Free Mythical (The Mystical Series Book 2) by Michael Weekly

them off we’d be left for dead. Were they going to keep me alive and then kill off Donovan?
    “Do not underestimate an elf,” I remember. “ Exceptionally agile, quick reflexes, and excellent hand-eye coordination make them deadly fighters. Never follow one into a forest; you might regret your decision.”
    Yeah, and my ancestors are forgetting how persuasive and what extreme illusionists they are. I shrug off the memory.
    We enter the woods, and I fling the little branches away from my face so that I can see clearly what is in front of me. To my surprise, Emily is waiting for us. Holding out her index finger, she motions for us to chase her, then takes off running through the thick bushes and trees.
    Donovan sprints by me. He’s fast, though not swift enough to handle an elf like her.
    Everything around me is slowing down. I’m seeing leaves move lightly with the wind; I’m a tiny blur in the woods. My green markings are starting to feel alive again but aren’t fully awake; they’re not freezing my skin.
    I run after him, stumbling over a large tree root. Donovan and Emily are a speckled image in front of me. Branches crack from above us, and I notice the green and pink leaves glittering. I place the palm of my hand on the bark. This time it lights up within its cracks.
    I hear rustling leaves and dirt crunching. The woods are whispering to me. I gasp. I know where Emily is.
    I run forward, diving into the bushes and leafy plants in front of me, racing after Donovan.
    My body vibrates with each step I take, and my wet boots sink into the mud. My thigh muscles and calves contract from the vigorous movement. Breathing is too easy. I enjoy the cold, crisp air in my lungs. I lift my arm, seeing green light bouncing off my face from my new tattoos. I stop and hug a tree, resisting the urge to fall onto the ground. The pain doesn’t feel as fiery as the night I got them. This time it is freezing. I can practically feel the frost generating on my skin, tickling up to the edge of my wrist—and then stopping. I can’t freak out like I want to. Emily is in this forest taunting us and I’ve lost sight of Donovan. We’re supposed to be working together, hunting down this mystic. I breathe in deeply, focused solely on finding Emily. Donovan and I are it , and we have to get her to win the game. I pick up my pace again, feeling a sharp jolt punch through my body, forcing me against a tree.
    Twigs and dark green vines slither around my ankles and thighs, snaking up to my neck, choking me. The wind becomes stronger and the scent of mint travels into my nostrils. One sharp twig hovers in between my eyes, ready to puncture me at any deadly second.
    Emily is standing not too far away from me, her fingers splayed out to where I’m held captive by her vines, and her eyes are beaming vibrantly. She loses interest in hurting me, her face filling with worry. I can sense her emotions flooding out of her body, shifting rapidly, as she twirls around to find Donovan rushing through the bushes for her.
    He kicks Emily against a tree and then rushes over to grapple her neck roughly, holding the elf up against the rough bark. She chuckles to herself, snarling and flashing her teeth at the witch before her, her eyes glowing their forest green.
    “You’ll never win,” she sneers.
    The dirt circles around Donovan, and a root flicks him away. Emily is released from his grip, dropping to the ground on her feet, her blonde hair floating behind her.
    She takes off running, glancing back at me over her shoulder and blowing a cocky kiss. I rip the weeds and vines from my arms and run after my opponent. She’s unaware that I am by her side, and I’m shocked at how fast I’ve reached her. We’re both blurred images in the woods; she’s next to me running. Luckily the plants keep me hidden.
    Surprising my enemy from a bunched up group of ferns, I leap out, grappling her slim waist. We hit the dirt, and she forces my head down into the