Page 157 of What Lies Within Masks & Shadows

Something wasn’t right. The trail was too perfect.

So Alora spoke up again. “These tracks are flawless.” Crouching down, Alora ran her fingers across the indented muddy print and glanced to the next. Perfectly mirrored as if the print was simply flipped and inlaid.

Jade’s eyes shifted from displeasure to doubt. “As much as I hate to admit it.” She grumbled. “You’re right.”

Alora flashed her an amused smile and straightened upright.

“Don’t get used to it.” Whipping a small throwing dagger from her belt. “Turn back. We’ll find another trail. Maybe?—”

Deep in the shadows behind them, a creature stirred.

A terrifying growl rumbled like thunder before glowing blood-red eyes split the darkness, shining like sun rays on a ruby.

Every instinct screamed at her to run, but by the time her mind could convince her legs, a monstrous black body broke through a thicket of spruces.

And as they both pivoted their eyes to one another, they realized:

The wolf had laid its trap.

Cunningly leading them to the stone barrier. Ambushing them, ensnaring them inside a stone cage with nowhere to run except back to its awaiting drooling—dripping—razor-sharp teeth.

A hiss of metal cried out as Jade unsheathed her sword. Throwing dagger in the other hand, she trained her focus on the beast prowling toward them.

Alora gripped her bow and nocked an arrow, pulling back the bowstring to take aim. “Get to the trees. If you can climb highenough, I can lure it to you. Once it’s in range, jump down and plunge the sword into its skull,” Alora sharply commanded.

“Are you insane?” Jade snapped. “The moment I run, it’ll lunge.”

“I can shoot arrows faster than it can reach you. Just trust me.”

Jade bent lower, her sword in front of her. “You’re going to get me killed.” Her eyes still tracked the menacingly slow prowl of the wolf.

“I’m the one staying in its path, if anything, it’ll kill me first. Should make you happy. Now …go!”

Alora let loose an arrow before Jade could object. It flew through the space between them and struck into the wolf’s muscled shoulder, causing a roar so fierce it echoed off the stone.

Jade sprinted for the trees to the left.

Alora dropped to a knee with razor-sharp focus.

The wolf leapt. Gnashing its dripping teeth. Ready to clamp down on the soft flesh of their necks.

Four arrows flew with rapid speed and accuracy, peppering the wolf across its body.

The beast howled viciously in pain, wrenching itself back.

Then …

It stopped.

With a scrape of its monstrous front paw, it pounded the dirt. Through an earth-shaking howl, its black figure began to …

Alora’s eyes widened as she caught her breath, releasing another arrow.

An earth-shattering scream rippled beside her. “Stop! It’s a reike!” Jade threw her dagger at the incoming arrow, missing it by an inch as it embedded into the beast’s torso. “Each wound only makes it grow stronger!”

“No.” Alora panicked under her breath.

Arrows burst from its body in streams of crimson as the reike grew higher and higher and higher, three times its size. It reared up on its back legs, slamming its front paws so hard on the ground that Jade and Alora fell to the dirt.

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