32. Greg

32

GREG

I glide over the dark forest, scanning the trees for the monster that got away. My eyes snag on a big, fat buck that cautiously approaches a clearing. The moon lights his tan hide as he slowly makes his way through the dry grass. He's on high alert, looking for predators, but he never thinks to look up .

No . I will abstain. I will be strong.

Even if I wither away to nothing, even if I am vastly underappreciated, I will valiantly continue my hunt.

You're safe today, deer. Go feast upon your apples so I may enjoy you tomorrow.

"Greg," Felix calls, ever the nuisance. "Are you there?"

" Where else would I be? "

"Have you spotted anything?"

" I would have told you if I had. "

Or I would have killed it myself and saved everyone a heap of trouble.

"You keep looking to the east. We're going to head toward the orchards on the west."

" I thought you were sleeping."

"We can sleep later. Where are Ambrose and Atticus?"

" Up toward Cyril's place. "

"Did he make it home all right?" Catriona asks.

" You didn't tell me to follow him. You told me to follow the wolf. "

"You can talk to him now, can't you?" Felix asks. "Why don't you ask him?"

" Certainly. I'm happy to be your communication apparatus. "

"You're better than a telegraph machine, Greg," Felix says.

Growling, I feel for Cyril's mind. I'm close enough to his shack that I should be able to sense him. But there's a concerning void, an emptiness.

" I can't reach him, " I say to Felix and Catriona.

"Do you think he's already asleep?" Catriona asks.

"I wouldn't think so," Felix says, sounding uneasy. "Greg, why don't you fly to his home? We'll head that way."

With a gnawing feeling in my empty gut that might not be hunger, I change direction.

I'm close to Cyril's property when a rotten stench wafts up to me, entering my nostrils moments before movement in the dark woods catches my attention. Redcaps. There are five of the little monsters, maybe six.

They're traveling slowly, dragging a log behind them. No…not a log.

Our newest recruit.