Page 31 of Feral Gods
"And we were watched," Kaia adds. "A cloaked woman. She seemed to recognize me somehow."
Ravik's attention snaps to her, intense and focused. "You saw a purna witch? How close?"
"Fifty paces, perhaps," I answer before Kaia can respond. "She made no aggressive move. Merely observed, then departed."
"After leaving this." Ravik gestures to the pouch with obvious suspicion.
"We need Zephyr," Kaia says. "He'll know what to make of it."
Ravik nods curtly. "Inside. Both of you." His tone brooks no argument, and for once, I don't feel inclined to challenge his authority. The situation has grown more complex than anticipated.
As we enter the sanctuary, I notice Kaia glancing back at the forest edge, her expression troubled yet curious. The purna witch's appearance has affected her deeply, raising questions about her own nature that none of us can yet answer.
"You did well today," I tell her quietly as we follow Ravik into the temple depths.
She looks up, surprised by the praise. "I didn't do anything."
"You maintained composure. Observed carefully. Made sound decisions." I allow a rare hint of approval to color my voice. "Not every battle is fought with claws and fangs, little human."
A faint blush colors her cheeks, and something stirs in my chest—a protective instinct tinged with another emotion I'm not yet ready to name. Whatever threats gather beyond our walls, one thing becomes increasingly clear: Kaia is no longer merely our ward or the key to our awakening.
She is becoming essential in ways that transcend duty or obligation. The realization should trouble me more than it does.
As we descend into the inner sanctum where Zephyr awaits with his ancient texts and scholarly insights, I find myself lingering half a step behind Kaia, watching the subtle sway of her movements, the quiet determination in her bearing. The purna witch saw something in her worth observing, worth approaching despite the risk of encountering three awakened gargoyles.
I'm beginning to understand why.
10
KAIA
"Absolutely not," Ravik's voice booms through the temple's main chamber, the sound reverberating off ancient stone walls like thunder trapped in a mountain pass. His wings flare wide, obsidian skin gleaming in the blue glow of the neptherium lanterns Zephyr reactivated yesterday. "The forest encounter only confirms what I've been saying—she stays within the sanctuary's walls."
I stand near the stone hearth, fingers pressed against the warm granite as three gargoyles—each twice my size and infinitely more powerful—argue over my fate as if I'm not present. Four days ago, I might have remained silent, head bowed in the practiced submission of a slave. But I am no longer that person.
"And what happens when your precious walls fail?" Thane challenges, crimson eyes flashing as he tosses the purna's leather pouch onto the ancient map table. "The witch tracked us for miles without detection. She could have struck at any moment."
"But she didn't," Zephyr interjects, his silver-gray form more fluid than the others as he examines the pouch without touchingit directly. "Which suggests observation rather than immediate threat."
"Or strategic patience," Ravik counters, amber gaze flicking momentarily to where I stand before returning to Thane. "First dark elf scouts, now purna witches. The sanctuary is our strongest position."
Thane's massive fist slams against the stone table, sending centuries-old dust spiraling into the air. "The sanctuary is a trap without escape routes! You would have us cornered like prey?"
"I would have us fortified like warriors," Ravik snarls, the runes etched across his chest pulsing with golden light that matches his eyes. "Or have you forgotten how easily the vrakken overwhelmed scattered forces?"
I've learned enough about their past to understand the barb strikes deep. Before their transformation and curse, the gargoyles were elite dark elf warriors who witnessed the devastating effectiveness of vrakken battle tactics against isolated units.
"That was different," Thane growls, wings partially extending in challenge.
"Was it?" Ravik steps closer, using his slightly greater height to loom over Thane. "The purna nearly destroyed us once through division. I will not allow it again."
The tension crackles between them like lightning seeking ground, primal and dangerous. I've seen Lord Vathren's guards come to blows over lesser disagreements, and they lacked the supernatural strength these gargoyles possess. If this escalates to physical confrontation, the damage could be catastrophic—to them and to our sanctuary.
"Stop," I command, surprised by the authority in my own voice as I step forward. "Both of you."
Three pairs of inhuman eyes swivel toward me—amber, crimson, and turquoise—all widening slightly at my intervention.
"This isn't about ancient battles or proving dominance," I continue, heart pounding but voice steady. "This is about survival—mine and yours. And I should have a say in strategies that concern my safety."
