Now you want my help? she answered.
“Can you help me move this block or not?”
Probably, but you’ll owe me a bacon cheeseburger when we get home.
And a run.
“Fine,” I croaked, feeling my strength waning.
Okay, give it a shove.
I said a silent prayer and released my magic, dropping my hands to the
stone at my foot. Taking a breath, I shoved it with everything I had. That we
had.
My muscles strained with a power I had never felt before, and the block
lifted and tumbled over to the side.
“Holy shit!” With my foot now free, I leapt up, shocked by my sudden
strength.
My strength, my wolf chided.
“Our strength,” I corrected, as I tested my ankle. It was scratched but
fine.
The shadows of the glen crept toward me, and I choked on a laugh as I
lunged toward the basalt pillar, which was just twenty feet ahead.
The whispers flooded my ears, taunting and warning me not to touch the
stone: You will die. Cursed for taking our heart. Ours, ours, OURS.
But I was a bitch with one goal: get the bloodstone.
The shadows were on my heels, so I didn’t slow when I reached the
pillar, and my body all but collided into it.
“Now would be a good time for claws!” I shouted to my wolf.
My fingers erupted into talons. Ignoring the pain, I began clambering my
way up. The stone was too hard to sink my claws into, but they were perfect
for latching onto thin cracks. I heaved myself up, arm over arm, and finally
drew a breath of relief when I saw the stone sitting unencumbered at the top.
Encased in a gold setting, it was the size of my fist and as red as blood. I
reached forward and scooped it up. The instant my fingers touched the warm