Bale looked away first, and her eyes shot up. I kept my attention on the table; she wasn’t the only threat sitting here, and I wouldn’t put it past one of them to attack me beneath the boughs of the calamuts.
I didn’t trust a single one of them, and I wouldn’t put it past Corson to try sawing off my head while I wasn’t looking. And then there was Magnus, who could cast illusions that might confuse me while I was distracted, and Shax, who could make the earth move.
No, something had the calamuts agitated, but I couldn’t tear my gaze away from these assholes. They all followed the varcolac, which made every one of them my enemy, even the ones I didn’t know.
I’d learned about Corson, Bale, Shax, Magnus, and Amalia since arriving on Earth. Everyone knew who the varcolac’s seconds-in-command were. They also knew about the demon of illusions and the one who could manipulate the earth. They knew less about the other man at the table and the other two women with them.
I knew Amalia was a jinni. I’d never liked the jinn, and I didn’t trust any of them, not even the ones who worked with Pride to help take down the varcolac. Few of those jinn remained; most of the ones who survived the Abyss died during the battle at the wall, and the few remaining ones vanished into the Wilds. I doubted I would ever see them again.
Amalia and Magnus played a significant role in Pride losing his control in the Abyss. He wouldnotbe happy to see them here. Though, no one at this table was thrilled to see any of us.
From outside, a thunderous crash shook the earth. A series of bangs rattled the walls and caused the jar holding the candle to bounce on the table followed it. The calamuts were attacking something outside, but what would be stupid enough to piss off the calamuts?
From the back hallway, a male shouted in surprise and pain. Then came the high-pitched squeal of a tree nymph; except, this tree nymph didn’t sound like she was having a good time.
“What the fuck?” the man I didn’t know at the table asked.
Corson’s eyes remained on me, but Bale kept her attention on the calamuts above us. More thunderous crashes came from outside. Those crashes were coming steadily closer.
“The calamuts are going to attack us,” she said.
“Why?” the man asked. “No one has done anything.”
“No one has done anything here,” Bale said. “Maybe in the back. The horsemen—”
“Wouldneverbe so foolish,” I interrupted.
Pushing myself away from the table, I rose and backed away as I glanced at the ceiling. The windows set high up in the walls were impossible to see out of, but as more booms quaked the ground, the glass in them rattled.
Overhead, the branches were slithering like snakes as they unraveled themselves from the rafters. She was right; they were going to attack. And once they did, it would be the perfect opportunity for my enemies to come for me.
The branches started to untwine with speed so rapid they became a blur. Their movement caused the purple leaves to break free, and they glided down to scatter across the ground. The fire in the corner leapt as the wind blowing down from the holes swirled through the room.
I brushed aside a leaf that landed on my face while the calamuts retreated from the numerous holes they created in the ceiling. Through those holes, the thick canopy of branches spreading overhead was visible. The calamuts swayed overhead as the crashes and bangs grew louder and closer.
Rattling glasses toppled off tables and shattered on the floor. Some of those still fucking rushed to finish, while others reluctantly stopped. Bale and her friends rose from the table as more screams resonated from outside.
These screams weren’t from the nymphs but something with a deeper cry that sounded more hell creature than demon. Unsheathing my sword, I held the blade before me and studied the occupants of the bar as they stared at the doorway with an expectant hush. In the quiet, the laborious breaths of those within sounded abnormally loud.
“What’s going on?”
The whisper broke the silence, and some demons shifted uneasily as they kept their attention riveted on the door. The occupants of Bale’s table slid out to stand in front of it.
She removed the sword from her scabbard, and though she glanced at the sword I clasped, she didn’t take the opportunity to attack. None of us believed the calamuts weren’t still paying attention to this room.
“Something has entered the forest that the calamuts don’t like,” Bale said.
The tree nymphs scampered across the room and gathered behind the bar, clinging to each other as another thunderous boom caused one of the windows to shatter. Demons scattered away from the falling glass that hit the floor in a tinkling wave.
When another leaf landed on my head, I pushed it aside as calamut branches broke through the ceiling and descended. The entire floor heaved when the branches slammed into the ground before the nymphs, caging them in and away from the rest of us.
What has entered the forest? And is it a threat to Bale?
I was unprepared for the amount of fury that followed such a possibility. Fire flashed to life around my hands as from somewhere in the back hall more screams issued. No matter what was out there, I would keep my Chosen safe from it.
My thoughts drifted to Zorn. Unwelcome in the building, I’d left him outside with Death’s mount, but I wished I hadn’t. I didn’t like not being able to see him and loathed the idea of him being alone. As long as I survived, he would be okay, but I preferred for my friend to be here.
“Do you think it’s the hounds?” the man with Corson and Bale asked. “Do you think they did something to piss off the trees?”
