"Crap, crap, crap," she whispered, cursing herself. How could I be this careless?
The beast stepped over the broken bird, slowly stalking in her direction. Its claws dug into the mossy ground, and its heavy breath fogged the air.
Ruby gripped the knife at her belt, her other hand reaching for her smelly herb pouch. Please work... please work...
She tossed the pouch hard to the left—away from herself. It hit the ground with a rustle.
The creature stopped.
It turned toward the sound and snarled again—but didn’t chase. It sniffed once, then backed up slowly, seeming confused. The stink of the herbs was strong enough to mess with its senses.
Her boots slammed against the dirt, branches scratched her arms, her breath came in short gasps—but she didn’t stop. She could still hear the creature snorting, pacing behind, but it didn’t follow.
The bag of Mistvine on her hands was heavy, weighing her down with every step, but she didn’t slow. Her shoes dug into the soft forest floor, and her chest burned as she ran.
When she finally saw the shape of her car between the trees, her legs nearly gave out.
"WIFE!!" Julian shouted, panic rising in his voice as he saw Ruby sprinting toward the car.
He was already sitting in the passenger seat, half-turned with his hands gripping the door, eyes wide in horror. Behind her—through the shimmering waves of heat and the mist swirling between the trees—he saw the creature. The wild beast with twisted horns, blood still dripping from its jaw, was bounding closer on its heavy paws.
Ruby couldn’t hear him.
"I FOUND IT!!" she shouted, voice breathless but triumphant. "I got the Mistvine!!"
But she didn’t notice the faces staring back at her—Julian, Maira, Sora, Old Bran. All frozen in place, pale as ghosts, looking not at her—but at something behind her.
"WIFE!!! LOOK BEHIND!!" Julian yelled again, louder this time, his voice cracking.
Ruby’s heart dropped.
A wave of cold rushed over her skin, goosebumps rising on her arms.
Heavy, hot breath brushing against the back of her neck. A low growl vibrating through the air like a death bell.
"Shit—" Ruby turned fast, heart hammering.
But before she could even see the full shape of the beast, it roared—loud and sharp, like thunder cracking in her ears. A spray of its hot, foul saliva flew at her, some splashing across her sleeve.
Reflexively, she tossed the Mistvine bag off her back, pushing it out of the way to protect it. The moment her hands were free, she raised one leg to kick—but the beast was faster. With a powerful swipe, it knocked her off balance and she fell back hard onto the damp forest floor.
"WIFE!!" Julian screamed from the car, but his voice felt distant now.
The air was knocked out of her lungs, her back ached from the fall, but she gritted her teeth and tried to roll. The beast loomed over her, its muscles flexing, claws sinking into the soil on either side of her body.
I’m not going to die here. Not .
She reached for the pouch of bitter-smelling herbs Old Bran had given her—but it wasn’t on her belt anymore.
The beast lowered its head, nose wrinkling as if ready to bite.
Ruby narrowed her eyes, and with all her strength, she grabbed a sharp rock from the ground beside her and slammed it toward the creature’s snout.
It yelped in pain and recoiled for a second—just enough for Ruby to roll to her side and scramble back toward her Mistvine bag.
"Hang on, WIFE!" Julian shouted again, car door flung wide open.
But the beast was already recovering, and Ruby knew... she had seconds.
"Julian!!" Ruby shouted, her voice cracking with fear as she saw him bolt out of the car and run toward her.
She pushed herself up from the ground, slipping slightly on the damp forest floor. Her hand throbbed from gripping the sharp rock, and her knees were scraped, but none of that mattered right now.
"Why did you come out?! I told you to stay—!" she yelled, her voice nearly breaking.
The beast, already snarling and twitching with rage, snapped its head toward the sound of Julian’s footsteps. Its eyes locked on him like a predator finding a new, easier target. Julian came to a stop, just a few feet away from Ruby, frozen. His breath hitched in his throat. His legs didn’t move.
The animal growled again—low, deep, hungry.
"Shit..." Ruby cursed under her breath as her stomach sank.
Time slowed. She could see it in the beast’s eyes—the calculation, the hunger, the sudden wild focus on Julian. And then it happened.
"JULIAN!!" Ruby screamed.
The witches inside the car shouted too—Maira cried out his name, Old Bran cursed under his breath and tried to open the door, but everything was happening too fast.
She launched herself forward, pushing with all her might, ignoring the pain in her body, ignoring the pounding in her head. Her arms reached out toward Julian, but the beast was faster.
It was already mid-air, claws out, jaws wide open, aiming right for his chest.
Ruby grabbed Julian by his sleeve and yanked him to the side—
The creature missed him by mere inches but slammed into the ground so hard it shook the forest floor, dirt flying into the air.
Julian fell beside her, panting in shock, and Ruby crawled over him protectively, shielding him with her own body.
"You idiot!!" she hissed at him, voice shaking. "Why did you come out?!"
"I thought—it was going to kill you!" Julian shouted back, his hands gripping her arms tightly.
"Now it’s going to kill us both!" she snapped, panic and fury mixing in her chest.
But the beast was already rising again. Blood dripped from its nose where it had hit the rock-strewn ground. Its mouth curled, baring its teeth.
And Ruby’s mind raced, desperately trying to think of anything that could save them now...
—To be continued...🪄