Page 22 of Professor and the Seer
And nagged.
And acted like my sisters.
Not to mention dragging them along meant they couldn’t look into whoever sold information about me and my abilities to the highest bidder. Who would do such a thing? And why?
At eleven o’clock, we were hiding in the bush, a light spell cloaking us from anyone possibly watching. Enyo wore a knapsack on her back, as did John. Dina claimed she’d rather buy a new wardrobe, as she wasn’t a pack animal. Only I knew she lamented the loss of her interdimensional satchel. I didn’t tell her that she’d end up making her own in the near future.
The air had cooled drastically since the sun went down. The night sounds were kind of scary for someone who rarely left her apartment. It would have been worse if John hadn’t been holding my hand, stifling my visions.
The patrol went past, unnoticed by us, but Bane, in leopard form, easily tracked them. His chuffing let us know the coast was clear.
John kept his fingers laced with mine as we raced across to the wall, still new looking given its construction was only completed in the last few years to combat illegal crossings. The metal of it extended far overhead with no discernible handholds. Hence why Enyo had a rope and a grapnel. Up and over with no clank since Dina spelled it be silent. It caught on something that didn’t dislodge even with a firm yank.
A naked Bane went up first. Not that I watched. Enyo’s glare at me and Dina made her jealousy clear.
Dina didn’t climb but used magic to float.
Me… I eyed the rope and hoped I didn’t run out of muscle before I made it to the top.
John murmured, “I can carry you piggyback if you need.”
He would, too. Damn him for being so sweet.
“I can do this.” I gripped the rope with both hands and huffed as I started to climb. Barely got a few feet and my arms trembled with fatigue, which was when something grabbed hold and floated me.
A good thing I heard Dina’s chortle, or I might have panicked. As it was, I gave her a good, heated glare when I landed on the other side.
“Why didn’t you tell me you were going to fly me over?” I hissed.
“And ruin my fun? Your face…” She snickered. “Wish I had a camera.”
Enyo and John didn’t need help and soon joined us. Together, we moved off, me without clinging to John, determined to prove I could do this on my own.
Sure, the air teased me with visions—people crossing, some with children, others with packs stuffed with drugs. I saw future patrols, some of them chasing the obvious smugglers, others ignoring the families clinging tight to their little ones.
Coyotes. Rabbits. Ocelots. All of them had a future that crossed this place. In that mess of futures, I almost missed it. A threat that didn’t show itself clearly. Danger slunk, low and menacing. A monster I’d seen on television called a Chupacabra.
It took me seeing it rushing a massive leopard to realize I didn’t see the far future but an imminent attack.
I only had time to shout, “Monster!” before the night exploded with snarls.
7
John
The monsters attacked from the shadows, hidden via their own brand of camouflage magic until they chose to move in for the kill. Seven by John’s count. Not the worst odds given the size of their party.
A shifted Bane met the challenge with gusto. The furry feline wrestled one to the ground, his leopard tail snapping in excitement. An armed Enyo took aim and shot two others, head shots that dropped the beasts.
A sudden glow emanated from Dina as she illuminated the area, giving the Chupacabras nowhere to hide and making them targets for the lightning she shot at them. It wasn’t enough to kill, but it did render them harmless as they twitched on the ground.
As for Frieda, she looked surprised. She mustn’t have seen them coming. Odd given her heightened senses of late. Then again, he’d been holding her hand, lending her some shielding to keep her from struggling from over stimulation.
In no time the rest of the Chupacabras lay dead or dying—Enyo and her big cat finishing off those that tried to rise. However, the battle hadn’t been quiet. John glanced in the direction of the patrol, wondering if it would draw them back. John had no issue harming monsters, but he drew the line at people just doing their job. But before he could worry about the humans, a new threat arose because those seven monsters turned out to be just the first wave.
As the approaching menace dropped their shadow cloaks, vicious yips and snarls filled the air as many more than seven Chupacabras raced across the barren ground.
“Damn.” Even Enyo appeared impressed by the horde coming for them. She took aim and started firing. Bane didn’t wander from her side, impatience evident in his crouch as he waited for the monsters to get close.