Casey shouted above the roaring fire, “Savannah!”
The thing’s wings unfolded, but as it began to rise, a black shape swept
around its back and leapt into the air. Moonlight glistened off the set of
savage claws that sank into the nightmare’s flesh. A golden inferno of fire
raging around him, Jaxson climbed hand over hand up the monster’s spine,
using his claws like pitons.
Where the fuck had he come from?
With a single swipe of his claws, he shredded the wings on the right side
of the thing’s body, and it fell.
He was at its throat in a second and shredded its neck and gills with his
claws.
“Stand back, Laurent!” a shrill voice commanded. My aunt.
Jaxson leapt away from the gurgling beast as a green bolt of energy burst
from the shadows of our porch.
The nightmare’s corpse twitched, and emerald veins of light crackled
across its body. The air around me shook, and with a thunderclap, the thing’s
form sucked down into nothingness.
Just like that, it was gone.
Stillness settled over the street, leaving Jaxson, Casey, and my aunt alone.
Then they began calling my name.
I pressed my back against the wall and shuddered with silent tears as their
shouts echoed along the street. Jaxson’s voice pulled on my chest, and I
wanted to run to him, but I couldn’t move—though this time, it wasn’t
because of the sorcerer’s spells. The deep weight of the emotions churning in
my heart had frozen my will to move.
Everything felt wrong.
I would never be able to unsee that abomination looming over me. The
scent of rotten fruit still hung in the air, and I trembled at the memory of the
monster’s tongue tracing over my skin.
But that wasn’t what was dragging me back into the shadows.