I don’t know how or when, but eventually, I succumb to sleep, the heaviness of my tears lulling me into oblivion.
Chapter twelve
Everly
The warm body under me vibrates, a low hiss breaking through my sleep. I jolt awake and Zaria’s big brown feline eyes stare at me, then out into the darkened forest beyond.
A sense of foreboding washes over me, catching my breath. Letting it out slowly, a cloud forms in front of my face. It’s not normally this cold in the Autumn Court. Moving slowly, I crawl over to the edge of the branch woven platform of the den and peer down. I can’t see the ground anymore, only a thick mist that rolls over the forest floor in an unnatural way.
“That can’t be good,” I whisper, crawling backward next to Zaria.
The sun is sinking fast, its light barely filtering through the thick canopy above. Long shadows stretch like fingers across the forest floor, making the once-serene autumn trees look ominous. I bite my lip, torn between two choices—stick it out here for the night or make a run for it.
Neither option feels safe, but if we’re going to leave, now is the time.
My fingers dig into the soft moss covering the tree bark as I think over the options. The wolves and Storm are still out there in the forest, only ten minutes away. I can’t leave them out there alone.Damn it.Time is slipping away from us.
Movement beside me snaps me out of my thoughts. I glance over at Zaria, her large feline eyes wide with uncertainty. Asrai is perched on her head, her small form trembling, and her wings fluttering with unease.
“What should we do?” I ask, my voice barely above a whisper, trying to keep my fear in check.
Asrai’s small frame quivers, her delicate butterfly wings shimmering in the dim light.‘I don’t know,’she signs.‘I’d like to stay until the light returns, but there’s something wrong with the mist. It’s seeking.’
An involuntary shiver crawls up my spine. So, I’m not the only one who thinks the mist is unnatural.
“We need to go,” I urge, my voice firmer now as the gravity of our situation is mounting. Zaria shakes her head and backs away, her reluctance palpable.
“Zaria, we don’t have time for this.” I crawl closer to her, trying to break through her fear. “You need to come with me back to the castle. Everything else doesn’t matter right now.”
I swallow hard, fighting the panic rising inside me.
“Please,” I beg, my voice softer this time, a hint of desperation creeping in.
For a moment, Zaria hesitates, her body tense. Then, with a soft exhale, she dips her head and steps forward, nuzzling her faceinto my chest. Relief floods through me as I wrap my arms around her, pulling her close.
“We’re going to make a run for it, okay?” I direct quietly, stroking her fur to calm both of us. “Storm is waiting nearby with the wolves.”
Zaria pulls back, her eyes more focused now, and pads past me toward a thick, low-hanging branch. With a powerful leap, she lands on the branch, her silhouette barely visible in the dimming light.
Asrai lands lightly on my shoulder, her wings brushing against my neck.
“Get in my hood,” I urge, shifting my hair so she can tuck herself inside. “I’ll keep you safe.”
Asrai pauses for only a second before crawling into the hood of my cloak. Once she’s settled, I turn and take a deep breath, then begin my descent, carefully lowering myself down the rough bark and twisted vines.
I reach the last few feet and pause. The ground below is covered in the thick, menacing mist, its cold tendrils wrapping around the roots and reaching toward me like fingers.
There’s no time to lose. I push off the tree and jump, landing in a crouch, the mist curling around my boots. It feels wrong, like something alive and malevolent brushing against my skin as I stand.
I glance up at Zaria, who’s already leaped down onto the lower branches, her lithe form barely making a sound as she moves. The sun has completely slipped below the horizon, quickly plunging us into night.
“Come on, Zaria,” I whisper urgently.
Her gigantic leopard watches from above with big, unblinking eyes.
Suddenly, a branch snaps to my left. I freeze, my heart leaping into my throat, and Zaria’s attention shifts in the same direction. Everything happens in a blur. The mist stirs violently, and from its swirling depths, a deadling emerges. Its twisted, decayed form is barely human, and its milky white eyes lock onto me with an unnatural hunger. I feel a wave of dread rolling over me, freezing me in place.
Before I can even reach for my dagger, Zaria pounces. With a feral snarl, her powerful body collides with the deadling before it has a chance to lunge. Her teeth sink deep into its neck, a sickening crunch echoing through the air as she tears into the creature. The deadling’s howl pierces the night, a chilling sound that reverberates through the forest.
