Everwild (The Healer Series, #1) (17 page)

“Declan!” Willow cried as tears streamed down
her face. They found her!

“We have to get out of here now!” Declan
yelled looking over at Chase, who was having a ball bowling over
Dokkaebi like they were play things. “The cave’s going to
collapse!”

Chase nodded his big head in their direction
and weaved his way over to them through the falling rock. Declan
rushed up to Willow and picked her up. Once Chase was beside him,
they both took off at a run in a tunnel to the right. Thunderous
crashes boomed throughout the cave as the ceiling was crumbling.
Behind them, the cave had already collapsed. They were running for
their lives. Declan’s breathing was heavy from carrying Willow, who
could only look behind her at the incredible damage of the
cave-in.

“Hold on!” Declan said. Willow turned her
head to see light at the end of the tunnel, but the ceiling in
front of them was raining down chunks of rocks.

“Be careful!” Willow shouted when Chase took
off in front of them. Declan sped up, trying to catch the wolf.
Willow cried out as a large rock fell and landed on her leg. Pain
lanced through her like never before. Her leg throbbed and shed
blood. She clung to Declan like a second skin, holding him as tight
as she could. He didn’t protest though, and actually molded against
her, holding her just as tight and never letting her go.

The light grew larger and larger until
finally they burst through the entrance of the tunnel and back into
the Everwild. It was still dark out, but dawn was just on the
horizon. Anything was lighter than the black and dark of that
horrendous cave. A great boom sounded behind them and they turned
to see that the entrance of the cave was now sealed shut with
boulders and rocks. They made it out alive! Dust swirled around
them from the collapse making Willow cough and sneeze.

Willow held on to Declan with fervor. She
heard his heart hammering against her ear, matching her own. She
dared not look at his face. Not yet. Willow inhaled Declan’s scent.
Even without showering for a couple days, he didn’t smell bad. He
had a unique scent of woods and spice that was actually pleasant.
Her face rested in the crook of his neck and she closed her eyes
allowing the events to sink in. She trembled as Declan carried her
away from the cave opening and through the forest. They walked in
silence for a while.

“I wish I wasn’t so attractive,” Willow
sighed. She still had her eyes closed, basking in the feel of
Declan holding her. She could’ve stayed like that for a long time,
even if Declan didn’t want her. She felt so safe and secure.

“You can’t help it,” Declan said after a
while. Willow might’ve imagined it, but she thought she heard
Declan add, “But it’d be easier to stop thinking about you.”

Willow acted like she didn’t hear him and
lifted her head instead to search for Chase.

“If you’re looking for the werewolf, he’s
currently in wolf form until we find the backpack again.”

Willow didn’t get it at first. “Huh?”

“He’s doesn’t want to shift cause he knows
I’ll kick his ass for not sniffing out the Dokkaebi who kidnapped
you. He was a mile away doing God knows what until he got back and
woke me up!” Declan said curtly. And also…his shorts are in there…”
Declan trailed off, letting Willow fill in the blanks. “Hey, you
think you can walk now?”

“Oh, um, sure,” Willow said slightly hurt and
slightly embarrassed. Declan put her down and closed his eyes. “Our
backpack is close. Follow me.”

Willow followed Declan through the brambles
and thickets that crowded the rocky terrain. The Everwild trees
near here were sparse and scattered, the glistening dews on the
grasses meant that morning was right around the corner. Declan
parted a few bushes and on the ground in front of him was the
backpack. In front of her was Chase, back in all his muscular glory
in human form, shorts and all.

“Hey Healer,” Chase said and tussled his
black hair before gazing at her with his glassy blue eyes. “I’m
sorry for--”

Willow held up a hand. “It’s not your fault,
Chase.”

Declan looked at her incredulously. “Not his
FAULT?
Of course it’s his fault!! He was supposed to warn us
if creatures were close! He
knew
we were sleeping and didn’t
warn us! He left us vulnerable to attack! Some protector he is! He
told us he could smell a mile away and what happened? You get
kidnapped and almost get eaten!!! He’s nothing but a chauvinistic
dog that needs to be put up in a kennel!”

