Eliora tried to hold onto that, but her grip on Zarek didn't loosen.
The forest became unnaturally still, making Eliora's skin prickle. Even the stream seemed quieter.
Zarek hadn't moved from where he stood in front of her. His body blocked her fully, and fire still glowed faintly around his fingers.
"Enough hiding," he said calmly. "Come out."
Eliora's heart raced.
For a heartbeat, nothing happened. Then the shadows shifted.
Figures stepped out from behind the trees, one after the other, six of them. They came forward without urgency, like predators who knew their prey had nowhere to run.
They were in their human forms, but no one would mistake them for ordinary men. Their fangs were elongated, sharp and gleaming even in the dim light, and their claws extended fully from their fingers.
The leader stepped forward first, tall, broad, his lips curled faintly.
"How dare a mere human call us out," he said, voice rough with insult. "Do you know who you're speaking to?"
