“Rabbit good.”
We freeze. It isn’t words we heard with our ears but with our mind. An intrusive thought that doesn’t match my own. A sound that seems to come from all around us, sticking to the cool, dry air. A soft echo.
Niklaus furrows his brow at me, then mouths, “Did you hear that too?”
I nod.
“I hungry too,” the voice adds. It’s like that of a female child. Cute and high, innocent and pure even.
“What the fuck?” I mouth to Niklaus.
Is this a demon haunting these woods? I mean, we’ve heard stories growing up about how mystical beings used to live here a thousand years ago. But I’ve always thought it was bullshit.
The creature moves closer, taking steps in pure darkness toward us, sniffing the air and dirt obnoxiously.
I hold my sickle up with a shaky hand, straining my eyes to see past the black fog.
“Fuck this,” Niklaus growls, tossing a flaming branch in front of us.
The creature whimpers, side-stepping the fire as the orange light shines across the beast’s side. I move cautiously toward the dark figure still holding out my weapon.
It’s a…dog? Small wolf?
Black shiny fur and funny white markings on its chest. Funny ears that don’t stand upright but hang floppy against its cheeks.
“Ouch.” The voice echoes again. “Hurt paw.”
I lower my sickle.
“Could still be a demon,” Niklaus warns.
“Dellilian no demon,” the childlike voice says. I’m surprised that I have no impression of the sound being creepy or disturbing. It’s sweet and somehow exactly what I would expect to be the voice of a small wolf.
“That is what a demon would say.” I narrow my eyes.
The animal steps out into the light slowly, cautiously, as if it’s trying not to spook us. With small brown eyes that look positively too human to be a beast, it watches us as it blinks curiously. Each paw is white and speckled like snowy boots, and that long tails sways back and forth happily.
I move closer, lowering myself to the ground to get eye level with it. On the edges of that dog-like frame, a glittery dust seems to dissolve from its charcoal fur. Like a midnight, mystical breeze. Likemagic.
And I’m not sure what it is exactly, but a calmness washes over my chilled skin. Trust. Purity. Loyalty.Safe. Safe. Safe.I sense no threat or danger. In fact, the midnight creature lowers itself to the ground, sprawling out their hind legs and crawling on the dirt to get closer to me. A submissive attempt to ensure my feelings ring true.
“Spitfire,” Niklaus warns under a hissing breath.
“What’s your name?” I ask.
The animal blinks twice, then that small voice answers in my head, “Dellilian.”
“Her name is Dellilian,” I tell Niklaus.
“Thanks.” He slowly lowers his weapon in annoyance.
I glance over her features again, studying the way those human-like eyes study me back.
“Whatareyou, Dellilian?”
“A Morphing Onyx Short-Haired Windila!”
Huh.
