My stomach lurched as I darted under a low-hanging, thickly leafed branch. I remained under the limb, hoping they hadn’t seen me, and quickly counted. Five of them. Gods. I stayed completely still as they drifted forward in a vee formation.
What were they doing in the Shadowlands?
Ash had insinuated that they’d been in the mortal realm looking for him. Were they searching for him again? Obviously, they’d found him, but why would they be here?
I made sure I made no sound as I unsheathed the shadowstone dagger. I didn’t want to draw their attention since I never wanted to see their mouths split open ever again.
Reminding myself that Ash had struck against them first, there was a good chance they would keep going even if they had seen me. Not even daring to take a too-deep breath, I watched them move closer. Keep going. Just keep on creepily walking—
The closest Hunter’s head snapped in my direction. The others stopped in unison and turned toward me.
“Shit,” I whispered, straightening. The Hunter who stopped first tilted its head. “Hi…?”
The other four cocked their heads.
“I’m just out for a…stroll,” I continued, grip tightening on the branch. “That’s all. You do whatever it is that you all are doing and—”
The first Hunter stepped forward, reaching for the hilt of the sword strapped across his back. Dammit.
I yanked the limb back and then let go. The branch snapped forward, smacking the Hunter in the face. Staggering back, the creature let out a muffled grunt. I didn’t waste a second. Not after knowing what could come out of the thing’s mouth. I recalled Ash’s instructions. Head or heart. I went for the heart because I didn’t want to be anywhere near that mouth. I darted
out from under the branches. Or tried to. My foot snagged on something— an exposed root or rock.
“Dammit!” I stumbled, losing my balance. Throwing out my hand, I planted my palm against the Hunter’s chest to steady myself. His skin felt cold and bloodless, like modeling clay. I shuddered. My touch seemed to affect the creature. His eyes flared wide, and a muffled moan reverberated from him. The others made that same sound as I slammed the dagger deep into the Hunter’s chest. It jerked, making no sound this time. Yanking the dagger free, I turned to the others as the first began to shrivel, collapsing into a fine layer of dust that smelled of stale lilacs.
Four more Hunters. The odds didn’t look great, but I didn’t let panic take hold as I thrust the dagger into the next Hunter’s chest. I whipped around, muscles tensing. None of the creatures reached for their swords now, but they did come at me, and a wild feeling swept through me as adrenaline surged, welcoming the fight. The expenditure of energy. Maybe even the killing. I didn’t know.
But I smiled. “Come on.”
Two advanced, and I shot between them. Twisting, I kicked out, catching one in the chest. The Hunter stumbled as I turned, shoving the dagger into its chest. A cold hand clamped down on my arm. Cringing at the feel of it, I spun sharply, stepping into the Hunter. Its surprisingly sharp fingernails cut into the skin of my arm, drawing blood. I hissed through the sting and slammed my elbow into its chin, knocking its head back. The creature let go, and I stabbed it through the chest extra hard.
As it exploded, I spared my arm a quick glance. Small welts rose from where it had scratched me, beading tiny drops of blood.
“Bastard,” I spat.
A muffled shout spun me around in time to see something grab the Hunter by the legs, dragging it into the ground.
I staggered back, staring at where the Hunter had disappeared into the disturbed gray soil. What had just happened? What in the—?
Chunks of gray exploded from the ground, showering the air. Several streaming geysers all at once, spewing dirt and grass. I threw up a hand as tiny rocks pelted my cheeks. Just as I lowered my arm, another section of the ground erupted, directly in front of me.
And what launched out of that hole would fuel nightmares to last a lifetime.
Jumping back, I stared at what definitely wasn’t a Hunter. It looked like it had been mortal once as it crouched on the edge of the jagged fissure, staring up at me. Had been being the keywords. Its skin was washed-out, a chalky gray color except for the dark, almost-black smudges under its eyes. The cheeks were sunken, its lips bleached of all color. The once-white robes it wore were dusty and ragged, torn and hanging off bony shoulders and hips, revealing patches of bloodless skin underneath.
Was this a Shade?
If so, Davina and Ash had failed to mention that they were in the godsdamn ground.
