Page 19 of The Night Prince 6

If he was really hurt maybe she should take his horse and ride back to Tyrael. But, even if she thought it was a good idea to leave him here unconscious, she’d never ridden a horse on her own! Especially not one as big as his steed, which was standing at the other side of the glade, ears and tail twitching nervously. Its eyes rolled. It was frightened, too.

Creak. Creak. Creak. Her heart was in her throat as she snapped around towards the sounds.

Nothing.

But the shadows between the trees were larger now. Either the Sun had sunk low enough that its golden rays weren’t reaching the ground any longer or something was there that absorbed all light. Her throat felt so tight!

“Lord Darcassan,” she whined low in her throat, “you really need to wake up! Please wake up!”

Lysanthir, the sword whispered.

She looked over at it. “That wasn’t very nice! You–you hurt him!”

She was certain that was true. It had taken his magic. Maybe some of his life, too. It had let him drain himself just to prove to him that it wasn’t his. But now it had left them both exposed to whatever walked these woods.

Lysanthir, the sword repeated. Unrepentant.

“We’re in trouble,” she whispered. “And he’s the only one who can wield magic here!”

The sword didn’t respond to that. Gemma read into that silence that the sword wasn’t terribly impressed with Darcassan’s abilities whatsoever.

Creak.

Creak.

CRACK!

She jumped to her feet and slowly spun in a circle. What she saw did not cause her anxiety to bleed away this time. In fact, it grew. The darkness was now thick as molasses between the trees. It was not natural. Of that, she was certain. In fact, the trees seemed to have moved towards them, threading their roots together.

That’s not possible! That’s not possible!

But even as she repeated that mantra in her head, she knew it was a lie. Everything was possible in this brave new world that contained unicorns and whatever this darkness between the trees was.

“Lord Darcassan?! Lord Darcassan?! You’ve got to wake up! You’ve got to WAKE UP!” She frantically shook him.

He groaned. His eyelids fluttered open for a moment and her heart lifted. Was he coming to? He was coming to! Surely, he was.

His eyelids fell shut again.

NO!

“Lord Darcassan, please!” she begged, her voice breaking. “Please!”

CREAK!

CREAK!

CRACK!

There was a wild whinny. The horse! Her head shot towards the beautiful animal. It was rising up on its back hooves, front hooves pawing the air as if to protect itself from the darkness in the woods. Its eyes were rolling back. White froth fell from its lips and its nostrils were flared in terror.

And then she saw what was coming.

What was here.

Leshen!

She’d only ever heard of them. Sentient trees that were nothing like the nice sentient trees in Tolkien. No, these were spirits that hated human, elf and dwarf alike. Anyone who burned wood, who chopped down trees, or who even plucked a ripe apple from a branch was its enemy.