Eden's Creatures Read Free Page B

look!” Stassi exclaimed, pointing.
    Down below, the forest opened up to a village full of people going about their day. Men, women and children. All winged. Most with white feathers that lay furled along their backs, but the younger Faedin had the smaller bat wings like Stassi.
    My God, they are real. This is no hoax.
    Many of the villagers looked up at them with open curiosity. One — the blond man from earlier — with open hostility. Several of the children squealed in delight, running along beneath them to give chase, but they soon gave up when Stassi continued out of range. She seemed intent on taking him as far from the village as possible.
    Just when the flight started to smooth out, Stassi fell into a steep descent, and he groaned as his stomach heaved once again. At about ten feet from the ground, she let go of his coat and he crashed down into the dirt.
    “A little closer would be appreciated next time,” he grunted as he stood.
    Stassi’s wings fluttered with a soft humming sound as she landed — quite gently, he noted — next to him.
    “Forgive me, Cal, I forgot how frail you are.”
    “Be careful there. I am a man, you know.”
    A perfectly arched eyebrow rose above her eye as she ran her gaze over his body. “Barely.”
    He fought an urge to check to see if all of his parts were still in place. “Gee, thanks.”
    “Come on. Let me show you my world.”
    Cal picked up his trampled pride, dusted it off and reluctantly followed.
    Stassi moved quickly, her wings giving her speed even on the ground, making it look as though she was floating. She led them onto a darkened path that cut through a grove of gigantic trees of a species Cal had never seen before. He looked up in awe at rows and rows of bark and limbs that seemed to have no ending. It made him feel very small. Like he had suddenly stepped into the pages of a giant’s fairytale.
    “Hurry, Cal!”
    He glanced ahead just in time to see Stassi disappear into a thicker part of the woods. He ran to catch up and watched her dart inside the opening of a large cave.
    “Hold up!” he shouted and went in after her.
    Humid air drifted pleasant pinpricks of mist over his face, and he could hear the trickling of water echoing hollowly throughout the cavern. He followed the only source of light up ahead and came out of the tunnel into an open chamber that held a pool of water that, like the lake, glowed a luminescent green. Soft tendrils of vapor floated lazily over the surface, almost hiding the stone steps that led down into its depths.
    Stassi sat regally on the shale rock at the edge and dragged her hand through the still water, causing it to ripple out.
    “It’s beautiful,” he breathed.
    “Yes. It is but one of many of our hidden grottos.”
    Cal shed his winter coat and sat next to her. “How long have the Faedin been here?”
    “According to our lore, we were sent here by the Maker after the great flood to guard the Tree That Will Not Die.”
    “The Tree That Will Not Die?”
    She nodded. “The serpent is trapped beneath that tree.”
    Cal shook his head as every answer only created more questions. “And you said this serpent covets me?”
    “Not you specifically. Any human.”
    “Why?”
    “A human sacrifice would allow him to break his bonds and be reborn into man’s image.”
    “And if this serpent is reborn? What will he do?”
    “He will destroy the world.”
    The look on Cal’s face told Stassi just how difficult it was for him to believe her story. Yet she would do whatever it took to keep this green-eyed human for her own. Somehow, she had to find a way to convince him to commit himself to her.
    “No offense, but do you know how crazy this all sounds?” he asked and ran a hand back through his dark hair, something he did frequently when frustrated.
    She shrugged. “It is the truth.”
    He blew out a long breath. “It’s hard for me to believe that all of this — the Faedin — have been here all along and no one