Touch of Power. Maria Snyder V.

paused just after entering the forest. “We don’t have much light left. We’ll need to move quickly. How committed are you to finding Melina?”

      An odd question. “Very.”

      He held out his hand. “Two is better than one.”

      Understanding rolled through me. I really didn’t want to touch him, but this wasn’t about me. When his fingers wrapped around mine, magic zipped along my skin, connecting me with the forest.

      My awareness expanded into the trees and along the ground. The living green rustled with unease. Unwelcome irritants had trampled its young shoots. It pulsed with pain from broken branches and cut foliage. Deep in its heart, a splinter throbbed. A sore spot the forest wished to remove.

      United through the forest’s essence, we searched for that thorn without saying a word. No need. I was no longer Avry, but an extension of green.

      Together we found the path of a dangerous intruder. Light at first, it darkened as if rotting with excessive moisture. The smell of decay hung in the air.

      And then it loomed before us. An infection oozing with an unnatural bile. Kerrick released my hand. I sank to my knees as the living essence retreated and Avry returned.

      I sucked in deep breaths to clear my head, letting my eyes adjust to once again being an observer and not a part of the forest. I mourned the loss of the forest’s state of being, and I wondered how Kerrick could be so grumpy and mean when he had that ability to sink into the living green at will.

      He crouched next to me, pointing to a hillside. “See that?”

      “The hill?” I squinted in the semidarkness. The shape had an odd … bump.

      “That’s how he’s managed to avoid capture. He built a cabin into the hillside and camouflaged it with moss, grass and dirt. Stay here.” Kerrick crept through the woods, keeping well away from the hidden cabin. No sound marked his passage. Soon he disappeared from my sight.

      I waited as the air cooled and darkened. My concern about Melina grew with each minute I spent doing nothing. We should storm the cabin before that bastard could harm her. What if she was dead?

      Kerrick returned after full dark. A satisfied smirk twisted his lips.

      “Where have you been?” I whispered.

      “Did you miss me?”

      “Not possible. However, there’s a girl—”

      “I looped around the cabin. There isn’t another entrance or any windows. But I found a chimney of sorts. He’s using a small metal pipe to vent the smoke from a fire.”

      “And this helps us how?”

      “Think about it. There is only one way to get inside. If we try to go through that door, he’ll be waiting for us. He has the advantage.”

      But if he came outside, we would have the upper hand. What would force him to leave? “You blocked the pipe?”

      “Yep. We’ll smoke him out.”

      Clever. But I wouldn’t admit I was impressed.

      “When he emerges, I’ll take care of him. You find Melina and help her. Understand?”

      “Yes.”

      Kerrick positioned himself near the entrance while I crouched a few feet behind him. It didn’t take long for the moss-covered door to swing open. A shaft of firelight pierced the darkness as white smoke billowed out. A tall man waved his arms to clear the haze. He coughed once before Kerrick pounced, wrapping his hands around the man’s neck.

      I straightened. Intent on telling Kerrick not to kill the guy, I stepped closer but froze as three more men ran from the cabin.

      CHAPTER 8

      The three men rushed Kerrick, knocking him and the tall guy to the ground. Even surprised by them, Kerrick managed to land a few blows before he was overpowered. Two men sat on him, while the third took his sword. They questioned him, but Kerrick remained silent.

      I stood in the open, unnoticed for now and afraid to call attention to myself. I stepped back into the shadows, but I caught the tall guy’s attention. Recovered from his near strangulation, he dashed forward and clamped a hand on my arm, hauling me into the firelight streaming from the cabin.

      “What do we have here?” he asked.

      I was getting tired of being manhandled all the time. My fear transformed into anger. “Are you blind?” I asked. “Oh, that’s right. You’ve been playing with girls so long, you’ve no idea what a woman looks like.”

      Instantly angry, he backhanded me. Expecting the attack, I leaned away and caught a glancing blow. The force knocked me to the ground. While there, I pulled the dagger from my belt and held it close to my body. Tall Guy pulled me to my feet by my hair.

      I pressed his fist against my head, trapping his hand. Not only did the move stop the pain, but I now touched him. Skin to skin. Magic exploded from my core. I channeled it into him. He screamed, but I held on.

      The man with Kerrick’s sword charged. I spun, putting Tall Guy between us. He dropped to his knees still yelling, which made it easier for me to press the tip of my knife against his throat. Sword Man stopped in midcharge. I reduced the amount of pain, quieting Tall Guy.

      Nice to have everyone’s undivided attention. “Release the girl, or I’ll slit your buddy’s throat.”

      The two squatters on Kerrick jumped off and yanked him to his feet. Sword Man aimed the blade’s tip at Kerrick’s neck. “I can play that game, too,” he said.

      “You’re assuming I care about him.” I laughed. “Go ahead. You’ll be doing me a favor.”

      By their stunned silence, I guessed they hadn’t been expecting that response. Kerrick kept his expression neutral, but I felt his glower. His gaze flicked to the ground for a second before he resumed looking bored. Turning the dark gray color of the forest, Kerrick’s boots and legs seemed to disappear. Vines twisted around the squatter’s ankles as Kerrick used his forest magic.

      I zapped my captive. He jerked and cried out. “Go get Melina or he dies,” I said.

      As far as distractions go, it wasn’t the best, but it worked. Kerrick faded into the surrounding woods. When the squatters realized he had gone, they moved to chase after him, tripping over the vines. As they rolled on the ground in panic, the ivy twined around their legs, tightened their hold. Sword Man tried to cut them free with the blade.

      The scene would have been comical except Kerrick appeared behind Sword Man and grabbed his head the way he had trapped the merc’s.

      “Don’t kill him!” I yelled.

      Instead of snapping Sword Man’s neck, Kerrick squeezed until the man stopped struggling and slumped to the ground. I released the pressure on Tall Guy’s fist. His hand dropped. I pushed his head forward, exposing the back of his neck. Quickly finding the sweet spot, I knocked him out.

      I checked on Kerrick’s victim. He still had a pulse.

      “Take care of the others,” Kerrick said. Strain tightened his voice. He leaned against a tree with his eyes closed.

      I hurried to the two squatters. The vines had trapped their arms. I touched that sensitive spot on each of their necks, rendering them both unconscious.

      “How long?” Kerrick asked.

      “They’ll be out three hours at least.”

      “Good.” He collapsed.

      I knelt beside him. “What’s wrong?”

      He batted my hand away. “Go check on Melina.” But when I wouldn’t move, he added, “Vines are stubborn in autumn.”

      “Oh.”