Carefully backing up, I tightened my grip on the dagger as more of these things appeared, climbing out of the ground so unbelievably fast. Too fast for something that looked really, really dead. I saw four of them, and they all were crouched, staring up at me as their nostrils flared. They… sniffed the air. A low, guttural moan came from one of them. My gaze shifted as I continued putting more space between us. It was a woman. Patches of dark, stringy hair hung from her skull. She rose.
“Don’t come any closer,” I warned, and the woman stopped. My heart thumped heavily. If these were Shades, I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to kill them. No one had mentioned what wrangling them up actually entailed.
She stared at me—all of them stared at me, no longer smelling the air. The grating, raspy sound came again from another, increasing into a high- pitched whine. Tiny bumps rose all over my skin. It sounded…hungry.
Her mouth dropped open, lips peeling back over fangs. No one had mentioned fangs either when they’d said that the Shades could be bitey. Why in the hell did they have fangs? Why had Andreia developed them in death? Did that happen to godlings?
And why in the whole wide world of fucks was I even thinking about any of that right now?
The moaning sound ended in a hiss, and that was right about the time I decided that this was not a fight I wanted to be involved in. I started to turn, only realizing then how far from the palace I’d traveled.
Ash would be angry.
But that wasn’t my most immediate problem or concern. The creature charged forward, hands curled like claws, mouth stretched wide.
There was no time to run.
Stepping into her attack, I thrust the dagger into her chest. The recessed area gave way to the blade, and a dark, shimmery red substance that smelled of rot and decay splashed my hand. Blood. It was shimmering blood. Her legs crumpled. I gasped under the sudden dead weight of her body. Unprepared, I almost went down with her, barely managing to yank the blade free and keep my footing. She remained where she’d fallen, legs twisted under her body, mouth hanging open and eyes fixed upon nothing. I waited, but she didn’t break apart into dust like the Hunters.
My head jerked up as another hissed, and my blood turned to ice. Four more of these things had appeared among the trees, coming from openings in the ground I hadn’t even realized were there.
Ash would be very, very angry.
One ran forward, fangs bared as it swiped at me. I ducked under its arm and kicked out, catching it in the leg. A bone cracked, turning my stomach. I hadn’t kicked that hard, but the lower part of the leg was broken, and it still came at me, dragging the misshapen leg behind it. I shot forward, shoving the dagger deep into its chest. The creature started to fall—
Weight crashed into me, taking me to the ground. I twisted onto my back. A ghastly face appeared inches above mine, fangs snapping. I slammed a hand into its chest, holding it off. I yanked on the dagger, a scream of frustration building in my throat when it didn’t give.
Oh, gods, it was stuck in the creature that had fallen.
I pulled as hard as I could, my arm trembling under the pressure of the thing as it continued biting at the air. I knew if those fangs got anywhere near my skin, they’d tear my flesh open. Panic began seeping in as I wiggled, managing to get a leg under the creature. I shoved my knee into its midsection, lessening some of its weight on my arm. The dagger slid an inch. I tugged harder—
Cold, skinless fingers dug into my ankle and jerked hard. The dagger slipped free, but so did my hand on the creature’s chest. Terror was a bitter taste in the back of my mouth as I swung the dagger, driving the blade into the side of its head. Dark, foul-smelling blood sprayed my face. I gagged, jerking the dagger free as the other creature hauled me across the ground, its fleshless fingers pressing into my calf, my thigh. I shifted, reaching for the creature as I saw the others bearing down on us. There wasn’t enough time. Even if I killed one or two more, it wouldn’t be enough. I knew this even as I brought the dagger down—
A rush of cold air and icy fury roared through the trees, sending the red leaves above into a frenzy. The creature who had my leg was suddenly yanked backward and up.
Ash.
I caught a glimpse of the hard lines of his face as he flung the creature aside, impaling it on a low branch.
Exhaling raggedly, I looked up.
“Don’t,” Ash cut me off as he spun around. “Not a single word.” I scrambled to my feet. “Excuse me?”
“In case you have trouble counting, that is two words.” He caught another by the throat, but he didn’t throw this one aside. He lifted it into the air, and that silvery-white aura flared to life, flowing down his arm. “I want you to be quiet.”
