But he wasn’t dreaming. Of that Ank was certain as the branches rustled again and a smattering of pinecones rattled across the ground. Something was moving—out there, just beyond the tree line. Worse, something seemed to be moving on the opposite side of the house, something light-footed, something cautious.
He blinked and one was there, standing in the moonlight at the foot of the yard—its pale skin as wan as the dead, its purple-rimmed eyes focusing on him as he looked.
Ank narrowed his lids, feigning a deep sleep, as two more were-raptors emerged from the trees. He watched as they exchanged glances and crept forward across the lawn. There were six of them now, not counting whatever was creeping around on the other side. He glanced at the house in which the newcomers were staying and s
