Hunted

weird it was that even though he was right next to me it sounded like he was yelling from way down a long tunnel.
    I didn’t understand why, but my knees gave way and I dropped to the pavement. The awful rustle of the Raven Mocker’s huge wings drew my gaze back to the creature. Sure enough, the thing had spread its wings. Obviously it was going to come for me. I lifted my hand, which felt heavy and warm. When I glanced at it, I was shocked to see that it was drenched in blood. Blood? Is that what’s all over the pavement? That’s odd. With a mental shrug I disregarded the pooling blood and shouted, “Wind, come to me!”
    At least I thought I shouted. What really came out of my mouth was barely a whisper. Thankfully, wind is a good listener because the air instantly began to swirl around me.
    “Keep that thing on the ground,” I said. Wind instantly obeyed, and a lovely mini-tornado engulfed the grotesque birdman, causing its wings to be useless. With a terrible screeching sound the thing tucked its useless wings against its back and began to trudge toward me, ducking its mutated head against the battering of wind.
    “Zoey! Shit, Zoey!” Heath was suddenly beside me. His strong arm was around me, which felt really good because I was thinking that I might want to fall over.
    I smiled at him, wondering why he was crying. “Just a sec. Gotta finish off that thing.” Wearily, I turned my attention back to the birdman. “Fire, I need you.” Heat was there, warming the swirling air around me. Then I used the finger of the bloody hand I was still holding upright and I pointed it at the thing that was getting closer and closer to Heath and me. “Burn it up,” I commanded.
    The warmth that had been surrounding me changed tempo, going from gentle heat to a column of consuming flame. It followed the direction of my pointing finger and of my will, and it plowed into the Raven Mocker, engulfing it in an angry yellow flame. The air was filled with the awful scent of roasting meat and burnt feathers. I thought I might puke.
    “Oh, ugh. Fire, thank you. Wind, before you leave, could you please blow that nasty smell away?” It was so strange that I thought I was saying all this stuff really loud, but my voice was actually coming out as a weak little whisper. The elements obeyed me anyway, which was good, because a wave of sickening dizziness washed over me and I was suddenly slumping against Heath, unable to hold myself upright anymore.
    I tried to understand what was wrong with me, but my thoughts were all muddied, and for some reason knowing exactly what was going on didn’t seem very important.
    Way off in the distance I heard running feet, and then I was looking up at Heath’s tear-streaked face as he yelled, “Help! We’re over here! Zoey needs help!”
    Next thing I knew, Erik’s face had joined Heath’s. All I could think was oh, great, they’re going to start growling at each other again . But they didn’t. Actually, Erik’s reaction when he looked down at me started to make me feel kinda concerned, in a detached, only vaguely interested way.
    “Shit!” he said, and his face turned really pale. Without saying another word Erik ripped off his shirt (which was the cool black long-sleeved Polo he’d been wearing at our last ritual), making buttons pop all over. I blinked in surprise, thinking that he looked really good in just his little wifebeater T-shirt. I mean, seriously, he has a hot body. He dropped down on the other side of me.
    “Sorry, this is probably going to hurt.” Erik balled up his shirt and pressed it against my chest.
    Pain did slice through me then, and I gasped.
    “Oh, Goddess! Sorry, Z, sorry!” Erik kept saying over and over.
    I looked down to see what was making me hurt like that and was utterly shocked to see that my whole body was drenched in blood.
    “Wh-what—” I tried to frame a question, but the pain mixed with the increasingly strong feeling of numbness made it difficult for me to speak.
    “We have to get her to Darius. He’ll know what to do,” Erik said.
    “I’ll carry her. Just lead me to this Darius guy,” Heath said.
    Erik nodded. “Let’s go!”
    Heath looked down at me. “I have to move you, Z. Just hang in there, okay?”
    I tried to nod, but the movement ended in another gasp when Heath picked me up and, clutching me to his chest like I was an overgrown infant, he ran, slipping and sliding, after Erik.
    The trip back down into the tunnels was a