I opened my mouth as the crackling, spitting energy spread from his hand to ripple over the creature. A network of veins lit under the thing’s skin, burning white. It howled as it erupted in silver flames. I snapped my mouth shut, stumbling back a step against stiff hands. I jumped to the side as the burning creature and flames evaporated. “I want—”
“I want you to be silent,” Ash repeated, slamming his hand onto another’s face. The silvery energy washed over it, and the thing shrieked. He pushed it aside, and it spun, flailing and falling. “And I want you to think about what you just did.”
I blinked. “Do you want me to find a corner to sit in, too?”
Ash’s head snapped in my direction, and my stomach tumbled. His eyes were brighter than the stars. “Will that help you think better?” He snagged another creature by the shoulder, catching it without even looking at it. “If so, then by all means, find a corner.”
“I am not a child,” I shot back as the creature caught fire and screamed. “Thank fuck.” He stalked toward the one impaled on the tree.
“Then don’t speak to me like I am.”
Ash placed his hand against its head as it snapped at him. Eather poured over the creature, obliterating it.
Then he faced me. “I wouldn’t have to if you didn’t behave as one who couldn’t follow through on their promises.” The woods fell silent around us. “What did I tell you about these woods? Did you forget what I said would happen if you entered them?”
“Well, I didn’t forget. I just…”
Ash stared at me expectedly, nostril’s flared and eyes swirling. “You go into them!” I reasoned. “I saw you come in here twice.”
“You are not me, Sera.” He took a step forward. “Do you know what is in these woods? In the very place I forbade you to travel into? That you agreed to stay out of? Do you know what exists in here that turns the leaves of the trees red?” he demanded, the radiance of his eyes receding.
I glanced at the bodies that remained. “Shades?”
He laughed harshly. “Those things were not Shades. You are standing in the Red Woods, where the blood of entombed gods soaks every root of every tree These are blood trees.”
A chill swept over me as I resisted the urge to climb one of the red trees just to get away from the ground. “Why in the world do you have gods entombed in the ground?”
“Their entombment is punishment,” he answered, and there was no way I could stop the rising tide of horror at the thought. His eyes narrowed. “Punishment most would consider far too lenient for the atrocities they committed.”
I would have to take his word for that. “How did they get free? Does that happen often?”
“It shouldn’t.” Those eyes bored into me. “These haven’t been down there all that long,” he said, and I really didn’t want to think of the others who’d been down there longer. “But all of them are as close to death as they can be without actually being dead. They are usually magically chained and shouldn’t be able to break those kinds of bonds.”
Gods were extremely powerful. I couldn’t imagine what could be used to restrain them. “What are their bonds made of?”
“The bones of other gods and Primal magic,” he answered, and my stomach turned. “They are placed atop the gods and used to bind the wrists and feet. If they fight it, the bones dig into their skin.”
My gaze flicked to the leaves of the tree. “Is the punishment what causes their blood to turn the leaves?”
“In this case, yes.” I lifted my brows.
“Wherever a god or Primal is entombed, or where their blood spills, you will see a blood tree. It serves as either a memorial or a warning,” he explained. “Either way, it is not land one should ever disturb.”
“Good to know,” I murmured. “But I didn’t disturb the land.”
“But you did,” he stated, his eyes flaring bright once more. “You bled.”
At first, I didn’t understand, having forgotten the scratches. I glanced down at my arm. “Barely.”
“That doesn’t matter. A single drop would’ve roused those who are not so deeply entombed. They are drawn to anything alive, and you, liessa, are very much alive. If I hadn’t come when I did, they would’ve devoured you whole.”
Devoured me…whole? I shuddered, thinking it was probably a good idea I hadn’t mentioned the Hunters. “I was fighting them off—”
“Barely,” he cut me off. “They would’ve overpowered you. And all of this—” He sliced his hand through the air. “All that has been done to keep you safe would have been for nothing.”
I sucked in a heady breath. “Need I remind you that I never asked for you to do anything to keep me safe?”
“There is no need to remind me of such, but dealing with you does remind me of that saying.”
“I can’t wait to hear this,” I muttered, sheathing my dagger.
