CHAPTER 160

"It's about Mike," she replied, realizing that if there was someone who would see things her way, it would be her uncle. Instead of spending all day trying to dodge him, she could have told him what was going on, and maybe he could have offered help or advice. It was something Eulalie would have told her to do, or even her father.

God, she missed them both.

"I always dreaded the day you discovered boys." Bigfoot chuckled at his joke. "Tell me."

She opened her mouth to say something, but the harsh stench of fire flitted across her nostrils. Frozen in place, she looked around in fright, trying to determine where it was coming from.

"Fire," she whispered as if afraid nearby trees would ignite at the word.

Bigfoot sniffed the air deeply, then growled. "Shit!"

He sprinted, his large gait leaving her behind. She was barely able to keep up as they hopped through portals. The smell of flames continued growing until they burst through the trees and into a thick cloud of smoke.

Velvet choked on the ashes in the air, her eyes watering. The sun was little more than a dim orb through the smoke-laden air, and Bigfoot gasped in horror.

The wind changed direction, revealing that the source was the barn. Thick flames reached for the sky like hungry hands, each one curling around a dark figure who moved along the roof, his body barely visible against the smoke. The setting sun gleamed off of Leeds' horns.

My egg! No sooner had the thought crossed her mind did Leeds turn his snarling visage in her direction. His horse lips twisted up into a sadistic grin, revealing thick buck teeth.

No. My egg. His voice penetrated her mind, freezing her in place. Unfurling his wings, he took to the sky with maniacal laughter that boomed across the landscape.

Bigfoot yelled her name, but she barely heard him as she gave chase.

The flames fully engulfed the barn, sending the structure crumbling to the ground. Mike had pulled himself further from the fire, the throbbing in his knee blooming into full-blown agony. Abella walked behind him with her wings outstretched to protect him from the heat and burning embers while carrying Dana. After being thrown out of the barn, she had injured her last remaining limb and had been trying to roll away from the fire.

Bigfoot came charging around the barn so fast that he slid sideways across the snow. "Velvet is gone!" he cried as he came to a stop. "Leeds did something to her, she went after him!"

Mike tried to stand but fell down with a groan. "Why didn't you go after her?"

"She's way faster than I am and can jump along the treetops. Without knowing where she's going, I can't exactly cut her off." He turned his eyes on Abella. "But you. You could track her, right?"

Abella frowned, then looked down at Mike.

"You realize Leeds is trying to separate us, yes?" she asked.

Mike let out a grunt, then nodded. There was no doubt that this was all according to Leeds' plan, but they couldn't just leave Velvet to whatever fate he had in store for her.

"And you still want me to go?" Abella looked uncertain.

"We need to regroup. If you can catch her now, you can bring her back. We need to find Quetzalli, Yuki and that damn owl. Something went wrong, and until we know what, we're going to be stuck here while he picks us off." He fixed Abella with a hard stare, trying his best to hold back tears of pain. "He's planning to kill us one at a time. I think Velvet is his first target."

Bigfoot roared, his body expanding as he slammed a fist into a nearby tree. The trunk cracked, the impact causing the branches to shed their snow.

"I will make him suffer," he declared. "Even if it takes me the rest of my days!"

"I'll be safe with this guy," Mike continued. "We're stronger together than apart. Please." His eyes now shimmered with tears as he tried to shift his leg. "Bring her back for me."

She responded by spreading her wings and taking to the sky. He watched her go with a tight feeling in his chest, followed by a chill. Leeds had outplayed them again, and he wouldn't feel good until they were all together.

"We need to find the others." He laid both of his legs out and frowned. His injured knee was swollen, but he was able to bend it a little. It was probably just a sprain, which was preferable to pretty much anything else knee-related.

Dana grunted. She had finally got one of her arms twisted back into place and was flexing her fingers.

"Fucker couldn't bite me, so used his tongue to crush me against the roof of his mouth." She grabbed onto her other arm and twisted it. There was a loud crunch and a bone popped through the skin. "Can someone help me with this?"

Mike gagged, then turned away.

"I can help." Bigfoot knelt down and, with directions from Dana, helped get her bones realigned so that her rapid healing could take over. The luster faded from her hair and her skin paled until she nearly matched the snow, but she was back on her feet. Her eyes were still rimmed with red as she pulled out her sword.

"The good vibes are officially gone," she growled. "Gonna have to straddle the line between apathy and rage, I guess."

A gray figure descended from above. It was Emery, his hands fidgeting as he darted around.