Fairy scanned the air. A massive buzzard flapped its wings, pivoting to come back at her and Wolf again. She cursed under her breath.

Wolf let loose a shock of electricity, throwing bolts of lightning toward the buzzard. It dove out of the way.

Something moved in the periphery of Fairy’s vision, below on the forest floor. She whipped her head around to look at it.

“Wolf, watch out! Someone’s down there!”

The ryuu shot flames at them. Wolf tried to dodge, but they grazed his fur. He howled in pain.

“Stars!” Fairy smothered the fire out with her cloak and poured some water from a canteen to cool the singed skin. Wolf sucked in air through his teeth.

More flames barreled toward them. But Wolf flew higher, and the fire arced back down to the ground.

“We’re out of range,” Fairy said in relief.

She spoke too soon. A figure materialized out of nothing and stood next to the fire ryuu. Fairy didn’t need to be close to know who it was.

“Spirit’s sister . . .”

Wolf growled. “I just saw Hana, too. How did she find us?”

“I don’t know,” Fairy said as they flew farther. “But it looks like we got out of there just in time. They were laying an ambush.”

“And they’ll send reinforcements soon,” Wolf said.

“Or now.” Fairy pointed at a flurry of black flying at them from Jade Forest.

Wolf put on speed. Unfortunately, the burst of power also set off brilliant sparks, and he streaked light through the sky like a comet.

“You’re too bright,” Fairy said, clinging to his fur as the frigid wind gusted in her face. “Douse your sparks, or we’ll never be able to lose them if they can see you like this.”

Them were hundreds of bats, flying in formation like a single enormous creature with sword-long fangs. Menagerie, the ryuu who controlled animals, must be commanding them.

Wolf quelled his sparks. But it probably wouldn’t matter anyway. The bats would use their sonar to track him, as long as they stayed close enough.

He accelerated to the right.

They followed.

He careened down, back into a different part of Jade Forest.

They didn’t lose his trail, even weaving in and out of the trees.

Wolf pulled back up into open air, breathing hard. “What do I do?”

“Speed of light,” Fairy said. “Get us out of here.”

“It’ll make you sick if I fly any faster than this.”

“Just do it!”

Too late. The buzzard swooped near them. Menagerie crouched on its back, a smug smile on his face.

“Watch out!” Fairy cried.

Menagerie pounced onto Wolf’s back. “Impressive magic you’ve got here,” he said. “Sure you don’t want to join the ryuu?”

Wolf snarled. “Never.”