Hell's Eyes

Chapter Six Hunter and the Hunted

T he dim illumination of the Shadow Forest was just enough to see by, though Herman Basil still conjured an orb of light so he and Miss Hyacinth might make out any prints left behind by the beast they sought. Unfortunately, Elsie Hyacinth couldn’t help but fret over the knowl edge recently imparted to her by her compatriot. She understood now what Mr. Noblémyn had meant during his hysteria before promptly reentering his current state of unconsciousness. The more these details turned over in her head, the more she agreed with his delirium: a cerbertes was nothing more than “hell’s hound.” A hell hound if ever she had heard of one and understood the meaning of the word “hell.” The haunting silhouettes of the ashen trees with their dark sapphire leaves in the distant dimness did nothing to quell her burgeoning nerves. And from what she could see of their immediate surroundings, Elsie found no comfort in the once-familiar forestland. Mr. Basil seemed not to have a bother to spare, as he’d said nothing since they’d entered the Shadow Forest proper. She took that cue and remained silent despite the questions and curiosities bubbling in the forefront of her mind. Instead, Elsie kept an arrow and her bow at the ready, prepared to draw at a moment’s notice as the light of the Forest and that which glowed from Mr. Basil’s magic cast grim shadows on her imagination.

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