“Hey!” Chase yelled back. “In my defense, the
whole damn territory smells like Dokkaebi! And another thing, the
Dokkaebi aren’t supposed to be evil creatures. They’re just like
pixies, causing mischief and shit. I wasn’t thinking she’d be in
danger of them! Who knew they’d turn crazy worshipping and helping
some dragon.”

“Well if their idea of mischief is taking my
Willow away from me, and feeding her to a goddamn dragon then
that’s bullshit!!!” Declan screamed at Chase and charged him. Chase
braced himself for impact when Declan ran full force at him and
bowled him over the ground. They both went careening down a small
hill behind them, rolling and tumbling, while punching and kicking
each other. Willow was momentarily dazed when Declan called her
his, but then snapped out of it quickly and ran after them yelling
at them to stop.

“Quit it!!” Willow cried when they didn’t
relent. Declan was a madman, hitting Chase anywhere he could reach.
Chase was supernaturally strong and it almost seemed like he was
holding back and letting Declan pummel him, like he knew he
deserved the beating. Still, Chase was getting a few good punches
to Declan’s body as well.

Willow was about to scream at them again when
a sensation unlike anything she’s felt before hit her strongly; an
invisible force knocked her backwards. She gasped in shock as her
head swirled. Her talisman! Someone else has it! Willow froze in
alarm when the scene before her changed right before her eyes and
she was flying across the ground. Left, right, left, and straight
she soared above the land. In the vision, the trees whipped past
her until she saw the river and a mighty roar coming from a massive
waterfall. She was going straight for the waterfall and then
whoosh
! Directly through it was a dark cave and then she
stopped. She looked around and saw thousands of beautiful purple
crystals vibrating in the cave. And then Willow was ripped from her
vision and back to where she stood.

Willow whipped her head around towards the
direction she knew her talisman was located. Only one, maybe two
days max if they were lucky! It was closer. She could feel it. How
she knew someone else had it in their possession was beyond her,
but a feeling of utter despair and anger wrenched through her. That
talisman belonged to her! She had to get to it!

Willow turned back to the two men on the
ground, grunting and bruising up from each other’s beating. “Declan
stop! My talisman! I can feel it! We have to go! Someone has it and
the crystal cave! It’s—it’s through a waterfall at the end of the
river! If we reach it we can get it back! Come on!” There was no
response from him or Chase as they continued to beat each other
screaming curses and insults.

There was nothing left to do. “Dokkaebi!
Dokkaebi!” Willow cried over them.

“What?” Declan stopped mid-punch and turned
his head to her. He was straddling Chase who was covering his face
with his hands. “Where?”

“Trapped in a cave?” Willow shrugged and
smiled. “Not that it’s important to you or anything, but I felt my
talisman calling me. I’m leaving now. By all means, continue
fighting. There’s no point in stopping you this time.”

Willow scurried up the hill and grabbed the
backpack. But before she could put it on, someone snatched it out
of her hands. She turned to see Declan putting it on his back and
rolled her eyes. “Are you trying to get rid of me?” Declan asked
and grabbed her hand, twining his fingers in hers holding her hand
firmly. Willow’s heart leapt.

“If having a werewolf around was the way to
do it, I should’ve invited one to my party.”

“Ha-ha,” Declan said as they started walking
again. “It’s not the werewolf, Willow.”

She looked at him. “What’s that supposed to
mean?”

Using his other hand to brush the flyaway’s
away from her face, he leaned down and whispered, “Figure it
out.”

“Trying to figure you out is like trying to
find a path in the Everwild.”

A deep voice cleared his throat. They turned
to see Chase. Chase looked down at their clasped hands and then a
corner of his mouth (now swelling from Declan’s punch) lifted. “I
could use a cold drink, a change of clothes, and a nice warm bath.
Maybe a few wolf-ladies to get my mind off a super hot witch girl.
How about you guys?”

Declan sighed impatiently. “What are you
talking about now werewolf?”

“My senses tell me the Neutral Zone is close
by,” he said. “Nearly twenty miles away. I can’t pass up that
opportunity.”

“You’re speaking in code again,” Willow
said.

“Not all the Everwild is full of bad stuff,
you know.”

“Oh, really, and what would give us that
impression?” she asked sarcastically.

