Feral Magic

to swing herself through the large window.
A fresh breeze filtered through, hitting the sweat on her face as she stood in the circular space. Sure, windows meant someone could sneak in, but she had measure in place to ensure they never made it out again.
She’d placed her home high above the others with a single vine dangling from a hole on the outskirts of the floor. Zak had shaken his head at it, but it wasn’t as though she wanted visitors anyway.
Vixin circled the open space, the inside still completely barren as she contemplated what she’d like to find within.
Flowers. She decided.
Elaborate flowers that would thrive and fill the entire room with a fragrance sweeter than honey. She’d start with one of her favorites.
The vines crawled their way from the ground, twisting around the structures below before reaching out from the branches that surrounded her domain. They crawled in through the windows and around her roof before the long, blue flowers budded and blossomed one by one.
The sweet aroma filling the air reminded her of a porch her and her father had sat upon in the early spring. One of their former homes in Ohio.
She’d never miss the winters there, even if it did bring its own pleasantries and vaguely wondered if they’d get deep snows here or if the climate would stay relatively warm. They were supposedly in some sort of simulation after all.
“These should be wrapped around every house.” Zak reached for the flower then hesitated.
Vixin giggled. “You can touch that one.”
A sly smile crossed his face as he brushed his hands across the delicate flowers. “Have to check, never know with you.”
“You should consider yourself lucky, I could be playing for the other team.” She sauntered toward him. “And trust me when I say, you wouldn’t have escaped my traps.”
“Not sure if that's supposed to scare or comfort me.”
“Both.” Vixin tilted her head. “How did you get in here anyway?”
He pointed toward her trapdoor. “Climbed.”
She raised her brows. “Wow. Didn't realize you had it in you.”
“After all the hell you’ve put us through, you didn’t think I could climb a rope?”
“Rope climbing isn’t just about strength.” She pointed a finger at him. “You’ve had practice.”
He shrugged. “Nothing like you've had. Though I do hold the school record for the fastest climb.”
“They have records for that?”
“I live in a small town.”
“Well then Mr. Champion. Care to take on a challenger?”
~~~
It became a game. Who could climb the vines the fastest? Vixin had woven two vines around the second-floor railing and let them dangle to the ground.
Not even Zak had been able to keep up with her. He’d come close, close enough that her forearms had burnt from the exertion, but after reaching the top and dangling from a branch with careless abandon, Zak had declared her the winner.
She’d joked about visiting his school to steal his crown, but Zak had only smiled, stating he’d be happy just to see her in the outside world.
Vixin’s gaze lingered on the horizon. It’d been four days.
“They should have been back by now,” Zak said.
“Should we send out a search party?”
“I’d hate to spread us any thinner than we already are. Daniel is careful, he wouldn’t do anything reckless.”
“Maybe they're lying low somewhere or trying to shake someone off their trail.”
“Maybe.”
Vixin crossed her arms. “No sense in worrying about it now. They’ll get back when they get back. At least we know our enemies aren’t close.”
“Or they’re too close.”
Vixin cringed. “I could set up a perimeter, one that would one hundred percent ensure we aren’t caught by surprise.”
  “And risk killing our friends?” Vixin didn’t comment. Zak sighed. “A perimeter would be good, just, nothing that could kill anyone, all right?”
Zak paced down the walkway, running his hands through his hair before locking his fingers behind his head. He wasn’t the only one worried.
Vixin let her magic glide through the trees and into the earth. She gathered seeds, transporting them to form a protective circle beneath and around their camp. She’d make it so that if anyone did come for them, it’d be the last thing they’d ever do.
~~~
Vixin sprouted another tree from the muddy ground. The rain had eased up, but still came far too frequently for her liking. At least it kept the river swollen.
Someone called from above, indicating for a branch to be extended. She complied and smiled to herself. At one time she might have told them all to figure it out on their own. But now they treated her like one of their own. Like family.
Zak had gotten what he wanted after all.
Vixin’s adrenaline spiked with the distant scream that echoed across the plains. She jumped to her feet, eyes scanning until she locked onto four figures running through the tall grass as if their lives depended on it.
Zak sprinted through the trees and into the open meadow before she made it to ground level. Five others followed; the rest stunned into silence.
Vixin’s stomach dropped, her heart skidding to a halt with it.
There are other things out there. Monsters, creatures like you’ve never seen.
She’d thought it’d been a ploy to keep her around. A scare tactic like the ones parents used to keep their children in line. She never imagined…
Her blood chilled when the beast jumped, clamping its powerful jaw around the slowest runner. Its friends joined the frenzy, ripping and tearing flesh while the young man screamed and screamed and screamed.
She let out a shuddering breath. She’d read. She’d studied. Hell, she’d killed, but this? Flesh torn from bone, blood dripping from the canines of a wolf. No… not a wolf. Something darker, something bigger, with more teeth and—a monster. And Zak was headed right for it.