves." The face... I don't even know if it could even be considered a face reared from me and I felt the drain stop for a blessed moment. Nix tried to dive for it again,

who he was inside. A black leech of a creature that took

he could steal. Sip by sip. Tiny mouthfuls at a time to

can't kill me. You aren't strong enough." His words ricochetted against the trees. "I will eat you slowly until I am satisfied." His words bounced in my mind

sinking its fangs into my shoulder again. The slow draw of power was back, and an idea formed in my mind. to push power into

voice was confused

She jumped on