She gulped and squeezed Bronto’s hand. He stopped at each hut and assessed the large space between them before moving on to the next. When they reached Vulcan’s the whimpers started again.
Trees rustled. Bronto halted. Ivy slapped a hand over her mouth. Bronto must have sensed she was ready to scream because he released her fingers, reached backward and draped his arm across her lower spine.
When the trees rustled again, he pulled her closer.
A shadow emerged.
“If you keep it up, I’m going to drop you,” Zypher said, his voice filtering through the darkness.
Ivy melded against Bronto and sighed in relief.
“Zypher, what are you doing?” Bronto asked.
As Zypher materialized from the shadows, Ivy noticed he was carrying a woman. A Mountain Slayer female with knotted hair who looked as if she’d been beaten.
Ivy gasped. “What are you going to do with her?”
He glanced at the female and grinned. “I found her. I’m keeping her.