Eryx POV
I stepped out of the cabin with my shoulders squared and my spine straight, the night yawning wide before me. Darkness pressed in from every side. Behind me, I felt Rachael, small, trembling and pressed close to my back. Her fingers clutched the fabric of my shirt like it was the only thing anchoring her to this world. I could feel her fear the way I felt a storm gathering under my skin.
“Don’t be afraid,” I murmured without turning, keeping my voice low, steady. Calm. I needed her to believe me, even if she couldn’t see my face. “Stay behind me.”
I took another step forward, then another, my boots crunching softly against the dirt. The cabin’s weak light spilled out behind us. Somewhere ahead, a shape shifted.
Then I saw him.
A man stood just beyond the reach of the light, h
