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“Woods. Ha.” I snickered, but stopped when he grabbed my arm and pulled me down into a hollow.
“Dire hart. Stay still.” The fear in Dyf’s hushed whisper sent shivers down my spine.
I saw nothing for long moments, but then a monstrous deer emerged from between the trees. Its giant head, topped with huge antlers, swung from side to side as it sniffed the air. The dire hart’s muscular body was only a few feet away, its fur glistening with sweat, and its fiery breath casting ominous shadows across the clearing. It stank of musk, and the heat radiating from its body ignited the dry grass it stood on.
“Fuck, what are we going to do?”
My voice trembled with panic. Dyf shot me a warning look, but it was too late. I had no idea how the creature’d heard me over the crackling of the flames. But it had.
Step by step, it approached until I could make out every detail. Moss hung off its antlers, and its anger washed over me. It towered above us, its bulk blocking out the sun. Its wild eyes locked onto mine, and my breath stuck in my throat at the primal fear taking hold of me.
“Shit,” I whispered, my body shaking.
“Back away slowly,” Dyf instructed, his hand gripping my arm like a vise, pulling me to my feet. “Do not make any sudden movements.”
Of course, that’s when my foot caught on a root, my body jolting backward as I yelped. The dire hart bellowed, its nostrils flaring as it expelled a blast of fire. The clearing’s edges erupted into a blazing inferno, trapping us inside a circle with the beast.
“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” I chanted under my breath, my gaze darting between the fire and the furious creature. “What do we do?”
“Stay calm,” Dyf said, his voice strained. “I will distract it while you run.”
“Are you insane?” I hissed, gripping his arm. “That thing will kill you.”
“Would you rather we both die?” he shot back. “Trust me, human.”
I swallowed hard, nodding as I let go of him. “Stay alive, you stubborn bastard.”
He flashed me a quick grin before lunging forward, drawing the dire hart’s attention away from me. As the creature roared and charged, I sprinted through the burning clearing, the heat searing my skin and the smoke choking my lungs.
But the flames were too fierce. Behind me, Dyf hurled insults at the hart, evading its furious charges with superhuman reflexes. I tried to dodge through a gap in the fire, but it was no use. I would burn alive before I’d gotten halfway through the barrier.
“What are you waiting for?” Dyf shouted.
I whirled around, an acid reply on my lips. A lead ball dropped into my stomach as I realized what was happening. He was slowing down, exhaustion marking his sweat-covered face. The monster bellowed in triumph, sensing that his opponent was tiring.
“Dammit, Beth,” I shouted. “Think!”
Looking around wildly, I searched for a weapon, something I could use to help Dyf. But there was nothing the hart couldn’t burn. What else could I do? Like a bolt of lightning, inspiration struck.
It hadn’t worked against the blood vines because they’d overpowered me too fast, but the vegetation around the clearing was just greenery. Nothing magical about it. And my special power was manipulating plants, although I’d never used it in battle.
I took a deep breath, knowing I had one shot at this. Falling to my knees, I sunk my fingers into the soil, ignoring the moss and roots under my fingernails. I closed my eyes and focused all my energy on the surrounding plants.
The earth responded, vines snaking up from the ground. Trees bent toward each other, until the fire was buried under a pile of damp plant matter.
“This way,” I shouted.
Dyf took one look at the exit I’d created, and sprinted with the last of his strength. The dire hart bellowed again and gave chase. I called forth more vines to trip the creature, but they barely slowed it down. Dyf raced past me, grabbing my arm and pulling me along.
“Run!” he yelled, the urgency in his voice cutting through my fear like a knife.
I didn’t need to be told twice. Without looking back, I jumped over the flames that were already devouring the plants. And then, as I ran, I realized I was on my own. There was no sign of Dyf, only a curtain of flames roaring around what had once been a peaceful clearing in this damned forest.
The flames raged behind me, casting flickering shadows on the forest floor as I plunged deeper into the underbrush. My heart hammered in my chest, a desperate staccato rhythm that drowned out all other sounds. I could feel the heat on my back, scorching the exposed skin and fueling my adrenaline-driven flight.
“No, no, no,” I muttered, wincing at the sting of thorns. “Where are you, Dyf?”
I didn’t dare look over my shoulder again. Instead, I focused on the path ahead, forcing my trembling legs to keep moving.
