the knife should have pierced her throat, the Fire Witch’s hand came up to block it. And though the blade did pierce her flesh, it missed its intended mark.
A long line of black-tinted blood welled from her chin, dribbling and dripping in a stream down the skin of her throat that remained whole. In a matter of seconds, the cut knitted itself back together, leaving a slightly raised white scar on her chin. The blood dotted along her skin like black rubies, glistening and shimmering with each breath the Fire Witch took.
Bright Eyes came down several yards away on top of the pile of jagged stones, and was inching toward his knife that had landed a few feet from where he landed. He pulled himself along the rocks at an odd angle, determination outweighing the pain of his broken legs and his bruised, cut body.
“‘Tis my turn now,” the Fire Witch said in a deadly low voice as she swooped down and took the knife just as Bright Eyes’ fingers brushed the end of the handle, “I don’t believe I shall make the death I had planned for you nearly as quick…nor as painless…” She reached down with her other hand and jerked Bright Eyes from the ground by his long black hair, twisting it like a thick rope around her palm. Black crows landed in a tree behind them, cawing in anticipation.
“Nooo!” Ella screamed, somehow finding her voice and her feet as she charged toward them, not knowing what she was going to do once she reached them. She only knew that she had to save Bright Eyes — or die with him.
Her vision edged in white as she ran, and she felt herself go from running on two feet — to four. Then she suddenly felt the minds of the Keepers as they came up behind the animal she had become. She knew she had finally become worthy of the name they had given her so long ago. Ella had become White Wolf.
The Fire Witch snarled as the pack of wolves approached. She jerked Bright Eyes’ head back so that it seemed his back should break. “This one has no magic. Let me have him, and the one of white who belonged to me long before. I have no need for the rest of thee. Leave and spare thy own lives.”
White Wolf felt the brother of Bright Eyes come up beside her. Running Wolf bared his teeth and growled at the Fire Witch as he stamped his front feet in the dirt and made it well known that he had no intention of striking any deal with her.
“Ah, well, then,” the Fire Witch said rather noncommittally, shrugging one shoulder, “Have it your way, then.”
She shoved the sharp knife through Bright Eyes’ back, where it made a sickening crunch. White Wolf’s heart fell as she watched him slump to the hard ground.
Running Wolf roared and lunged at the Fire Witch’s throat, but she knocked him away easily. The other five wolves circled and snapped at the Fire Witch, herding her away from White Wolf, and toward the river as they tried to find an opening to kill. Vaguely, she registered sharp yips of pain as the Fire Witch struck back at them, but White Wolf’s eyes were only for Bright Eyes.
She didn’t know how she did it, but when she reached him, the wolf had left her and she was a girl once more. She struggled, finally pulling the knife from his back and throwing it to the ground, then gathered him close to her. She knew he was dying, his breaths were ragged and shallow, and she felt the warmth of his blood that covered her with every beat of his heart. His eyes were still bright as he looked up at her and tried to smile.
“…knew…White Wolf,” he whispered so low she could barely hear him. His breath caught in a gasp, “…brothers…protect now…” his eyes fluttered, then closed.
Tears streamed down Ella’s cheeks to land on Bright Eyes’s face as she begged, “Stay with me. Please. Don’t leave me alone…”
“Never alone,” he said softly, opening his golden eyes one final time. His hand shook as it reached to brush away a tear that trailed down her face, “Bright Eyes and White
A long line of black-tinted blood welled from her chin, dribbling and dripping in a stream down the skin of her throat that remained whole. In a matter of seconds, the cut knitted itself back together, leaving a slightly raised white scar on her chin. The blood dotted along her skin like black rubies, glistening and shimmering with each breath the Fire Witch took.
Bright Eyes came down several yards away on top of the pile of jagged stones, and was inching toward his knife that had landed a few feet from where he landed. He pulled himself along the rocks at an odd angle, determination outweighing the pain of his broken legs and his bruised, cut body.
“‘Tis my turn now,” the Fire Witch said in a deadly low voice as she swooped down and took the knife just as Bright Eyes’ fingers brushed the end of the handle, “I don’t believe I shall make the death I had planned for you nearly as quick…nor as painless…” She reached down with her other hand and jerked Bright Eyes from the ground by his long black hair, twisting it like a thick rope around her palm. Black crows landed in a tree behind them, cawing in anticipation.
“Nooo!” Ella screamed, somehow finding her voice and her feet as she charged toward them, not knowing what she was going to do once she reached them. She only knew that she had to save Bright Eyes — or die with him.
Her vision edged in white as she ran, and she felt herself go from running on two feet — to four. Then she suddenly felt the minds of the Keepers as they came up behind the animal she had become. She knew she had finally become worthy of the name they had given her so long ago. Ella had become White Wolf.
The Fire Witch snarled as the pack of wolves approached. She jerked Bright Eyes’ head back so that it seemed his back should break. “This one has no magic. Let me have him, and the one of white who belonged to me long before. I have no need for the rest of thee. Leave and spare thy own lives.”
White Wolf felt the brother of Bright Eyes come up beside her. Running Wolf bared his teeth and growled at the Fire Witch as he stamped his front feet in the dirt and made it well known that he had no intention of striking any deal with her.
“Ah, well, then,” the Fire Witch said rather noncommittally, shrugging one shoulder, “Have it your way, then.”
She shoved the sharp knife through Bright Eyes’ back, where it made a sickening crunch. White Wolf’s heart fell as she watched him slump to the hard ground.
Running Wolf roared and lunged at the Fire Witch’s throat, but she knocked him away easily. The other five wolves circled and snapped at the Fire Witch, herding her away from White Wolf, and toward the river as they tried to find an opening to kill. Vaguely, she registered sharp yips of pain as the Fire Witch struck back at them, but White Wolf’s eyes were only for Bright Eyes.
She didn’t know how she did it, but when she reached him, the wolf had left her and she was a girl once more. She struggled, finally pulling the knife from his back and throwing it to the ground, then gathered him close to her. She knew he was dying, his breaths were ragged and shallow, and she felt the warmth of his blood that covered her with every beat of his heart. His eyes were still bright as he looked up at her and tried to smile.
“…knew…White Wolf,” he whispered so low she could barely hear him. His breath caught in a gasp, “…brothers…protect now…” his eyes fluttered, then closed.
Tears streamed down Ella’s cheeks to land on Bright Eyes’s face as she begged, “Stay with me. Please. Don’t leave me alone…”
“Never alone,” he said softly, opening his golden eyes one final time. His hand shook as it reached to brush away a tear that trailed down her face, “Bright Eyes and White
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