Running through the dense forest, I could hear the trees whispering secrets and the leaves rustling above us as if speaking to one another. With every step, I concentrated on avoiding the menacing roots that reached out to ensnare us. Vines slithered across the path, aiming for our ankles, causing me to occasionally stumble and sway. Ancient magic continued to pulse through the air all around us.
“Silly little throneless queen.” The High Witch’s voice filled my head as if whispering all around me.
My gaze darted side to side as fear clogged my throat. I unsheathed my sword as I dodged a swinging tree branch.
“Look out!” I screamed as I ducked beneath it, my feet never faltering in my run.
The sound of Avery's screech echoed through the air, forcing me to glance back. I sent up a silent prayer to the gods as I saw Zaela tightly clutching Avery's wrist, desperately pulling her along to keep up with us.
As I pivoted my vision forward once more, the glimmer of strange creatures flitted through the trees—brief visions of phantom figures that seemed to be both part of the forest and yet not.
“I know who you work to save, Elianna Valderre. We are not the only beings that lurk within the wood and marsh.” Azenna’s voice was sweet with venomous anticipation.
“You willnottouch them!” I screamed. A branch snapped out in front of me, and I swung my blade just in time to sever it in half, clearing our path.
“What?!” Zaela gasped.
“You can’t hear her threats?!” I shouted over my shoulder, nearly out of breath.
“No!” she bellowed.
Mother of the gods. My eyes widened as I realized Azenna had spoken to me in my mind. “Get out of my head, witch!”
“Do not listen to her words, Elianna!” Veli shouted at me as a rush of shadowy smoke erupted from her, crashing into a silhouette that had materialized amidst the trees.
The opening to the marshes appeared before us in the near distance. We were almost there. We were so, so close.
“I can see the opening to the marsh! Hurry!” I screamed as we barreled through the woods that were enchanted to claim our lives.
A wicked laugh cracked through my skull as my breath was suddenly torn from my lungs, feeling as if they had filled with icy water.
“Jace!” I screeched, my voice cracking as panic consumed me.
“What’s happening?!” Zaela shouted desperately from behind me, but I couldn’t focus on the words to say. Every ounce of my efforts worked to carry me to my mate.
My instincts screamed to keep moving as a soft, haunting melody echoed on a breeze, playing tricks on my senses and distorting my vision until it suddenly faded.
Once my steps finally reached the edge of the forest, I leapt out from the tree line. Avery and Zaela were right on my tail, and they forcefully crashed into my back, sending all three of us collapsing onto the muddy soil.
Veli was there then, emerging from the trees appearing otherworldly, her usual glowing violet eyes gone, nowfuchsiaand gold, as she continued to aim her lashing shadows at the witches’ phantom-like figures that glided in the wind.
The witches’ cackles faded as they whipped into the open air and shot out toward the sea beyond the marsh.
With pain-induced grunts, the three of us moved to untangle our limbs from each other and worked to stand. I pulled them each to their feet and then my gaze movedto the murky water that awaited us at the edge of the tiny riverbank.
“Mother of the gods,” Veli breathed as she took in the same sight that I had. “The pinnace. It’s empty.”
“No!” Avery yelled.
“Jace!” I jumped into the swamp, storming toward our small boat as fast as the water’s resistance would allow.
The sound of Zaela unsheathing her sword ripped through the air.
“Elianna, be careful!” Veli called.
I heaved myself into the empty boat that had remnants of leftover water that had somehow splashed into it.
My eyes turned to the shore where Veli stood, staring at me with nothing but regret written on her features. With each passing second, my lungs burned more ferociously.
