Page 44 of King of Forest and Fur

She turned and saw it slam shut and a bar dropped across it.

“Professor… what’s going on?” Worry crept into her voice. She was beginning to feel like she had when she had first seen Drystan in her office.

Xanthus kept his back to her when he answered.

“Don’t you already know, my child?”

“Know what?” she asked nervously.

Leila looked around and noticed no other doors in the room. She was locked away underground with a powerful sage.

Is this what claustrophobia feels like? she wondered.

“Know what I’ve been training you for.”

Xanthus turned around slowly.

Leila had never seen her wise trusted mentor look so cold and cruel.

His golden eyes felt like they were burning into her, prying her for things that she couldn’t offer. They were full of greed.

Leila stepped back, but Xanthus closed the gap.

“I need what has already been asked of you,” he said. A cruel smile played on his thin lips.

“For what?” she asked, though Leila had a pretty good idea.

“You know what for. You need to travel back into the past.”

“Why? Why do I need to do that?”

“That’s for me to know.”

“What if I can’t?”

Xanthus simply shrugged. “Then you die.”

Leila’s heart dropped. Her gut twisted up and her mouth went dry.

“You’re going to kill me?”

“Only if I have to.”

She was in shock. This man had been her mentor and now he was talking about killing her as if he were picking up bread.

“But… But, you know me. You’ve been teaching me how to wield my powers.”

He stepped closer to her.

“For my benefit.”

“I trusted you.”

“I can’t help that. But don’t feel bad. You’re not the only one. I can be very… convincing.” He took another step toward her.

Leila stepped back, but she was met with a wall.

There was no time to panic. This was the time to think. She needed time.

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