Chapter 13

"Fall back! Fall back!"

Silver bullets tore through the air as Julia lunged at the hunters, her nine tails whipping like razors. One hunter went down screaming, clutching his shredded arm. Another dove behind a tree as white fire erupted from Julia's mouth.

Yuna ran toward Camille, who was pressed against the bushes, eyes wide with terror. She grabbed her friend's hand and pulled her up.

"We have to go!"

"What about Julia?" Camille gasped.

"She told us to run!"

They sprinted toward the tree line as chaos exploded behind them. More hunters poured from the buildings, their weapons glinting. Andrew Phillips barked orders, his voice cutting through the mayhem.

"Containment formation! Don't let either one escape!"

Yuna's chest burned as the dual charms fought harder, feeding off her panic. Her vision blurred at the edges, and she stumbled over a root.

"Keep moving!" Camille pulled her forward.

They crashed through the woods, branches tearing at their clothes. Behind them, Julia's howl pierced the air, followed by gunfire and shouting. Yuna risked a glance back and saw white fur streaking through the trees, hunters in pursuit.

Julia was leading them away. Drawing them off so Yuna could escape.

"This way," Camille panted, veering left toward the old maintenance road that ran along the campus perimeter. "My car's parked near the south gate."

"They'll have guards at every gate by now."

"Then we'll crash through!"

They burst from the trees onto the road and ran flat out. Yuna's lungs screamed for air, but she forced herself to keep going. If they stopped, if they got caught, it was over.

Camille's beat up sedan came into view. They dove inside, and Camille gunned the engine.

"Seatbelt!" she shouted, throwing the car into drive.

They peeled out, tires squealing. The south gate loomed ahead, and Yuna's heart sank. Three hunters stood blocking the road, weapons raised.

"Camille, they're armed!"

"I see them!"

Camille didn't slow down. If anything, she accelerated. The hunters realized too late what she intended and scattered. The car barreled through the checkpoint, clipping the guard booth and sending debris flying.

"Oh my God, oh my God, I can't believe we just did that!" Camille's knuckles were white on the steering wheel.

Yuna twisted to look out the back window. The hunters were scrambling to their vehicles, already giving chase.

"They're following us!"

"Where do we go?" Camille demanded. "We can't go back to campus. We can't go to my parents' place. Where, Yuna?"

Yuna's mind raced. They needed somewhere safe. Somewhere the hunters wouldn't think to look.

Her phone buzzed. Noah.

What the hell happened? My father just mobilized every hunter in the city. Where are you?

Yuna typed back quickly.

Julia Peterson revealed herself. She's a kitsune. The hunters caught us together. We ran.

Where are you now?

Camille's car. They're chasing us.

Send me your location. I'll meet you.

Yuna sent her location and looked at Camille. "Noah's going to help. We just need to lose these hunters first."

"Easier said than done!" Camille swerved around a corner, tires screeching. "I'm a French literature major, not a stunt driver!"

Two black SUVs appeared behind them, gaining fast. One pulled alongside, and a hunter leaned out the window with a weapon.

"Get down!" Yuna shouted.

The back window exploded. Glass rained over them as Camille screamed and jerked the wheel. They sideswiped a parked car and careened onto a side street.

"This is insane!" Camille sobbed. "We're going to die!"

"We're not going to die. Just keep driving!"

Camille took a sharp left, then a right, weaving through residential streets. The SUVs stayed close, relentless. One rammed their bumper, and the car lurched forward.

Yuna's chest exploded with heat. The charms were failing. She could feel her control slipping, the fox spirit clawing to get free.

"Camille, I can't hold it much longer."

"Hold what? Yuna, what's happening?"

White fur sprouted along Yuna's arms. She gasped, pressing her hands to her face, trying to force it back. But the silver charms were fighting each other so violently now that they were making the transformation worse instead of preventing it.

"No, no, no," Yuna choked out. "Not now. Please not now."

"What do I do?" Camille cried. "Yuna, tell me what to do!"

The dagger. Noah's dagger.

Yuna pulled it from her pocket with shaking hands. The blade gleamed silver, covered in symbols she couldn't read.

"Pull over," she gasped. "I need to use this."

"Are you crazy? They'll catch us!"

"If I transform in this car, we crash anyway! Pull over!"

Camille slammed on the brakes and yanked the wheel, sending them skidding into an alley. The SUVs overshot them, tires squealing as they tried to reverse.

Yuna didn't wait. She pressed the blade against her palm and dragged it across. Pain exploded through her hand, white hot and agonizing. Silver poisoned blood welled up, and the fox spirit inside her shrieked.

The transformation stopped. The fur receded. But Yuna screamed, the pain so intense her vision whited out.

"Yuna!" Camille grabbed her shoulders. "Stay with me!"

The SUVs were backing into the alley, boxing them in. They had maybe seconds before the hunters reached them.

A motorcycle roared into the alley from the other end. Noah, his face grim, skidded to a stop beside their car.

"Get on! Now!"

Yuna stumbled out of the car, still clutching her bleeding hand. Noah grabbed her and hauled her onto the bike behind him.

"Camille, follow us!" he shouted. "Don't stop for anything!"