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Ingram’s head tilted sharply, and he stepped sideways as he came a little closer. He was able to take in thin ribs, and barely noticeable mounds, but it was the wind blowing towards him that made him realise he could smelltwofeminine scents.

“She,” Ingram corrected, as a small amount of awe filled him. His sight turned dark yellow in curiosity. “The Mavka is female.”

I have never seen a female Mavka before.

“I don’t care what it is!” she cried, only to wince.

His orbs flashed crimson, and a snarl tore through him. There was no blood in the air, but Emerie’s features twisted as though she was being crushed.

The female Mavka’s orbs mirrored his own, and she parted her fangs to hiss at him. She stepped backwards out of the sun and into the shadows.

White once more filled his sight, and he lowered further with his hand out. “Give.”

Her orbs darkened, and her hissing strengthened. She wasn’t going to give up Emerie.

“I cannot charge her,” he stated aloud, sharing his thoughts with Emerie. “I cannot chase her. She will grow enraged and attack you.”

To be honest, he was unsure why the Mavka hadn’t made a meal of her already. He was thankful for it, though, as it gave him achanceto save her.

“What do I do?” he heard over the growing distance.

The rabbit-skulled Mavka backed up further, putting space between them. Yet Ingram remained where he was.

“Do not smell of fear, and do not allow yourself to come to harm. I will follow your scents from a safe distance.”

“It’s growing dark, Ingram.”

The blade of dread cut deeper.I know.

He knew night would fall soon, and they were closer to the Veil. The direction the Mavka was going was towards the canyon, taking Emerie closer towards danger.

Luck had been on their side. Other than their first night together, they hadn’t come across any other Demons. They were now closer to the Veil, where it was likely they’d come across one in the next few nights.

But there was nothing he could do.

His instincts told him to be patient. That if he wanted to save her, he had to battle against the desire to chase and fight for his prize, his prey, forher.Otherwise, this Mavka would kill her within seconds, or Ingram’s own rage would force him against his friend.

She was caught in the middle of two Mavkas, neither who seemed to want to hurt her right now, but absolutely might.

He watched them shrink into the trees before disappearing out of sight. He waited, even as his flesh tightened in aversion to doing so. He waited, even as the sun began to fade, and the shadows grew longer and crept over him.

His sight never left where he last saw them.

I already lost Aleron...He didn’t know, until this very moment, that he was worried about losing his little butterfly as well.

Ohmygod. Ohmygod. Ohmygod!Sitting in darkness, Emerie tried with all her might to remain unafraid and calm her whirling thoughts, but each time the female Duskwalker patted her hair, terror threatened to bubble over.

The strokes were hard. Starting from her brows, the Duskwalker would run her hands back, pulling on Emerie’s entire face until her eyelids were stretched up. Then she would roughly stroke over her hair, and each time Emerie worried she’d either pull her hair out, or her claws would slice her.

With long, thin legs trapping her in from the sides, the Duskwalker’s torso was hard and lean against her back. At least she was warm, protected from the chill within the dark underground den she’d been dragged to.

Even though she couldn’t see in the pitch dark, Emerie still chanced glancing back and up at the rabbit skull she’d earlier seen, and knew it had additional teeth. There were many fangs on the sides, making her buck teeth not as intense – and even they had seemed shorter than normal.

She chittered to Emerie. Her orbs were the only things she could see, and they were bright yellow as she patted Emerie’s long orange hair. Her nose hole was filled with mud, but her orbs reflected against her free hand wrapping the end of her snout, as though to block out even more scents.

It was like she knew Emerie would be afraid, and wastryingnot to let the smell of her make her frenzied.

Emerie felt tiny between the towering, angular legs surrounding her. The Duskwalker’s torso wasn’t actually very long, most of her height seeming to be in her legs. The more features Emerie took in through touch, the more she realised that she was actually... small.