---
The air grew warmer. Zephyr stepped forward slowly, putting himself between the beast and the others.
The eyes that were looking at them didn't blink. Then—They vanished. No sound. No footsteps. Just gone.
Fenna cursed under her breath. "That was Fast."
"Too fast," Zephyr said. "It wanted to be seen."
He crouched, examined the soil where the eyes had been. A single paw print remained. Four claws. Deep. Larger than any wolf. A thin line of scorched bark led away.
"A warning?" Fenna asked.
"A message," Zephyr replied while He stood.
Tomorrow's training would not be enough.
They needed a trap. A real one. He looked at Emberling. She stared at him—still panting, still tired, but… listening.
"Tomorrow," he said, "we will move to a different location."
