Free Virtue - a Fairy Tale by Amanda Hocking Page B

Her feet skidded on the muddy ground, and she nearly flew right into it, stopping mere inches from its growling muzzle. The clouds parted enough for the moon to shine down on them, the light glinting off the massive incisors in its jaws.
    It vaguely resembled a dog, but it was much too large, standing almost as tall as Lily when it was on all fours. The beast was hairless, and its skin appeared to be charred leather. The paws were as large as her head, with opposable toes and claws, like a cat’s, so it could hold or tear things apart. Its long tail moved like a monkey’s and had a forked end. The eyes were pure black, without any white rimming the pupil.
    Lily stepped back, and she felt hot breath blowing on her cloak. Another one of the dogs was behind her, and when she turned around, she realized that four of them had surrounded her. She had nowhere to run, not that she could outrun them.
    “Easy.” She held up her hands palm out to them, moving in a slow circle so she could keep her eyes on all of them. “Please, let’s all just stay calm.” One of the beasts growled and stepped toward her. “Stop!”
    She wrapped the cloak more tightly around her, hoping that some of its magic would ward them off. They hadn’t torn her to bits yet, but other than eating her, she didn’t know what else they could possibly want with her.
    The beast kept walking forward, and Lily had no choice but to step back. The one behind her moved to the side so she could get by. They moved together, walking as a pack in front of her, so she’d keep walking backwards. They were herding her along, and she stumbled over branches and tree roots, refusing to take her eyes off them. Unlike the charun, they acted like they knew what they were doing, like they wanted her to do something or go somewhere.  
    Her heart raced in her chest, and she knew she didn’t want to be a part of whatever they had planned. They snarled and growled as saliva dripped from their teeth. They looked ravenous, and her instincts told her they wanted nothing more than to eat her alive. But for some reason, they didn’t. Their muscles trembled with restraint as they sniffed and huffed at her.
    Lily decided that her only chance of survival was trying to make a break for it. She wasn’t as fast as they were, but she was much smaller. If she darted and weaved enough, going through small crevices in the trees, she might be able to lose them. As she walked backward, grabbing onto trees to keep her balance, she noticed a hollow log on its side. Maybe she could hide in there, or at least get a head start crawling through it.
    As soon as she thought she was close enough, she turned and bolted toward the log. She’d barely made it four steps when a giant paw slammed into her back, knocking her to the ground. Its claws tore the cloak and ripped into her soft flesh, not enough to maul her but enough to send pain shooting through her body. She would’ve screamed, but the weight of the beast pushed her face into the mud. She breathed dirt, and she couldn’t even cough it up.
    Just before she became certain she’d suffocate in the ground, the weight lessened on her body so she could lift her head up. She could still feel the paw, holding her in place should she try to run, but she could breathe again. Lily coughed hard, causing her body to spasm painfully. Her back screamed at her, but she tried to push herself up anyway. The dog growled and dug his claws in deeper, reminding her that he had control.
    The scratches on her back burned, like her skin had been set on fire, and she screamed. Not for help or mercy, but simply because she couldn’t help herself. Her veins started burning, sending a searing sensation through her entire body. The beast had venom in its claws, and it was sending poison through her.
    Her mind started feeling hazy, so she couldn’t be sure of what was happening at first. A gust of wind blew over her, and she craned her neck back, surprised to find the