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Fur was coming out of Moon’s body, then retreating. The boy pointed ahead.
“That.”
They spotted another shadow lurking—only this time, it wasn’t below them. With a gesture to be quiet, Maddox climbed up even higher, slipping in between thicker formations of branches as he crept his way toward the shadow. Up close, the creature took shape, not as menacing-looking as the ones below but pulsing with a dark aura. Blood smudged its round face, serrated teeth resting on wounded lips.
A chill went down his spine when its muscles bunched, skinless in its lizard-like form. Before it could charge, he jumped. The creature’s head turned upon sensing him, but Maddox was already on its back.
“Run! To the light!” he commanded the others.
He clawed and made a sound when the creature’s skin didn’t so much as earn a scratch. He switched tactics and tried to punch but ended up gripping the creature when it tried to roll on its back. They wrestled each other before a paw flattened him, strength so severe that he couldn’t get away. The hold glided to his neck, tightening until his lungs were screaming for breath.
A stench filled his senses. His limbs couldn’t move, and it dawned that perhaps the stench was some kind of poison. Maddox tried to open his eyes and push once more, but it only served to aggravate the creature as its jaws opened wide, teeth inches away—
Red powder blasted the creature’s face and it jerked back. A yell filled the air, faint but distinct.
“Mad? Please be okay. Please—”
She screamed as another blast of red powder danced in the air. He gritted his teeth, fought through the dizziness, and pushed himself up. But he couldn’t quite stand up yet. Instead, he watched with dread as Ruby kept throwing one vial after another toward the creature, backing it away inch by inch. The dread turned to triumph when the creature fell and was lost to the surge of the ones below attacking it all at once.
“Mad?”
Hands touched his face, scrutinizing him. He blinked up at worried brown eyes and shook his head.
“No injuries. I think. Just poison. Hold on.”
“Okay.”
He tried to get a grip, startled when arms wrapped around him. He did the same and instinctively brought her to his lap, basking in her scent that fought off the rancid one.
“We have to keep moving, Ruby. There might be more than one.”
“Right.”
But he stayed where he was, drawing comfort from her hug. A pink hue surrounded them and she sighed.
“What is that?”
“Truth potion. I accidentally broke the vial.”
“Oh.” He mulled over it, then… “What are you using your power for when you get it?”
Instead of her words, he got an image of the four sisters combining their powers under the moon to call their brother and ask for answers. Thunderstruck, he could only gawk.
“How are you getting it?”
The image became muddled, confirming his idea that she was still trying to figure it out. The image of a ghost ship came with a question mark, followed by a glass ball that she kept tucked in her inner pocket.
“Stop asking questions,” she scolded, flustered.
“The ghost ship? Really?”
“I just asked to be taken somewhere where there’s a source of power to harness. Apparently, it’s here.”
“But you don’t know where exactly.”
“No. Now, stop asking. It will wear off in a bit.”
“Oh, yeah?” One thought popped in. “How do you feel about Brian?”
