The Shifters: Katrina

The wind howled past, biting at my bare face, as I stared at Talia. We stood across from each other surrounded by broken trees and mud, both of us staring at the other as if we were enemies.

Which I guess we were.

A bad taste rested in my mouth as I scanned her face. Bags were under her eyes, a purple bruise stretching across her jaw. Talia's black and blue hair was brushed over one shoulder, whipping in the wind. Trails of tears shone on her cheeks, and despite her upset stare, she forced herself to stand straight.

I clenched my hands into fists, biting down on my lip to keep myself from screaming in anger and frustration.

"I don't want you to die, Katrina. But I can't let the innocent people of Orgull get caught up in this. I swear, all I wanted to do was to get you to cancel your plans," she repeated, "this wasn't meant to happen."

"So who brought them to Iluita, then?" I demanded. "Even if it wasn't you, you must've known who really did betray us?"

Talia's eyes fell to the ground. "I saw them march in... I saw the attack when it started."

"So?"

She shut her eyes, tears squeezing out of them, and took a shaky breath.

"I'm sorry," was all she said.

I scowled, feeling a wound left on my heart. However, I forced myself to remain level-headed. I couldn't lose myself, not this early in the game.

A lethal look crossed my face as I drew ice onto my arm, shooting it in a wide arc toward Talia. She dodged it, only to realize too late that a second wave was coming toward her. An icicle caught her arm, causing her to stumble into the path of another. The second icicle hit her thigh and dug into the broken tree trunk behind her, the shifter hissing in pain.

"The people who didn't support Xavier were left back in your compound," I told her, my tone flat and uncaring. "So maybe the people you wanted to protect are fine after all.

"Not that I care," I muttered. I gritted my teeth before a baseball-sized sphere of ice materialized above my hand. Talia was unable to move in time to avoid getting the ice ball to the face, falling unconscious in the mud.

This took a lot of my time... The others will be here soon.

I frowned, strolling toward the limp figure of my friend.

I groaned, grabbing her by the shoulders. Hauling her upward, I leaned her against the tree and found all the usable wood I could. While waiting for the others to finally catch up, I froze a cage of wood around her, lining it with a ring of controlled fire.

That will slow her down while we get into Iluita.

I reached forward, laying my hand on the smooth, compact ice that kept the wooden prison together.

"Talia..."

"Katrina..?!"

...About time.

Straightening, I turned sideways, my eyes falling upon the first group of shifters that finally caught up -- the head of Koren's military formation. The wolf boy was there himself, staring in confusion at the icy prism behind me.

"Finally," I called. "Orgull shifters are inside Iluita. It's nearly impossible to get through all these trees and mud alone. Someone is helping Xavier attack us."

"Other than Sonya?" Came a sassy voice. I glared at the person beside Koren, my flat expression making Molly giggle.

"We've wasted too much time," I continued, turning back to Iluita. The earth entrance was somewhere ahead of us, probably destroyed by hunters and Orgull shapeshifters.

"This is it," I called over my shoulder. "Once we get inside, it's all fighting."

Rowan, who had been somewhere inside the group of shifters, launched himself forward. He had his arms around Luke and Quintin, the three of them like a small team.

"Then let's do this!"

I scoffed. "Don't sound so happy."

He winked at me, using the boys to get himself over a fallen tree.

"Optimism is the best defense, dragon girl. Now come on, help us over.

"We have a compound to save."

What a weirdo.

I'd like to believe that Rowan's optimism helped.

I mean, he was certainly enthusiastic as we hauled people across the wreckage that was once a beautiful forest, all of us fearful of what laid on the other side of the hills around Iluita.

His happiness and cheery tone was encouraging when we stood before the broken stone wall that hid a tunnel to our home.

But even Rowan couldn't stop the anger and soul-crushing shock that flooded our systems when we all climbed out of that tunnel and onto the hillside that no longer shone with fluffy white snow.

I mean, the snow was fluffy.

But white isn't a word I'd use to describe that swirls of red and pink that marred our ground; our territory. I stared in horror at the destroyed, burning houses and shops of our little town, and at the bodies that were limp in the snow. Whether they were dead or not didn't matter -- what did matter was the group of hunters and large animals that were wreaking havoc in our home. The sky was gray, the barren trees haunting instead of enchanting as our main military force spilled out onto the hillside, frozen in mortification. All four entrances were destroyed, along with most of our property. Our school -- my school, the only one I ever loved -- burned.

How dare they?!

How could they?!

Rage burned throughout my body like true fire, cold and hot all at once. I felt a tingle in my fingers, my breath coming out in pants as I felt a dragon's anger swirl in my mind. I wanted to fight; wanted to smash skulls and enact my revenge until I couldn't move any more.

And, to top it all off, I could see them.

Hunters and shifters I didn't recognize didn't strike a chord -- they were all just enemies and criminals in my eyes.

But the ones I did know...

Made me want to kill them even more.

Xavier, still in human form, laughed like a psycho as his people broke into homes and dragged Iluita shifters into the snow-covered streets. Sonya, his little puppet, stood proudly at his side, deflecting any attacks that came his way.

And then there was the traitor.

It wasn't Talia who told Xavier of our plans. The shifter from Orgull truly did only want to protect her home.

But it was another one of those damned shapeshifters from that compound who sold us out, the white band around her arm a sharp contrast to the red snow around her.

Maybe she was too young to understand the weight of her betrayal.

Maybe despite her age she was that good of a spy, and meant to destroy us all along.

But either way, I couldn't stand to think of her as a friend.

Anna Sherrybrook stood just behind Xavier with a cold, blank look, watching my home burn all around her.

The next things that happened were all blur, and they probably always would be. The beginning of the fight between our two compounds had started emotionally many years ago -- but for this battle, we had to thank Koren for starting it all.

For the man who was determined for me to keep a cool head, he didn't do such a good job himself. The wolf charged, and since most of our shifters were trained to follow him, the rest of our force was hot on his heels. Some shifted while others stayed human, clashing with the hunters and shapeshifters of Orgull. I watched them all rush past me with a slack jaw and a broken heart, only one other person hanging behind.

"It's time, Guardian."

Zella Droves.

I didn't look back at her, but one thing pressed down on my mind.

"Is the other Guardian really dead?"

She let out the slightest hum.

"Survive this and I'll tell you."