Summary: The Dark Forest is strictly forbidden, and for good reason, too. What will Oliver, Beth, Jusea, and the twins do when they run into one of those reasons? Will this teach the twins to stay out of the Forest? (Not likely!)

Chapter 16

Captured!

The wolf jumped forward; another wind tossed it off course. Beth scrambled to her feet and away from the wolf—straight into the fight. She stopped, magic flying around her. Something slammed her to the ground, and claws dug into her back. She cried out. She tried to throw the wolf off, but it didn't move. She reached around, focused, and hit it with fire.

The wolf jumped away, yelping shrilly. Beth rolled away from the fight and up into a crouch. A wolf stepped out of the circle towards her, its fangs glinting. Beth glanced aside; the first wolf ran into the woods. The second wolf started for her.

Fire. Fire had worked. She flung out her hand, her mind following the action; flames smashed across the wolf's broad chest. It screamed, a high-pitched, inhuman sound. Beth stepped back, the breath catching in her throat. Her eye caught movement; Jusea was out of the group, running for the trees. Another wolf followed her. The wolf before Beth rolled on the ground, trying the smother the flames. It coughed, its mouth foaming, and it collapsed. It went still.

-----

Jusea was barely managing to keep the wolves away from her with her shield spells. Then there was a gap in their formation. She took it.

There was a brief moment where she was between their large, shaggy forms, then she was out! She sprinted towards the woods, her wand still in hand, her mind whirling. What could she do now? Could she fight from the outside, distract the wolves and help the guys escape? She ducked behind a tree. Maybe they were following her; it's what her brothers would have done. But no wolf appeared. She sighed in relief.

A hand landed on her shoulder. She shrieked, jumping away. "Oliver. Don't do that!"

Oliver stepped forward. "Come on. We need to get to safety."

"What about Fred and George?"

"They can take care of themselves. I need to get you out of here."

Jusea frowned slightly. He...sounded different. 'Well, now's not the time to analyze people's voices.' She stepped towards Oliver. He grimaced and fell to the ground. Beth was there, too. Her wide eyes met Jusea's. Jusea could hardly breath. When she could, her voice came out in a shriek. "What did you do? He's your own brother."

Beth shook her head, swallowing deeply. "He wasn't."

Jusea followed Beth's gaze back to Oliver. A wolf lay there, a smoking hole in its back, its tongue lolling and eyes glazed over. "Come on," Beth said. She ran back into the clearing.

-----

The two closest wolves turned, parting enough for the girls to get through. Beth could have laughed. She turned towards the closest wolf, and she focused on it, her hand going out. The wolf opened its mouth, and lightning shot out. Beth ducked, and she stumbled, falling to her knees. The wolf rammed into her, knocking her onto her back. It jumped on her, its teeth aiming for her throat. She gripped the jaws and locked her arms, struggling to keep the white teeth away.

Hot, humid, carrion-scented breath hit her as the teeth pushed closer. Beth's throat tightened, without the help of the ivory fangs. She gritted her own teeth, and she gathered earth strength into her arms. She slowly pushed the jaws back. The wolf's eyes flashed green, and Beth felt the electricity building in the back of its throat. She tried to throw the wolf off, but it was too large. She tightened her hold on the jaws, the teeth cutting her flesh, and she twisted the wolf's head to the side. A spark of lightning jumped from its maw, narrowly missing her face. Her breath caught in her throat. She focused, and a ball of fire ignited in the wolf's chest. The wolf shrieked and leapt back, lightning bursting from its mouth. Beth rolled away, jumping to her feet. The wolf howled in pain and bolted into the woods.

Beth glanced around. One wolf stood a couple meters away, near the twins, but its eyes were locked on her. She tensed, forming a fireball between her hands. The wolf barked and ran off, a second following. Beth dispelled the fire. Fred and George straightened. "That was odd," Fred said.

"Why...Oh, well, at least they're gone," George said.

"Aye. Oliver, Jusea." Beth turned around. Neither her brother nor her friend was in sight. "Oliver?"

"I saw Oliver go that way," Fred said. Beth looked; it was the same area where she'd killed the shapeshifter. Suddenly she remembered. There had been more wolves, but where were they? Beth sprinted to that edge of the clearing. The shapeshifter was still there. Of course, where else would he be? Beth examined the area. There were no other bodies, but the dirt and fallen leaves were disturbed. And there was a shining, smooth, red stick lying on the ground nearby.

Beth picked up the wand. "This isn't Oliver's," she said to the twins.

"So it must be Jusea's," George said.

"No duh."

"Where are they?" Fred asked.

Beth crouched down. "There were...four people. Two bodies on the ground, Oliver here, Ah think. By the footprints...oh. They dragged one of them, it looks like Oliver. Jusea was led away—"

"Wait. They took them?" Fred said.

"Yes." Beth felt the hard wood of Jusea's wand in her hand, and her eyes narrowed at the traces of her brother and friend and their captors. Her breath quickened, and she tightened her fist on the wand. She sprinted after the wolves.

"Beth!"

-----

Oliver had been dragged away in another direction than where Jusea was being taken. The 'human' dragged her in a cavern and shoved her to the ground.

"Welcome, little rat," a deep, hoarse voice said.

"Thank you," Jusea answered in a small voice.

There was silence from the dark grey wolf who had spoken. He tilted his head and looked at the black wolf beside him, who shrugged. He spoke again. "How many are in your group?"

"My group? Well, actually it isn't my group. That's a little high and mighty to say. We're all really just friends. And besides, sir, it's more like there are two groups. It wasn't my fault at—"

"Enough," he barked.

"Okay, sorry."

"Take her and put her with the other. Inform us when he wakens."

Jusea was dragged and thrown into a cell where she quickly spotted Oliver lying in a corner. She went over to him. He was still unconscious with some dry blood on his head. She rubbed off as much as she could and traced her fingers over the spot where he had hit the tree. "Oh, Oliver, I'm sorry. This is all my fault. I hope that you'll be all right. It's not fair. I came here, okay, yeah, because of the whole school thing, but also you were here. I-I mean you are here, I hope you stay here, I mean I hope you don't die." She looked back down at Oliver, there was his cute smile—wait a minute. "Oliver!" she exclaimed.

"Ow." Oliver looked up at her. "Hi, Jusea."

"You were, I mean, are you…"

"No, no, Ah woke up as ye were talking and—"

A guard came in, dragged Oliver to his feet, and pulled him away without saying a word.