Infinite Magic (Dragon's Gift: The Huntress Book 5) by Linsey Hall Page B
Authors: Linsey Hall
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her calf.
Aidan and I raced behind her, keeping ourselves tucked against the wall. Fortunately, the floor was gray stone like the wall, so we blended. If any Shifters came upon us, they’d probably be able to smell us, but hopefully our camouflage would buy us some time.
The world flew by as we ran, looking entirely different from down here. I picked up different scents and sounds and could even feel the thud of Amara’s footsteps through my paws. My little mouse lungs were heaving by the time Amara stepped through a doorway into a big, warm kitchen.
A massive man turned to her and grinned. His floppy white mustache made him look like Belle’s dad from the cartoon version of Beauty and the Beast .
Aidan and I hesitated at the door as Amara walked in.
“And what are you scrounging around for, Miss Amara?” he asked.
Amara walked quickly over to the big fire and sat down, drawing the man’s attention away from the door. “Biscuits, Master Murphy. I’m just desperate for some biscuits, and you make the best ones in the world.”
I would’ve laughed if I could have, at how thick she was laying it on.
“Do I now?” Master Murphy asked, his eyes twinkling.
I liked him right away, though I had a feeling he might not take kindly to rodents in his kitchen. I shrank against the wall as I watched.
“Do you have any of the chocolate ones?” Amara asked.
Master Murphy lumbered over to a cupboard. As soon as his back was turned, she pointed toward a narrow door set against the far wall.
The pantry.
I tried to telepathically send her my thanks before racing across the floor, my eyes on the prize. Aidan ran alongside me, his whiskers twitching. I skidded under the door, into the dark pantry. Scents of grain and cheese and dried beans filled my nose.
Heaven. My mouse stomach grumbled, but I ignored it and followed Aidan to the wall on the right. My eyes adjusted to the dim light as we ran along the crevice, searching for a hole.
I smelled it before I saw it, the slightest tinge of fresh air. Near the corner at the back, there was a tiny gap in the stone. Aidan glanced at me with his beady black eyes, then shimmied through the hole.
I followed, scrabbling for purchase to pull myself through. We raced along a tiny corridor made of stone and dirt, going down into the ground before coming back up and out at the exterior wall.
The noon sun was high in the sky by the time we burst free. I blinked blindly, getting my vision back. The exterior wall loomed behind us, feeling a million miles tall in my mouse form. An endless expanse of rolling, heather-clad mountains stretched ahead.
Beside me, a gray light swirled around Aidan’s mouse form. A moment later, a small hawk stood in its place, a species that I thought was native to Scotland. It looked like it fit the landscape, at least, with its glinting brown feathers.
I shivered as it looked at me, knowing it was Aidan and that I wasn’t really a mouse. But it was still creepy—to be prey eyed by a predator.
I was so anxious to shift that it was easy to reach out and grasp on to Aidan’s magic. I envisioned myself as an identical hawk and let the magic flow through me. It filled my limbs with warmth as I grew, my mouse feet shifting to form wings, my snout into a beak.
Aidan’s hawk nodded at me, then we pushed off the ground and into the sky. The first few flaps of my wings were a bit awkward, but I let instinct take over. We soared over the mountains, leaving Glencarrough behind.
The wind ruffled my feathers, and joy sang through me. We’d be home in no time.
When the blow hit me from behind, sending me plummeting to the ground, it caught me completely by surprise. Shock scattered my thoughts as I tumbled through the air, my wings flapping helplessly.
Just as I caught the air beneath my wings, a heavy net fell over me, dragging me down. Like before, the magic in the net forced my change back to human. Pain burst through my chest as I hit
Aidan and I raced behind her, keeping ourselves tucked against the wall. Fortunately, the floor was gray stone like the wall, so we blended. If any Shifters came upon us, they’d probably be able to smell us, but hopefully our camouflage would buy us some time.
The world flew by as we ran, looking entirely different from down here. I picked up different scents and sounds and could even feel the thud of Amara’s footsteps through my paws. My little mouse lungs were heaving by the time Amara stepped through a doorway into a big, warm kitchen.
A massive man turned to her and grinned. His floppy white mustache made him look like Belle’s dad from the cartoon version of Beauty and the Beast .
Aidan and I hesitated at the door as Amara walked in.
“And what are you scrounging around for, Miss Amara?” he asked.
Amara walked quickly over to the big fire and sat down, drawing the man’s attention away from the door. “Biscuits, Master Murphy. I’m just desperate for some biscuits, and you make the best ones in the world.”
I would’ve laughed if I could have, at how thick she was laying it on.
“Do I now?” Master Murphy asked, his eyes twinkling.
I liked him right away, though I had a feeling he might not take kindly to rodents in his kitchen. I shrank against the wall as I watched.
“Do you have any of the chocolate ones?” Amara asked.
Master Murphy lumbered over to a cupboard. As soon as his back was turned, she pointed toward a narrow door set against the far wall.
The pantry.
I tried to telepathically send her my thanks before racing across the floor, my eyes on the prize. Aidan ran alongside me, his whiskers twitching. I skidded under the door, into the dark pantry. Scents of grain and cheese and dried beans filled my nose.
Heaven. My mouse stomach grumbled, but I ignored it and followed Aidan to the wall on the right. My eyes adjusted to the dim light as we ran along the crevice, searching for a hole.
I smelled it before I saw it, the slightest tinge of fresh air. Near the corner at the back, there was a tiny gap in the stone. Aidan glanced at me with his beady black eyes, then shimmied through the hole.
I followed, scrabbling for purchase to pull myself through. We raced along a tiny corridor made of stone and dirt, going down into the ground before coming back up and out at the exterior wall.
The noon sun was high in the sky by the time we burst free. I blinked blindly, getting my vision back. The exterior wall loomed behind us, feeling a million miles tall in my mouse form. An endless expanse of rolling, heather-clad mountains stretched ahead.
Beside me, a gray light swirled around Aidan’s mouse form. A moment later, a small hawk stood in its place, a species that I thought was native to Scotland. It looked like it fit the landscape, at least, with its glinting brown feathers.
I shivered as it looked at me, knowing it was Aidan and that I wasn’t really a mouse. But it was still creepy—to be prey eyed by a predator.
I was so anxious to shift that it was easy to reach out and grasp on to Aidan’s magic. I envisioned myself as an identical hawk and let the magic flow through me. It filled my limbs with warmth as I grew, my mouse feet shifting to form wings, my snout into a beak.
Aidan’s hawk nodded at me, then we pushed off the ground and into the sky. The first few flaps of my wings were a bit awkward, but I let instinct take over. We soared over the mountains, leaving Glencarrough behind.
The wind ruffled my feathers, and joy sang through me. We’d be home in no time.
When the blow hit me from behind, sending me plummeting to the ground, it caught me completely by surprise. Shock scattered my thoughts as I tumbled through the air, my wings flapping helplessly.
Just as I caught the air beneath my wings, a heavy net fell over me, dragging me down. Like before, the magic in the net forced my change back to human. Pain burst through my chest as I hit
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