Page 122 of Full Moon
We follow her in silence. I sniff at the air, searching for any hint of danger. The familiar scents of nature fill my nose. Nothing unusual. But Feray is on edge, and that's enough to put the rest of us on high alert. She suddenly veers toward a large bush, her body low to the ground as she crouches, gazing at something hidden within the foliage. My heart pounds as I move up alongside her.
"What's wrong?" I whisper, keeping my voice low.
Her eyes narrow as she glances at Easton. "Can't you smell it?" Her eyes flash ice blue, and a shiver runs down my spine. "Something keeps moving around the vehicle. I get glimpses of it, then it's gone."
Easton's eyes flare, turning into orbs of fire as he locks gazes with Feray. She's sharing her vision with him. "It's an imp," he announces with chilling finality. He shifts instantly, his form disappearing in a burst of flames, and takes off toward the vehicle, leaving a trail of fire in his wake. The air crackles withenergy as the little winged devil materializes, its grotesque form brandishing a bow. Arrows whiz through the air, but Easton's already ahead, dodging with eerie grace.
Feray doesn't waste a second. She drops her pack and shifts, the transition seamless and fierce. She's a blur of movement, her ice breath cutting through the air like a blade, freezing the imp mid-strike. The sickening sound of bones crunching echoes as she clamps her jaws around its neck, snapping it cleanly.
But it's not over.
Her head whips to the right, and before I can even register the movement, she's off again, leaping into the air. My heart skips a beat as her jaws snap shut, revealing another imp—its body hanging from her maw. The creature's hideous form shimmers into visibility, caught in the last moments of its existence.
Easton shifts back, his footsteps deliberate as he approaches Feray. He takes the imp's head in his hands and snaps its neck as if it were nothing more than a twig. "Check over the SUV," Easton says, his voice calm despite the chaos, his hands already moving over Feray's muzzle, healing the shallow cuts with a soft glow.
I must be wearing my confusion on my sleeve, because Diaval's chuckle pulls me back. "He was allowed to heal her this time because the imps weren't worthy opponents," he explains, shaking his head. "Her wolf is so much like my dragon. It's terrifying." Diaval moves past me, retrieving her bag.
"I'll check the SUV and make sure the imps didn't harm anything," Khal says, heading off to scan the vehicle for damage.
I linger a moment longer, watching as Easton finishes his work, his hands gentle as they smooth over Feray's fur. The tension inher body eases, her form shrinking back to human. Diaval hands her the bag. "Stay sharp," I murmur to myself, my gaze shifting back to the field. Something about this feels off, even with the immediate threat gone. There's a deeper danger lurking, something more insidious than the imps we just faced.
And I have a feeling this is just the beginning.
