Wolf Heart

Chapter 38

Meryn swallowed a sob and ran. Embers hung in the air and coiled with the smoke which coiled around him. This isn't happening. It isn't. I'm asleep. I'm having a nightmare.

A tree cracked and moaned behind him, and he gasped when it fell across the path he took mere seconds ago. It spread further embers and flames at his feet.

"James!" he called over the dissonant noise. "James..." Fire washed down his back, but he forced himself forward and refused to cower in someone else's shadow.

He reached the limit, where the smoke had yet to swallow the area, and coughed.

"Meryn!" a distant voice called while the world screamed to silence them.

He peeked through the ash fog.

Familiar, dirty-blonde hair, ashen from running through the cloud, James broke through the cage. His chest heaved as he latched onto Meryn. "Thank the celestials you're alright!" he exclaimed, where grime and dirt splattered against his face. Meryn blinked at him, then frowned when he coughed and lowered himself to the ground. He heaved, then choked with his tongue sticking out. He wiped his oozed hand on the ground. "Look—I've been running through this entire forest hoping to run into you. I thought—" James coughed violently, and Meryn joined him on the ground. "Come on, I need to see if my family got out—"

"Are you nuts?" Meryn exclaimed. "We have to get to the Falae mansion! All of them might be there already!"

"Ava was!" James argued. "My mom and Janie weren't though. They were home when I left. I can't leave them behind!"

Meryn refused to let him go when James squirmed.

We're not dreaming, are we?

"No! We have to find someplace safe and get help," Meryn snapped through his tears. "James, don't go back! Don't! I would've gotten caught up in it if I hadn't left as it happened! I might've been dead!" He sobbed, but refused to let go of his friend. James wrenched out of his grip, and he screamed, "James, listen to me!"

He braced himself when another artillery lazer tore through the forest ahead. James stumbled forward, but Meryn lunged to grab his arm. "No, James. No. We have to get to the Falae property."

"I... I don't know what's happening," James rasped.

Meryn froze at the tears streaming down James' cheeks, leaving trails in the dust. James, who faced down opponents every Starcross season with a smile on his face. Fear threatened to root him in place, but never again. "Let's get our bearings on the hill," Meryn said, swallowing on his last sob. "We can see from up there. We have to get out of this smoke and get a chance to breathe." He grabbed James' forearm, and switched his focus not on the wall of hellfire, but on helping James.

If we both stop and lose ourselves... we're going to die.

He wanted his brother while trapped in a horrid nightmare.

He led James onto a scuffed path and to another hilly outcrop which pointed to Eastpoint. James rushed forward, but he continued to hold onto him. "James, please don't leave me behind," he snapped. "We can't stay here, so let's take a look, see if there's a route to Rayan's, and then head there, okay?"

I want this to be a nightmare.

James gave him a weak nod. Fright filled the hazel. Meryn kept the pace against the flames, and they hauled themselves up the slope through the grey fog. Over the wall of flames, Meryn breathed deep of what little clear air remained. He peeked around, but Eastpoint disappeared in the blaze. In the distance, Camp Shennen, another safe point, but too long a walk, and blocked from the forest blaze, and he frowned at James, who swayed on his knees.