“Adams?” Rick asked.
Jennifer-Nicole nodded, her eyes brightening a little with the hope that someone knew her. “Yeah.”
“I know your parents.” He held one arm out, and she gratefully cradled herself under in his arms as tears fell. “Let’s get you home to them, okay?”
Sniffling, we led the kids out of the pen. Well, Olivia was sniffling, I was blinking back tears while counting all the ways to make everyone involved in this pay. Both alive and dead. I wasn’t the type to wish ill on anyone, but what I saw and heard since raising little Ricky made me rethink some of my morals. Some people just plain sucked and needed to be introduced to Luci.
“We’re going to have to get creative to fit all six of these kids in that SUV,” I whispered to Olivia.
“We’ll call Sam to come help as soon as we get far enough away,” Olivia said. “We’ve got to get them out of here.”
I picked up a little girl who was sniffling and shaking, then set her back down. After wrapping her in my jacket, I pulled her back into my arms and cradled her close. “Hey, sweet girl. How old are you?”
“Seven,” she whispered.
Holy crap. She was so small, about the size of Sammie, who was five. “How long have you been there?”
She shrugged and burrowed into my coat. The poor girl stunk to the high heavens, but I’d never tell her that. “I think two years.”
My throat squeezed. “Have you fought all that time?”
She nodded. “I’m a panther. I have very sharp claws.”
Oh, no. This poor child. I closed my eyes and prayed to the goddess to give me the strength to get through this.
Warmth enveloped us, and I turned my head to smile at Owen. He’d given us a spell to keep all of us warm as we walked. The kids certainly needed it.
He had a little boy in his arms, too.
“Clear,” Dana whispered after she and Zane peered out of the barn.
We rushed across the field the way we came, not going as fast as I liked, but there were more kids than adults. Many of the kids were weak from lack of food and fighting for their life.
When we reached the trees, Owen moved closer to me. “Do you feel that?”
“Yeah. Can you tell what it is?” A low pulse of magic nipped at my skin, but I couldn’t tell what it was or where it was coming from.
“You’re the witch.” He flashed me a grin even though there wasn’t much humor in it.
“Half witch.” I sat the little girl down on her feet and tugged my jacket tight around her, buttoning the top button. “Why don’t you run up ahead and see if there is anything in the forest. I’ll scan the area with my witchy powers.”
Owen eyed me and handed the little boy over to Olivia. “If I die, I’ll come back to haunt you.”
I flashed him a smile. “Only if I don’t heal you first or turn you into a ghoul. Whatever works.”
He grumbled something as he walked forward holding out his hands like he’s walking in the dark. Olivia snickered beside me. “What is he doing?”
“Feeling around in the dark, what else?”
Dana moved into the spot Owen just vacated. “What’s going on?”
“We sense magic but don’t know where it’s coming from.” Which was odd. I should have been able to pinpoint the source.
Opening my senses, I searched the area for magic, stretching my magic out. It didn’t go far before it bounced back to me, catching me off guard. I gasped and cut my flow of energy.
Olivia placed a hand on my arm. “What’s wrong.”
Owen yelled back at us at the same time I answered her question. “There is a magic barrier.” I sighed and added, “We’re trapped unless we can figure out how to get out.”
“Can we just run through it?” Olivia asked. “Maybe with all of us rushing at it at the same time will weaken it or break it altogether.”
I glanced at Owen, who had returned from his short walk. He shrugged. “We could try. I hit it with my fist a few times and it rippled.”
“Okay.” I met Dana’s and Rick’s gazes then the kids. “I think the kids should move back a little.”
Zane and Jennifer-Nicole gathered the kids in a group and directed them back a few feet. Then they returned to our side. Zane lifted his head high. “We will help.”
I was about to say no way, but Zane’s dad studied the two of them. “Are you sure? It’ll hurt a lot if the barrier holds.”
Jennifer-Nicole shrugged. “I’ve felt worse.”
I locked my jaw and turned away from her. The grandmaster of the fighting ring was going to suffer.
“Okay let’s do this.” Olivia bounced on her feet, making me snicker.
“On the count of three,” I said.
Owen started the countdown. “One.”
“Two.”
We all said three at the same and ran right into the barrier a few feet ahead. We didn’t bounce off the magic wall as much as we were thrown a few yards back. My body seized as an electrical current shot through me. When we landed, I was sure we were all going to die.
Chapter Nineteen
A jangling sound brought me to my feet and put me on alert. We’d been sitting in the shade of the barn for a while, comfortable, at least, thanks to Owen’s warmth bubble. He and I had been steadily shooting magic at the barrier, trying to weaken it or, ideally, bring it down.
Nothing worked.
But now, someone was here. And I had to prepare to defend myself and the kids against whoever or whatever might be coming our way.
We’d talked about using our necromancer powers to try to raise something nearby, but we’d decided against it for a couple of reasons, one of which being what if we raised one of the poor kids who had already died?
What these poor littles had been through was bad enough. They didn’t need to see the reanimated corpses of their friends.
Though, that would be a chore for me and Owen later down the road. Any shifter child still missing would have to be found. How we’d do it without bringing up every legitimate dead person, I had no idea.
We’d figure it out. Because their families needed closure.
A person stepped around the barn, and I squinted against the sunlight at their back.
“Howdy, pardner,” the man drawled.
I gasped and dropped the hand shielding my eyes. “Luci?”
He walked forward so the sun no longer blinded me and grinned broadly. “Heard you needed a rescue.”
Turning in a slow circle, he allowed us to take in his getup. He’d dressed like a stereotypical cowboy, from the pristine white ten-gallon hat to the spurs. He even had a six-shooter on his hip.
“Luci, my friend,” I said. “I’m beyond glad to see you, but you look absolutely ridiculous.”
He chuckled and snapped his fingers, his normal suit and tie returning. “Better?” He’d kept the hat.
“Much. Can you get us out of here?” I threw a rock toward the barrier to show how it rippled with magic, only visible for a brief few seconds.
“I intercepted your attempts to get in touch with your fellow humans,” he said. “Good thing, too.”
Bending over, he peered through the paddock slats at the children. “What have we here? Kiddos? I love the young!” He beamed at the huddling shifters behind us. “I’m Luci, my little appetizers. How are you?”