Page 24

He crosses back into Screaming Woods. "No change."

His tongue catches on something, and he freezes.

“What?”

Nick runs his tongue over his teeth again. His eyes widen. “I have fucking fangs.”

I stare at him. “Of course you do. Because apparently me being turned into a fucking scarecrow wasn’t enough for one day.”

I shove my hand through the boundary, hoping it will somehow undo whatever happened to me, but all I feel is a light tingling sensation. That’s it. Still burlap and straw.

A deep growl rumbles behind us, and we both turn to see a huge beast towering over Toto.

I leap to my feet, my knees wobbling as I adjust to the new weight of my body. I try to run toward Toto but fall flat on my face. Nick is at her side in a blur.

"How the hell did you do that?"

He looks as stunned as I am. "I don't know."

Then he’s gone again. One second, he’s there, and the next, he’s crouched in front of me with Toto in his arms. He settles her onto my lap. Being stuffed with straw has its advantages—I make a pretty decent cushion.

Nick positions himself in front of us, putting his body between us and the beast. His gaze darts around, searching for a weapon. When he doesn’t find one, he raises his fists instead.

No heartbeat. Fangs. Super speed.

I might be a scarecrow, but I’m beginning to have a pretty good idea what Nick is. Not that he seems to care. Whatever he’s become, he’s ready to tear that thing apart with his bare hands before he lets it touch Toto.

"Nick, no!" Toto yells, scrambling off me.

She ducks around Nick and races toward the beast.

The creature towers over her on two powerful legs, enormous and vaguely lion-shaped, but no lion I’ve ever seen has wings. Its face is unmistakably feline, with a broad muzzle and sharp fangs. Soft feathers frame its neck and spread across its shoulders before giving way to a pair of massive wings folded tightly against its back. His muscular arms end in enormous paws, tipped with claws that look sharp enough to tear a man apart, and a long tail lashes behind him.

Everything about the creature screams danger.

Except its eyes. I know those eyes.

“Holy shit.”

Toto apparently figured it out before the rest of us.

Leo?

Toto whispers softly. The beast—Leo—glances at the two of us before focusing on her again.

She kneels next to a discarded backpack and pulls out a fleece blanket, holding it out to him. Leo takes it and wraps it around his waist, unfurling his wings to their full glory.

"There." Toto smiles up at him. "You look great."

"I look great?" he demands with an indignant growl. "I have fur, Toto."

"Leo." Nick’s eyes widen. Even his legendary ability to remain calm has its limits.

Leo strides toward us, his heavy footsteps pounding against the forest floor. The blanket looks like a hand towel wrapped around his large body. "What are you two supposed to be?"

I open my mouth, but nothing comes out. My thoughts scatter into the breeze like, well, straw. Damn it. My memory was already terrible.

"He looks like a scarecrow, and I suspect I’m a vampire." Nick glances at Toto.