Damon coughed as he retreated deeper into the cover of the trees. The shadows embraced him, cloaking his form from sight, but he knew that wouldn't be enough.
He bit his lip, frustration and adrenaline coursing through him.
'I thought Tobias was just a regular human,' he fumed silently, 'but that bastard had to turn out to be half-merfolk.'
Half-merfolk—resistant to non-magical poison and capable of seeing in the dark, though not as well as Damon. The illumination crystal Tobias carried proved his night vision wasn't perfect, but it was still better than most humans.
'Good thing I dragged him into the forest,' Damon thought.
If Tobias returned to the academy, he'd expose everything. But Tobias didn't seem interested in leaving. Damon understood why—Tobias knew he was stronger, and capturing Damon was his best chance at clearing his name. Sneaking out of house arrest would likely make the academy suspect Tobias of trying to flee, which only added to his desperation.
