hand along the side of his face near his mouth, I gave him an endearing smile. “I’m lucky to have you by my side, Piku. I know I’m not always easy to get along with, but my intentions are honorable.”
Piku’s blue eyes stared back at me with love. Then, he slowly nodded and let his large tongue slip out of his mouth as he licked the side of my face. “We should go. It’s not you who scares me, Zadie. It’s your father.”
“You’re right. It’s starting to get dark. And my father will make my birthday dinner tonight.” I glanced down at the ground for a minute. “Piku, let’s not say anything to him about the witch thing. I’d rather he didn’t know. Let’s just keep it between us. Okay?”
“Anything for you, Zadie. You’re my best friend.” He took the lead and I followed just behind him as we headed home. I watched the sun start to slip behind the mountain peak, creating an orange glow across the sky.
Chapter Twelve
My house was in sight at the same time the sun disappeared behind a distant mountain. Piku and I strolled the rest of the way without saying too much to each other. Over the past few days, things had seemed in disarray as my dreams haunted me and my body played tricks on me.
In the sky, I saw a large black blob in the distance, flying toward us. “What’s that?” I pointed toward the tops of the forest trees.
We stopped and stared. “I think that’s an angry dragon, also known as your father!” Piku gulped back the fear I heard in his voice.
I watched every move he made. What if he knew that I was a witch? What if he had followed me to Chay’s and he’d found out? I shook that thought away and rolled back my shoulders. “The sky just turned dark. Tolbalth is being overprotective if he’s mad at me.”
His wings were extended and his eyes cast down on us. About two hundred feet away, he landed hard and ran forward, transforming into my human father. Within seconds, he stood in front of me.
“Zadie, thank goodness you’re safe.”
“What is it, Father?” I saw fear in his eyes—the type of fear I’d only seen one other time when I stood in the gully, witnessing my father’s ancestors’ fears as they scanned the ridge to see thousands of humans ready for battle.
He pulled me into his arms. “We’re leaving here at once.”
“What? No!”
Piku paced, a low, rumbling growl caught in his throat. I knew he sensed my father’s anxiety in the same way I did.
“They’re here, Zadie.”
“Who?” I narrowed my eyes. “Who’s here?”
Father’s words came out in a rumbling growl. “The hunters.”
I glanced from Father to Piku and back to my father. “The hunters from the other day?”
“Yes! And they’re here with hundreds more.”
“Hundreds?”
Piku released a roaring growl that echoed.
Chapter Thirteen
“I’m taking you away from here,” Tolbalth said, his muscles bulging around his neck and chest. The age lines were easier to see when he was in human form. Stress marred his face and neck as he worried about my well-being the same as he had my entire life.
I stepped back and away from him. Grabbing my braid with one hand, the other resting on my dagger he’d given me as a birthday gift, I shook my head. “No! I will stay and fight them with you.”
“You are my daughter, you will not stay and I will not run the risk of losing you. This is not open for discussion.” He glanced back at the trees. “We have little time. Let’s go.” He started toward our home. I knew he wanted to pack food and clothes and then fly me to an undisclosed location where he’d leave me there to wait out the battle between the hunters and the animals.
“Father! You need me.”
“I said no,” he growled.
“Father! Please. Listen to me.” I reached out and grabbed his arm to stop him from moving any farther. My fingers barely circled around half his bicep muscles. I seemed small next to him, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t
Piku’s blue eyes stared back at me with love. Then, he slowly nodded and let his large tongue slip out of his mouth as he licked the side of my face. “We should go. It’s not you who scares me, Zadie. It’s your father.”
“You’re right. It’s starting to get dark. And my father will make my birthday dinner tonight.” I glanced down at the ground for a minute. “Piku, let’s not say anything to him about the witch thing. I’d rather he didn’t know. Let’s just keep it between us. Okay?”
“Anything for you, Zadie. You’re my best friend.” He took the lead and I followed just behind him as we headed home. I watched the sun start to slip behind the mountain peak, creating an orange glow across the sky.
Chapter Twelve
My house was in sight at the same time the sun disappeared behind a distant mountain. Piku and I strolled the rest of the way without saying too much to each other. Over the past few days, things had seemed in disarray as my dreams haunted me and my body played tricks on me.
In the sky, I saw a large black blob in the distance, flying toward us. “What’s that?” I pointed toward the tops of the forest trees.
We stopped and stared. “I think that’s an angry dragon, also known as your father!” Piku gulped back the fear I heard in his voice.
I watched every move he made. What if he knew that I was a witch? What if he had followed me to Chay’s and he’d found out? I shook that thought away and rolled back my shoulders. “The sky just turned dark. Tolbalth is being overprotective if he’s mad at me.”
His wings were extended and his eyes cast down on us. About two hundred feet away, he landed hard and ran forward, transforming into my human father. Within seconds, he stood in front of me.
“Zadie, thank goodness you’re safe.”
“What is it, Father?” I saw fear in his eyes—the type of fear I’d only seen one other time when I stood in the gully, witnessing my father’s ancestors’ fears as they scanned the ridge to see thousands of humans ready for battle.
He pulled me into his arms. “We’re leaving here at once.”
“What? No!”
Piku paced, a low, rumbling growl caught in his throat. I knew he sensed my father’s anxiety in the same way I did.
“They’re here, Zadie.”
“Who?” I narrowed my eyes. “Who’s here?”
Father’s words came out in a rumbling growl. “The hunters.”
I glanced from Father to Piku and back to my father. “The hunters from the other day?”
“Yes! And they’re here with hundreds more.”
“Hundreds?”
Piku released a roaring growl that echoed.
Chapter Thirteen
“I’m taking you away from here,” Tolbalth said, his muscles bulging around his neck and chest. The age lines were easier to see when he was in human form. Stress marred his face and neck as he worried about my well-being the same as he had my entire life.
I stepped back and away from him. Grabbing my braid with one hand, the other resting on my dagger he’d given me as a birthday gift, I shook my head. “No! I will stay and fight them with you.”
“You are my daughter, you will not stay and I will not run the risk of losing you. This is not open for discussion.” He glanced back at the trees. “We have little time. Let’s go.” He started toward our home. I knew he wanted to pack food and clothes and then fly me to an undisclosed location where he’d leave me there to wait out the battle between the hunters and the animals.
“Father! You need me.”
“I said no,” he growled.
“Father! Please. Listen to me.” I reached out and grabbed his arm to stop him from moving any farther. My fingers barely circled around half his bicep muscles. I seemed small next to him, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t
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