Chosen Sister by Ardyth DeBruyn Read Free Book Online

because they are creatures of darkness. In the bright sunlight of the open fields, they would be forced to keep to the shade or be rendered harmless. He has sent them after us because the harpies cannot follow. We must outpace them and then get to the safety of the Clearing of Whispering Secrets. This way.”
    They set off again into the woods, as fast as Reina could move on her hurt leg.
    “Won’t they just follow our scent?” Austyn asked as they tramped along.
    “I have a few tricks that’ll work to lose them,” the Gold Wizard said confidently. He stepped into the stream Reina had washed in just before the attack and started wading upstream. While she worried it would hurt more to follow this way, Reina found the icy cold water numbed the bite on her leg and made it easier to keep up.
    After about twenty minutes of walking in the water, Austyn was completely soaked and Reina wet up to her chest. The Gold Wizard looked pretty damp as well but appeared satisfied. In a spot where the streambed flattened out, he stood near the shore and worked another spell. This time, all seemed to go well. The jewel at the end of his staff glittered, and green light filled the air, setting down over the ground.
    “Follow me closely. We don’t want to leave either tracks or scents for them to follow, and the spell only works right behind me.”
    He stepped into the sand on the edge of the stream bank. Although it looked soft and muddy, his feet left no prints. Holding the glowing staff ahead of him, he took a couple of steps forward, still leaving no trace. Reina stepped right behind him and glanced back to see she left no footprints either. Austyn followed her. They walked like this, in single file, following the glow of the staff, until Reina lost track of time. She just watched the Gold Wizard’s feet going step, step, step, right in front of her.
    If it wasn’t for the ache in her leg, she might have fallen asleep. Exhausted, she wondered if it was because of the bite, or just because so much had happened in so short a time. Her head felt a little fuzzy, and their walk dragged on endlessly.
    A low growl startled her, and she bumped into the back of the Gold Wizard as he stopped abruptly. She peeked around him, trying not to step away from their protective line. An enormous, golden-brown bear stood directly in front of them. Berry juice stained its face, and from the trampled blackberry vines around it, Reina guessed that they had startled it in the middle of its meal.
    “Get back,” the Gold Wizard said in a low voice.
    Reina agreed with this advice. She caught Austyn’s hand, and they backed up a few steps. Occasionally bears roamed out of the woods near their hometown, and people locked their doors and waited until they passed. Austyn pointed to a nearby bush, silently suggesting they hide behind it. Reina nodded. She figured the Gold Wizard could then safely back away from the bear and they could circle around without trouble.
    A loud crack split the air, and both Reina and Austyn dropped to the ground, rolling under the bush. They peeked out. The Gold Wizard had tried magic against the bear. Smoke sizzled from its fur, and it shook its head in annoyance, then threw it back in an enormous roar that shook the ground. The Gold Wizard blanched and turned, scrambling up a tree. Reina groaned. Doesn’t he know that bears are terrific tree climbers?
    The bear waddled over the back of the tree and stood up on its hind legs, swiping at the Gold Wizard’s feet. He tried to pull himself up higher. He hit it on the nose with his staff, and the bear roared again. The Gold Wizard clambered up out of reach. The bear dug its claws into the bark of the tree and started to climb. Reina stared in horrified fascination as it hurried after the Gold Wizard in a terrifying race. Soon the wizard would run out of tree—he was nearing the top branches.
    Then he jumped. Reina gasped, and Austyn covered his eyes. The Gold Wizard landed in the