Flames And Starlight

Chapter 18

I spent a week with Tatum tracking down naga deep in the forests of Terrasen. I had hoped that the one that attacked me was alone but I was wrong. In seven days, we had killed five of them. Five.

I still didn't know how they were making the jump between worlds but I couldn't help but feel that somehow it was my fault. Tatum kept telling me that it wasn't but deep down he must also know that there was no other explanation. I appreciated his encouragement but it didn't damper the nagging feeling I had in my gut.

Something was wrong.

Creatures from other worlds don't just show up out of the blue for no reason. Naga had never been in my world and yet... now they were. I would be a fool to ignore this. It was no coincidence. Something was so wrong.

"I smell one close," Tatum's voice was low and gravely. He was wearing his normal hunting clothes of a tan shirt, brown pants and leather boots. He had two daggers strapped to his thighs, a sword on his hip and a bow in his hand. He was a walking arsenal. However, his most lethal weapon was the one inside his head.

Tatum was an excellent hunter. His senses seemed to have been made for tracking prey through the forest. I could feed an eagle a silver coin and send it off to Rifthold, and Tatum would return with the coin, the bird, and a mischievous smile.

Tatum also shifted into various animals which gave us an edge.

My own shifting was getting easier and easier every time I practiced. Since they lived with us, I was able to convince Aunt Lysandra to train with me more often. She was more than willing so I didn't even have to beg. I had the sense that she was extremely proud of the progress we had made recently.

Something happened to me when I went to the Night Court. It's like something inside my very being changed and all of my powers were heightened. Just like the flip of a switch, my powers were coming in waves of improvement. It's like I had been in a rut before I went to the Night Court and now I was finally reaching the fullest of my abilities.

Shifting has been the greatest improvement. I can now change my physical appearance such as my eye color, the length and shade of my hair, and I can even smooth out my skin and any blemishes on it.

Speaking of which.... The naga wound across my chest did leave a nasty scar. It was jagged and reddened and ugly and I wanted to cover it. From shoulder to shoulder it stretched the expanse of my chest.

Although I thought it looked kind of badass, a part of me hated it. It wasn't like Evangeline's scar. Evangeline's scar with almost unnoticeable since she was to beautiful everywhere else. My scar was so large that it drew all attention, turning everything else about me into the same ugly state. It was horrific and terrible and I had been wrong. I regret not calling for a healer.

If there was one good thing about it, it was that every time I saw it, I was reminded that I could survive this world and any other. It also reminded me that in all things, my cousin would always be there to save my ass. Of course I could shift omg skin enough to make it disappear but I decided I would leave it there as a reminder.

We crouched behind a large tree. I could smell the naga from here. It stunk of blood and gore. From what I could hear, it was alone but I could never be too sure.

"I need this one alive." I whispered and Tatum's eyes widened as he gave me the exasperated look he gave me so often. The look that said he wanted to strangle me. Needless to say, I had not told him about this part of my plan beforehand.

"It's dangerous."

I unsheathed my daggers from where they were strapped to each thigh. They felt so familiar in my palms as I twirled the blades around my fingers. "I don't care."