Vynira crept beside him, peering over his shoulder. "That could be our way out. The current might carry us farther than they can track."
Damien nodded in agreement as his gaze lingered on the dark expanse below. "That's if we can make it there unnoticed."
The low growl suddenly returned, but this time it sounded closer than before.
Damien froze, his head snapping toward the source and he saw a shadow moving among the trees. The beast had found them again.
Vynira's grip on her dagger tightened. "It's not going to let us go," she whispered.
"It's playing us," Damien said, his voice calm but laced with tension. "Waiting for the right moment."
The beast didn't lunge at them. It stayed in the shadows, its golden eyes fixed on them like twin flames.
Damien's mind worked quickly. If they ran, it would chase. If they fought, they might not survive. He glanced at the river's direction again, calculating.
