Taken

Chapter 23

I slip the hood of my cloak over my head as I follow Leo and Vul out the front door. The sun has set, leaving behind the orbs that float along the paths like street lamps. I can see some light peeking through the curtains of the other trees and spilling onto the ground. Each of the trees is massive, being as wide has a house and three times as tall

"Come on," Leo says softly as they lead me around their tree and into the shadows.

I tuck my hair behind my ears and straighten the strap of my bag as Lux wiggles around in my pocket. "So how are we going to—"

The words die in my throat when I see Leo transform right before my eyes. His body grows twice its original size and his clothes and backpack all blend into a brilliant golden pelt. His pupils slide into slits and his face grows a snout as he lands on the ground on all fours.

 He's a lion. He's an actual lion.      

 He turns his furry head to me. "Hop on."

"Uhh . . ." I start as I simply gape at him. He sounds so calm, like this is an every day thing. I mean, it probably is in their world, but not in mine. I glance over at Vul who just gives me a sly smile before leaping into the air and landing on all fours in the form of a fox.

Leo leans down on his front paws to give me better access to his back. "Come on Ari," he says, his voice deeper and raspier due to the mouthful of teeth, "this is the fastest way."

I nod and take a hesitant step forward. God this is weird.

"O-okay," I stutter out as I dig my hands into his fur and clumsily hoist myself onto his back.

 "Hold on," he says as he stands and I grip his mane tighter so I don't fall off.

Vul paws at the dirt before taking off into the trees with Leo and I at his heels. The sudden movement nearly throws me off of Leo, but I manage to righten myself and hunch down some so the harsh wind doesn't hit me.

They definitely run faster than their animals in my world, because the trees practically blurred as we sprint past them. My eyes can barely process what we are going by, only seeing the large amounts of vegetation and the quick glimpse of a tree here and there. The guys are somehow able to see with only the dim lighting of the moon and manage to not run into any trees or bushes. In fact, they glide past them with ease, zigzagging enough times to make my head spin.

It isn't until what I assume to be hours later that we finally take a break. The moon is at its highest point in the sky and the trees around us look more tree-like than house-like.

Leo leans down and I slide off of his back, my legs stiff from being in the same position for so long. I stretch out my legs as they turn back to their original forms, their clothes surprisingly still on along with their backpacks.

Vul kneels down and rummages through his bag before pulling something out and cupping his hands around it. I 'm too far away to make out what it is, but he brings it up to his lips and mutters something that I can't make out. A moment later he uncups his hands, revealing a small ball of white light, looking almost identical to Lux. He lets his hands fall to his sides as the light bobs in place.

"Go," he says softly and the light darts to the left and then the right. Upon closer inspection, I find that it isn't an orb, or even a pixie, but in the form of something else entirely. It skids to a stop in front of me and I see that it is actually a hummingbird made of tightly woven strands of white light. Its wings beat rapidly and its head is cocked to the side. the small bird blinks at me and then circles around my head so fast that it picks up a breeze which tickles my skin. A small smile tugs at my lips and I giggle before the little bird moves on to Leo.