“The road to hell is paved with good intentions,” he said. “Perhaps you’ve heard that?”
“Sounds like something you’d have embroidered on a pillow.” The look he shot me said he was unimpressed.
“What are you even doing out here?” I demanded. “I thought you were
busy with an unexpected arrival.”
“I am very busy with that guest. And yet, here I am, saving you,” he replied. “Again.”
I wasn’t sure which part of that statement irked me the most. The part where he referred to Veses as a guest, or the fact that he had saved me. Again. “I really, really want to stab you again.”
One side of his lips curled up. “Part of me would really like to see you try. However, I am busy keeping said guest distracted—”
“Distracted?” I laughed as my heart twisted and dropped at the same time. “How are you keeping your guest distracted in your office? With stimulating conversation and your ample charm?”
His smile turned as cold as his fury. “As I’m sure you remember, my charm is very ample.”
My cheeks heated. “I’ve been trying to forget your overinflated charm.”
“Was it not you who just referred to it as ample?” His eyes flashed a deep quicksilver.
The heat of anger and something far more potent scalded the back of my neck. “I was being facetious.”
“Sure, you were.” “I was—”
“I don’t have time for this.” He looked over his shoulder, yelling, “Saion!”
The god appeared between the red-leafed trees, lips pursed and eyes wide. “Yes?” He drew out the word.
Oh my gods, had he been lurking there the whole time? And when did he return?
“Can you make sure she returns to the palace yards as quickly as possible without getting herself into any more trouble between here and there? And when you are done, please find Rhahar. We will need to check the tombs,” Ash said, shooting me a long look of warning. “I would be greatly appreciative.”
“Sounds like a simple enough task,” the god replied.
Ash snorted. “It sounds that way, but I can assure you that it will not be.”
Offended, I stepped forward. “If the woods are so dangerous, why is there no gate or wall to seal them off?”
The Primal looked over his shoulder. “Because most are intelligent enough not to enter the Red Woods once warned.” His eyes narrowed. “The keyword being most.”
“That was rude,” I muttered.
“And what you did was foolish. So, here we are.” Ash turned away and started walking before I could respond. He passed Saion, saying, “Good luck.”
My mouth dropped open.
Saion’s brows rose as he looked back at me. Neither of us moved until Ash had disappeared amid the trees. “Well…this is somewhat awkward.”
I folded my arms over my chest.
“I really hope you don’t make this difficult,” he added. “I’ve had a rather long day as it is.”
I felt a small, incredibly childish urge to run off and make his day much, much longer than it already was. But I had no desire to be on the grounds
where gods were entombed. So, I stomped forward like the adult I was.
The god arched a brow, grinning. “Thank you.”
I said nothing as I passed him. He easily fell into step beside me. He was silent for only a few blessed seconds. “How did you end up bleeding?”
“Not sure,” I lied. “Must’ve cut it on the bark. Did you find the missing woman?” I asked, changing the subject.
“No. We didn’t.”
“Do you think something—whoa.” A wave of dizziness swept through me.
Saion stopped. “Are you all right?”
“Yeah, I…” A fiery pain exploded inside me, knocking me backward. I stumbled as the searing burn traveled up my arm and across my chest, stunning in its intensity and suddenness. In a daze, I looked to my right and down, expecting to see an arrow jutting out from me, but I saw nothing but the three scratches down my forearm—and the thin, black lines radiating from the marks and spreading across my skin.
“Shit,” Saion exploded as I bumped into the tree. He gripped my hand, and I barely felt the strange jolt of energy from his touch. “What caused this mark? And don’t you dare say it was a tree. A tree would not do that.”
I tried to swallow, but my throat felt weirdly tight. “I…there were Hunters in the woods. Gyrms. One of them…” A strange, floral taste gathered in the back of my mouth. Tingles swept down my arms, my legs. “I…I don’t feel right.”
“Did one of them scratch you?” The eather behind his pupils pulsed. “Sera, were you scratched?” He lowered his head to my arm and sniffed at the wound.
“Why are…are you smelling me?” My legs went out from underneath me. Light burst behind my eyes as I heard Saion snarl, “Fuck.”
And then I fell into nothing.
