The tension in the clearing was sharp enough to taste, a metallic tang that sat heavy on my tongue. Zelly stood on the porch of the dark-log cabin, her posture fluid and dangerous, like a cat deciding whether to pounce or purr.
She wasn't wearing her usual campus clothes today. Instead, she was decked out in cool-looking leathers and furs, her dark hair looking wild and free around her shoulders. She watched us walk up, a slow grin spreading across her face that didn't feel very friendly.
Uriel stepped forward, his body shielding mine as we reached the edge of the porch. I could feel the heat radiating off him, and his voice dropped into a low, resonant frequency that seemed to vibrate the very ground beneath my boots.
"You actually brought her," Zelly called out.
Uriel’s hand tighte
