Page 83 of Whispers of Ruin
Not yet.But he intended to remedy that soon.
CHAPTERSEVENTY-SEVEN
Brokk sheathedhis sword and walked over to the tree with the thin strand of vine stretching into it. Clasping the trunk, his hands barely curled around the edge of the curve, but it was enough for him to get a grip on the massive tree.
He braced his boots against the trunk and used his hands and feet to inch toward the end of the vine. While he worked, movement from below drew his attention as the others wandered into the clearing.
He paused to watch Kaylia tip her head back, hold her arms wide, and smile while closing her eyes. Her joy emanated from her as she basked in the life force surrounding her.
Is there anything as beautiful as her?He didn’t have to think about it; he already knew the answer.
No.
Grinning like an idiot over her joy, he started making his way back up the tree, but Ryker’s words stopped him. “Cut some down for us too. We need it for the ophidians.”
Brokk glanced at where the man stood near the edge of the clearing, gazing at him. “I will,” Brokk assured him.
He didn’t look down again as he scooted further up the tree. He only made it another five feet before a startled shout, followed by screams of agony, erupted from the clearing.
Brokk’s head jerked around, and his fingers bit into the bark. His gaze latched onto Kaylia as she stood, gawking at the jungle with her hands at her sides now. She’d drifted further beneath the trees but remained close to him.
With his sword drawn, Ryker sprinted past her, but before he made it five feet, something erupted from the earth and shot up to ensnare him inside it. Dirt and debris rained down from the silver netting, incasing Ryker as the man’s face twisted in agony, but no sound issued from him.
Already caught in nets, some of the others dangled from the trees. Some of those traps held three of four immortals, while others had only snagged one.
Brokk looked for strings to indicate where the nets were placed or reveal how they dangled from the trees but didn’t see anything. Some kind of magic must have put them in the ground and now hung them from the trees.
Body parts littered the ground beneath some of the nets. Brokk didn’t know what had caused this disfigurement, but blood stained the dirt and rained into the clearing as the maimed immortals moaned.
When anyone trapped inside the netting moved, cries followed, and though the nets swayed in the trees, those inside them didn’t move. Only a handful of immortals remained free; Kaylia was one of them.
Whoever set these traps would soon arrive to claim their reward.
Brokk dropped his feet and eased his grip on the tree. Jagged pieces of bark dug into his flesh as he slid down the fifteen feet he’d ascended and hit the ground.
He gripped the handle of his sword and pulled it free before sprinting toward the clearing and Kaylia. Movement from the corner of his eye drew his attention as ophidians slithered into view.
Brokk’s heart hammered as Allegra edged away from the monsters approaching them. She was the closest one to them, but she could set off another trap if she moved too far. All the ophidians held long silver poles before them like knights charging into a battle.
Torn between running and possibly setting off another trap, one of Ryker’s men stood his ground as he held his sword before him. The first ophidian managed to avoid the man’s lethal swing, but the second lost part of its tail when it swung at the man.
Black blood sprayed over the amsirah and splattered the clearing as the end of the creature’s tail flopped across the ground. When more creatures encircled the man, he took out another one before the ophidian behind him jabbed him with the pole.
The amsirah’s choked shout cut off as his body spasmed and blood poured from his mouth. Brokk suspected the man had bitten off his tongue before collapsing on the ground.
When more ophidians closed in on Allegra, she edged further away and closer to Kaylia. He couldn’t hear what the witches said, but their hands moved as they cast a protective spell.
Before they could complete the spell, one of the ophidians jabbed a metal pole at Allegra, and she jumped backward. When she did, the earth exploded as another net shot into the air, except Allegra wasn’t entirely inside when it snapped shut.
The force of the net’s closing sliced the witch in two. Half of her went into the air, while the other half hit the ground with a thud. She landed only feet away from Kaylia.
Kaylia slapped her hands over her mouth, muffling her scream as blood splattered her and the remaining free amsirah. Brokk willed himself to be beside her.
The familiar sensation of air pushing back against him filtered across his skin until he broke through the barrier. In a single step, he teleported from his location to standing beside Kaylia in the blink of an eye.
He caught her arm when her surprise over his sudden arrival caused her to stagger away from him while the ophidians continued toward them. Moving across this ground wasn’t a good idea considering the traps surrounding them, but neither was remaining there to be trapped by them, and he couldn’t teleport with her.
He only made it three feet before the ground erupted, and dirt, sticks, and stones pelted them as a net broke free and ripped them off their feet. His arms cinched around Kaylia, and pain tore through his body.