Chase laughed. “Listen, the Neutral Zone is
like an inn for travelers and other creatures passing through the
Everwild. Well, I guess it’s not
for
everybody. Evil sticks
far away due to the enchantments around it, and there’s a rule you
can only stay one night. Anyway, they have food and drinks and beds
to sleep in. Of course, it’s pretty pricey and--”

“And you’re just now telling us this?” Declan
coiled his fists in rage. Willow squeezed his hand to calm him.
Chase just smiled arrogantly.

“Yeah, well, you’re so obsessed with the
Healer you’re practically ignorant of everything else!”

Willow glanced at Declan, whose cheeks were
now turning red. “And you’re such a lame ass werewolf, you’re pack
probably kicked you out and you just won’t admit it!”

“Declan,” Willow said in warning beside
him.

“Don’t defend him, Willow. He doesn’t deserve
it.”

“Don’t tell me what to--”

“Geez!” Chase threw his hands in the air.
“Being around you two is exhausting! Do you have to argue about
everything, or is that just pent up sexual frustration?” Now, it
was Willow’s turn for her cheeks to heat up. “Look, you’re both so
adamant about getting to the crystal cave I didn’t think it was
relevant to tell you about the Neutral Zone, okay?”

Declan turned on Chase. “Everything that you
think is irrelevant IS RELEVANT! We are tired, dirty, and famished.
You’re an idiot if you think we wouldn’t want to go to a safe place
and rest! I don’t know, maybe we’re tired of sleeping on the cold,
hard ground. And yeah, maybe we’d like an actual meal for once. I
don’t know wolf! What does that pea brain of yours think? Oh wait!
That’s right, it doesn’t!”

“Well, tell me how you really feel,” Chase
said. Deciding to ignore Declan’s taunting, Chase continued, “I’m
just letting you know now, this isn’t a five star resort, but it’s
the only safe haven the Everwild has, besides chilling with my
pack, but they’re a long way away now. So…follow me.”

And once again, they were led by the
“misguided” werewolf into an unknown part of the Everwild.

Twenty miles turned into forty and the day
turned into dusk. Several times, they stopped to rest and eat, if
eating is what they could call it. They were getting low on
supplies, and once again, Willow found herself munching on an
energy bar. It did little to get her energy up, however. She was
dragging and getting upset at Chase, whose sense of direction
wasn’t as good as he claimed.

“Tell me about your talisman,” Declan tried
distracting her from the exhaustion she was feeling. They were
resting against a fallen tree.

“It was weird, Dec,” Willow said remembering.
“I was just standing there watching you two fight and then BAM! I
was whisked away in some kind of vision that showed me where it
was. I knew it was in the crystal cave from Carmela, but I didn’t
expect to feel so emotional about it. Something or some
one
has it. I could feel the talisman crying out to me, like it somehow
knew I didn’t have it or something.”

“Well, I don’t know what it’s like to be
separated from your talisman, and it seems like your connection to
it is strong, but I’m not stopping until you have it. If I have to
kill someone for it, I will.” His resolve shocked her as he looked
deep into her eyes. “And I’m not going to hold back my magic,
either. I don’t care if we aren’t supposed to use it.”

“Dec,” she let out a breath, “I’m really glad
you’re with me. I’d be lost without you. I know we fight a lot,
but—”

“Oh, please,” Chase said interrupting her
moment. She almost spilled her heart out to him. Thank goodness
Chase stopped her. “Will you just kiss and make up?”

“What makes you think we’re even together?”
Declan said shifting slightly away from her. She didn’t notice how
close they were moving towards each other while they were talking.
It was unnerving how instantly Declan turned cold at the mention of
them being together. Willow found herself hoping, once again, that
he liked her. But that hope was quickly squashed as she watched
Declan look at Chase like he was crazy for suggesting it.

Chase was leaning against a tree with his
arms crossed. “You guys hold hands, argue like you’re an old
married couple, and worry over each other like the plague. Even
sitting together now it’s like you’re drawn to each other like
magnets. I just assumed you were in a relationship.” Chase’s
observation unsettled Willow. Was that how it looked to an
outsider? Was she being too obvious in her interest in Declan?