AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The ground burst beneath his feet, dark roots caging and capturing him. Hazel had been busy while we waited, and she'd kept her ear high just as she promised, she and the trees in perfect harmony when Birsha stepped onto his mark. He shouted out, thrashing, and tore through thin threads, but he couldn't break them all at once, and the trees were eager to please Hazel's command.
I stood from the shelter of Hywel, watching with parted lips and faint breaths. Esther edged out of the circle, her hands clutched over her chest as she watched Birsha curse and fight. Some roots withered and twisted away, Birsha's remaining siphoned power killing them off, but that too wasn't enough, and it only seemed to make the stronger corded living ones more aggressive, squeezing hard at his legs and squirming to capture his hands.
Hazel stumbled free of a tree trunk, dazed and searching the sky and earth for a moment before shaking herself and staring at Birsha in his struggles.
"Huh. You're not what I expected," she greeted.
"Nymph," Birsha snarled, eyes wide. "I should've known."
"Half-nymph," Hazel corrected. She turned and looked back toward where Esther and I were huddled together. "It's all right. The trees know their business. You can come closer."
"I will kill you both and take the dragon. I will eat the flesh off your mates until their screams match yours and their bodies will fuel me for—"
"Goodness, he is nasty," Hazel said, tipping her head. An fervent cluster of thin roots scurried up Birsha's chest, cutting off his speech as they twisted around his throat and tightened.
Calm rushed over me at the sudden gurgle of struggle that died away from his throat, and I placed my hand over my chest, closing my eyes and digging through my emotions until I found the small thread of worry and pride.Conall. The pride bloomed as I reached out to him, the signal he waited for. I found myself smiling as I opened my eyes once more.
Birsha was glaring at the ground near where I stood, writhing in the grip of the roots, but he stilled as I pushed the hood of Magdalena's cloak back. A brief glimmer of genuine shock slackened his contorted features, and his lips formed the wordyou.
A growl shook the leaves of the yew trees before I could answer, and the ground rumbled as Birsha paled, his eyes growing wide as Hywel rose from his slumber. Magdalena was true to her word after all.
Blodyn bach.I will stay with you.
I turned to face my dragon, craning my neck back far to stare up at him, and shook my head. "Go, the others need you. Get us into the mountain, Hywel."
His head dipped and I laughed as he butted his massive snout against my hips, puffing hot air around me, surrounding me in a large cloud ofnéktar.
"Not now, you mad beast," I murmured, rubbing my hand over the scales and horns in front of me. "I…Iwillbe fine. This will be over soon."
Hywel grunted and eased away, turning and nearly sending me toppling to the ground as he beat his wings. Esther grabbed onto my arm, and we braced against one another as Hywel's flight swirled the air and knocked us about.
I stole a breath, and Esther caught my eye before we turned to face the yew trees once more. It was growing dark, and with Hywel's dreams gone—giving the illusion of our loss, hiding our friends safely away while Birsha's army fought against shadows—the battle would turn again quickly.
There was just one thing left to do.
"Let him speak," I said to Hazel.
"Are you sure?" she asked, wrinkling her nose.
I nodded and she sighed, loosening the grip of the roots on his throat.
But Birsha didn't speak, just stared at me. He was stripped of illusions, lured out of safety by a young human woman, trapped by the eager obedience of trees, facing down his once captive prize. He was old, far older than he ought to have been, and with every minute that passed, more lines dug into his face. If we kept him here like this, I thought he would wither away on his own, time catching up with him at last.
He cleared his throat and eyed me warily. "Why send the dragon away? What do you plan on doing with me?"
I reached up to the latch of the cape, unbuckling it from over my chest and letting the fabric slide to the ground. I wrapped my hand around the hilt of Excalibur and drew it slowly from its sheath, a cool satisfaction softening the ragged edges of fear that pleaded with me to run from this man, this moment.
He was frightened too.
"I plan on killing you," I said, the words strangely gentle.
He swallowed hard, eyes wide on mine. "The ceremony is already in place. Your minotaur is gone. Trapped. His strength is mine."
He ground his jaw, stretching his arms to prove his point, snapping roots but gasping as more took their place, binding him tighter than before.
"Amon," Esther whimpered.
"If you're alive, they're alive," I said to Birsha. "We know how your temples work."
