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Abrupt agitated bellows rise from the nobu. The pool ripples as white, pupil-less eyes break the surface of the water. Enormous jaws of jagged teeth stretch wide as the roars grow louder.
Nyx’s hands fall from me as the three of us turn to look at the beasts. One by one, they step onto the shore. Their scales shimmer in the sunlight. Eyes wide with panic, we glance at each other as more nobu leave the water.
Blood-curdling screams come from the haunted forest behind me. The air vibrates as the sound charges it. “What was that?” I shout at Nyx and Hiram. Nyx’s face pales as he stares at the trees.
“The Cypres. I’ve never heard them make that sound. We need to get inside, now!” Nyx yells. Shadows dance across the field as small fractures split the ground. A boom cleaves the air as blue lightning crackles through the sky.
Hiram screams as an arrow lodges deep in his chest with a crackingthud. It plunges into his skin with remarkable ease, blood spraying from the fresh wound.
“Hiram!” I yell as Nyx lunges for him, taking them both to the ground. Another arrow whirls past our heads, narrowly missing us. The screams of the Cypres become louder as the nobu thunder toward us. The land beneath our feet shakes with the pounding of their feet.
I step toward Nyx with an outstretched hand. We all need to get inside if we want to survive this attack. Hiram holds pressure on his wound with one hand while Nyx wraps an arm around his waist, taking his weight. Nyx reaches up for me, our hands locking on each other’s forearms.
A large hand clamps onto my throat, yanking me backward. The force rips Nyx’s grasp from mine, hurling him and Hiram back to the ground. Hiram screams in pain as Nyx scrambles to get back to his feet.
A damp cloth presses tightly to my mouth, making it hard to breathe. The sickeningly sweet smell causes my stomach to turn, bile rising. I claw at the hand against my mouth, but my head becomes fuzzy. The grip around my throat tightens, cutting off my air.
“Theo!” Nyx bellows as he pulls a dagger from his hip and races after me. The realm stands still as I’m dragged away from my kingdom. The nobu charge across the field, barely missing Hiram kneeling in the grass.
The edges of my vision darken as my body goes limp against the hard chest at my back. Nothingness welcomes me in like a warm hug, and I can’t refuse its embrace, no matter how much I try. Nyx’s pained screaming of my name echoes in my ears as everything goes black.
