Page 30 of Feral Gods
"Don't touch it," I warn.
"I won't." She studies it from a safe distance. "But it was left deliberately, just at the circle's edge. Almost like..."
"A gift," I finish, understanding dawning. "Or an offering."
Our eyes meet, the implications clear. The purna wasn't merely observing—she was leaving something for Kaia to find.
After a moment's consideration, I remove a small hunting knife from my belt. Using its tip, I carefully lift the pouch without touching it directly.
"Risky," Kaia says.
"Less risky than leaving it for others to find," I counter. "Zephyr can examine it safely at the sanctuary."
I secure the pouch in an outer pocket of my hunting satchel, maintaining the barrier between it and my skin. The forest suddenly feels less welcoming, shadows deeper, sounds more ominous.
"Our hunting expedition is over," I announce. "We return now."
Kaia doesn't argue, falling into step beside me as we begin the journey back to the temple. I keep her close, senses hypervigilant for any sign of the purna woman or other threats.
"Do you think she meant me harm?" Kaia asks after we've put considerable distance between ourselves and the warded tree.
I consider the question carefully. "Not immediately. Purna are calculating. Strategic. If she wanted you dead, she would have struck while you were vulnerable and alone in the blizzard, before you reached our sanctuary."
"Then what does she want?"
"That," I growl, "is what concerns me. Purna witches rarely want anything simple or benign."
We walk in silence for a time, the weight of this new threat settling between us. I find myself studying Kaia's profile as she navigates the forest path—the determined set of her jaw, the watchful intelligence in her eyes, the graceful economy of her movements. Despite her small stature and apparent fragility, there's an undeniable strength in her that I'm beginning to appreciate more with each passing day.
"You're staring," she says without looking at me.
I don't deny it. "You continue to surprise me."
"Because I haven't collapsed in terror yet?" A wry smile curves her lips.
"Because you adapt. You learn. You face each new threat with calculation rather than panic." I duck beneath a low-hanging branch. "These are not typical human traits in my experience."
"Perhaps you've known the wrong humans," she suggests.
"Perhaps." Or perhaps she is simply exceptional. The thought unsettles me more than I care to admit.
We're within sight of the sanctuary when I catch the scent of blood—fresh, recent, and unmistakably dark elf. I halt immediately, one arm extended to stop Kaia.
"What is it?" she whispers, instantly alert.
"Someone's been here. Recently." I scan the forest edge where the trees meet the rocky approach to the temple. "Dark elf blood was spilled."
Ravik emerges from the sanctuary entrance, his massive obsidian form instantly recognizable. His amber eyes lock onto us—or more specifically, onto my wing still partially curved around Kaia's shoulders.
"Scout," he calls, approaching with powerful strides. "Tried to infiltrate while you were gone. I dealt with him."
His gaze shifts meaningfully to my protective posture. I withdraw my wing slowly, not out of submission but strategic calculation. Now is not the time for dominance displays, not with multiple threats converging.
"We found something," I announce. "Purna activity in the forest. Recent."
Ravik's expression darkens, wings mantling slightly. "Show me."
I retrieve the pouch from my satchel, careful not to touch it directly. "This was left at a warded site approximately two miles east. Powerful protection sigils surrounding an ancient tiphe tree."
