Demon Day by Penelope Fletcher (best novels in english .TXT) 📕

The scream of a cat echoed across thePride, and the soft stomping of heavy paws drawing closer found usthrough the silence. A panther raced into view. He weaved throughthe grass, unerringly in our direction.

Oddly enough, I relaxed, and my kneeswent weak with relief.

Breandan secured my waist and slid mebehind him as the panther slid to a stop and exposed his sharpteeth in a vicious snarl and hissed menacingly.

Conall simply appeared from thin air,and held up his hands to both Breandan and the shifter; thank godsbecause it seemed like they would have torn into each other had henot. He shook his head, exasperated. “It is a good thing I decidednot to scout too far ahead. Always are you in trouble,Rae.”

I curled my lip at him. How unfair.Like this was in any way my fault.

Roaring, the panther leapt forward abound. His ears were flat to his head and his claws scratched upthe earth. He was huge, coal black, and I found myself wonderinghow the hell I had not seen him in the green grass. It was tallerthan him, coming up to just below my breast, but still. After hisdisplay of dominance, he turned his head to look at me, andblinked. His beautiful eyes were the trigger that revealed I didindeed have a memory of him.

I laughed and held out my hand.Breandan pushed it back. “Wait,” he ordered and watched the catcarefully. He was not taking any more chances after our lastencounter.

“Hai,” I whispered to thepanther. “It might sound crazy, but it’s good to seeyou.”

He padded over cautiously, whiskersquivering when Breandan hissed a warning. The panther slinked low,under Breandan’s restraining arm. Keeping his eyes trained on myfairy-boy he pushed his hand into my hand. His eyes slid closed andpurred.

I was strangely touched that heremembered me too.

“You know this hunter?”Conall asked a hint of pride in his tone.

Breandan shifted and the panther’seyes shot open. He growled then settled on his haunches, tonguelolling to the side. I rubbed him behind the ears and he grumbledhappily.

Breandan relaxed. He sat back andinclined his head. “How?” His raised eyebrow was enough to tell mehe was surprised, but then he pulled his face into a neutralexpression, his thoughts hidden from me. “How did you know it washim?”

I shrugged. “He’s unique. I just knew.He felt the same, y’know?” I glanced at Conall to let him know Ihad not forgotten his question. “We met in the forest yesterdaywhen Breandan found me.”

The words pulled me up short. Had itonly been two days since I’d met Breandan and Conall? Had it beenso short a time in which my life had been turned upside down andinside out? My mind shied away from it all. It would do me no goodto dwell on such things. It would drive me mad and I was battyenough.

“Did you pick up thetrail?” I asked Conall in a rush. “I want to keep moving. I’mrested now and I even slept.”

Conall said nothing. He handedBreandan and I a cracker each and unhooked a small skin flask fromhis hip. Breandan ate the cracker dry in one bite and swigged fromthe flask.

I stared at what I had been given inmy upturned palm. It did not look, smell, or feel appetizing. Notthat food ever did look interesting to me. I did not feel hungry,but sort of hollow and like food would be okay in my stomach, butnot that it was an urgent need. Would it be rude to ask if he had acan of fizzy stashed in one of his pockets? Glancing at Conall Idecided against it. Little human culture resided in the fairy way,so I simply kept my eyes low, and glanced at Breandan through mylashes.

He was already watching me.“Everything okay?” he asked politely.

Pushing my hair off my face, Iplastered on a bright smile, and cupped my other hand under the oneforced to hold the cracker. “Uh huh. I’m not much of an eateranyway, and I’m sure there is something else.…” As I spoke Ioffered the cracker to him, but a glance at Conall showed more ofthe same kind of dry, mealy food in his hand. “Y’know, I can godays without eating anything.”

Breandan grinned then bent down tobite half the cracker from my palm. In a few moments, his roughtongue was licking crumbs and juices from my inner fingertips.Juices? I looked down to see a clear golden fluid running down mypalm.

Breandan smacked his lips thenregarded me closely. “You don’t like honey-nectar? It’ssweet.”

“Well to be honest I don’tthink I’ve ever tried it. We used to get given lots of bread, milk,and water … and meat,” I said thoughtfully. At the word ‘meat’, thewere-panther’s whiskers twitched and his pink tongue flicked out toswipe over his maw. As I spoke, I grinned at him. “And drinksfilled with sugar to keep us going, y’know. Like fizzystuff.”

“We have a much more varieddiet,” Conall said after a pause, eyeing Breandan and where he hadlicked my hand with a dour expression. “But our meat is mostly fishand small game. Red meat makes us sluggish, slow. We avoidit.”

I nodded. “Makes sense. As a people weclimb and live in the trees.” My voice was reflective. “We’re quickand light on our feet. It makes sense the food we should eat wouldbe light in substance, but rich in goodness. And it explains why Inever liked meat all that much.”

Breandan nodded in agreement. I stillheld the oozing cracker in my hands and it was beginning to lookodd. I nibbled on it and made an appreciative murmur at the firm,wheat biscuit, and its sweet sticky centre. I finished up andBreandan held out the flask. I felt positively doted on and Iaccepted it with a smile. I took a testing sip. Just water. Iglugged it deeply and eyed Conall. “The trail?”

He rubbed the heels of his palms inhis eyes and when he shook his head, his ponytail swished behindhim. “It is beyond me. Devlin has worked magics. Three differenttrails can be seen here, each is cold, and each carries his andWasp’s scent. Less than an hour ago, we were half a day away andgaining. Now, it seems