page11 (1/2)

Before we can embrace, the door to the study crashes open A wild-eyed Meera bursts into the roo “We’re under attack!” she screams

Dervish and I stare at her

“We’re surrounded!” she veils

Dervish’s face clouds over “De into fists

“No,” Meera gasps A howl fills the corridor behind her “Werewolves!”

FIGHT

There’s a rabs a sword from the wall and pushes past Meera I follow close behind I try to pull the sword I’d thrown earlier out of the door but it’s stuck tight While Meera hurries to get a weapon of her own, I step into the corridor after Dervish, working on a spell, not sure if it ork—there’s so little ic in the air to draw on

I hear panting It corowls and soht of them yet

Meera steps out behind us, swinging a entle woo She’s all warrior now

“How many?” Dervish

asks without looking back

“At least three They entered through the kitchen I’d been snacking I was just leaving, so I was able to jam the door and stall them If they’d burst in when I was at the table…” She shakes her head, angry and scared

The first of the creatures sticks its head around the corner It’s recognisably human, but twisted out of normal shape It has unnatural yellow eyes Dark hair sprouts fros They look too large for its

It skulks into the corridor, growling Long, sharp fingernails More muscular than any human Hunched over Covered in stiff hair Naked A male Another two creatures appear behind the first, a er than the first, but follows his lead His left eye is a gooey, scarred mess Maybe that’s why he’s not the dominant one

As the once-human beasts advance, I step ahead of Dervish and Meera I try drainingto tap into In my own time, these creatures would have been si to be difficult