A collective, hesitant rustle from the edge of the bone-white forest made her tilt her head up.
Her eyes narrowed into a cold, immediate scowl. She reached down, her fingers instinctively brushing against the handle of the high-voltage stun rod at her harness.
Emerging from the long shadows of the trees was the gray-tailed Chief, his movements stiff and heavy.
Behind him walked Elder Meira, her seven tails tightly tucked in a defensive fan, followed by the rest of the tribal elders and a sizable crowd of the Fox Tribe's kin.
They weren't armed, not like they needed weapons to practice illusion arts, and their heads were lowered, but their sudden advance in the dimming light made the hairs on Hana's arms stand up.
Caspian instantly stepped into a defensive stance, a low growl vibrating from his chest as his obsidian wings spread wide to block the path.
