“What the hell are you doing here?” I set my glass of wine down so hard it sloshes all over the porch railing.
“You know why I’m here,” Ruby says, stopping at the edge of my warding. “Don’t make this any harder than it has to be.”
“Make what harder than it has to be?” I jump down the porch steps. “Acting like a decent human being? Not stalking me? Now that would be hard for you.”
Ruby holds out her hand, reading the spells I’ve used to cast a circle of protection around my house. “Don’t play dumb with me, Callie Martin.”
“It’s King now, and the only dumb thing around here is you, thinking you can just walk right through my wardings.” I put a hand on my hip and stare down Ruby. She’s dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, with her Academy-assigned robe over top. “And if you did somehow make it past the wardings, then you’re really stupid for thinking you could make it past my familiars.”
“Cut the bullshit,” Ruby spits out. “I’m here out of respect. Albeit said respect is just about out. So it’s more out of respect for the coven than for you.”
“What?” I curl my fingers in, nails pressing against my skin. I turn, looking at Kristy out of the corner of my eye. She shakes her head, not having the slightest clue what Ruby is talking about.
“You know what. And really, Callie, I expected more from you. First the trick with the book, and now this?”
“You’re not making any sense.” I go down the porch steps. “And I didn’t do anything with the book.” It’s true. I didn’t do a damn thing to it. The book won’t absorb my blood because I’m not a full witch.
“You know what doesn’t make sense? Why you’d let your vampire husband leave the bodies out to so easily be found. Unless you were trying to send a message.”
The blood drains from my face. Bodies? “What are you talking about?”
“Like I said,” Ruby goes on, holding out her hand. Magic sparks around her fingers, burning red in the night. “Stop playing dumb.”
“I’m not.” I move a few paces closer. “What bodies?”
Ruby arches an eyebrow. “Do I really have to repeat myself? Cut the bullshit. Three bodies were found, drained of blood.” She puts her hand on her hip. “You get removed from the coven and then what? Your little vampire husband goes on a murder spree?”
“There’s nothing little about Lucas,” I shoot back. “And he didn’t kill anyone.”
Not recently at least.
I turn, brows furrowed, and look at Kristy again. She shakes her head, letting me know she hasn’t heard anything about bodies being found.
“I am not in the mood for this, Ruby,” I go on, heart lurching when I see the fear in Abby’s eyes. “I don’t know what kind of game you’re playing, but you’re pissing me the fuck off.”
Ruby holds up her hands. “Ohh, I’m so scared.” She rolls her eyes. “Please. I knew you’d deny it, and I know the Grand Coven won’t go after you as they would have when you were a member of the coven. But I’m not stupid, Callie,” she says pointedly. “Bodies show up, drained of blood and torn up just enough to make it look like an animal attack, but I know better. That’s a classic vampire coverup, and I have to say part of me is disappointed your vamp husband couldn’t do a better job.”
“Ruby,” I start again and hold up my hand, creating a door for her to walk through. I’m pissed as hell at her for showing up unannounced, but Lucas didn’t kill anyone. If bodies really were found—drained of blood and torn up as if a wild animal was responsible for the killing—then we might have bigger problems than vampires in Thorne Hill.
Again.
“Lucas didn’t kill anyone. And until I know what the hell you are talking about, I can’t even level with you.”
I part the magic, and Ruby skeptically looks at the temporary door and then trains her eyes back to me. Pushing her shoulders back, she steps through the warding. I bring my hands together, sealing the circle again.
Wooden boards creak behind me, and Kristy comes down the porch steps, standing at my side. “I haven’t heard anything about bodies being found. People go disappearing often enough around here, but bodies drained of blood is still a big freaking deal,” she says.
“We were able to interfere before the nons got wind of it,” Ruby quickly explains, gaze darting from me to Kristy. She seems genuinely surprised neither of us know about this. “Joggers found the first body this morning in the state park.”
If she’s talking about the state park I’m thinking of, then it’s between Thorne Hill and Lake Michigan. Demons have flocked to the area before, finding it the perfect hiding spot, far enough from the Ley line not to draw unwanted attention, but close enough to suck up power from it.
“When the council went to investigate, we found two more bodies, and the deaths were ruled vampiric. So make it easy, Callie, and hand over your vampire or I’ll call the VC with an anonymous tip about a vampire draining humans…who also happens to be married to a witch.”
“It wasn’t Lucas,” I say through gritted teeth and magic crackles around my hands.
“How can you be sure?”
“First of all, I think I’d know if my husband left me in the night to go on a murder spree. And second—no, you don’t get a second. It wasn’t Lucas. We were together all night.”
“So he hasn’t left the house? He’s still in there?” She looks past me at the backdoor. It’s not quite dark enough yet to think he could near the windows.
“You need to leave,” I say through gritted teeth, and the lights on the back of the house start to buzz. Scarlet pushes her way outside, standing by my feet. She lets out a growl, and I wish I could take her collar off and watch Ruby run away in fear. “It’s one thing to come here and talk shit about me, but another to come to my house and accuse my husband of murder.”
“Bodies were found,” she repeats. “Drained of blood. Kinda sounds like a vampire, doesn’t it?”
“A lot of demons drink blood,” I counter and hear Abby gasp. “I’d think you of all people would know that, right? You do teach at the Academy. Maybe I should tell Evander I don’t think you’re quite up for the job.”
“Please,” Ruby huffs. “Like anyone is going to take you seriously ever again. You left the coven—your family—for a vampire. You’re a disgrace to witches everywhere.”
“Shut your mouth,” I say and hold up my hand, bright blue energy swirling around my fingers.
“I have.” Ruby inches forward. “And now I’m paying for it. I looked the other way when you went all savage on the doctor, yanking his molars out one by one.” Her eyes narrow, and she conjures a small string of dark blue magic. “I figured that asshole deserved it after what he did to you, but I should have seen the writing on the wall. And then there was that time I defended you to the council. I really do think you did what you thought was right by allowing that vampire to come with you to the door. But this…this isn’t something I can sit back and shut up about. Protecting the coven has been, and always will be, my highest priority.”
“Then go protect the coven,” I retort. “You’re wasting your time here.”
“Really? Because from where I’m standing, it looks like you’re defending a killer.”
“Guys,” Kristy says, holding up her hands.
“You are so obsessed with me,” I say with a laugh. “You’ll do anything to bring me down, no matter how fucking stupid it is.”
“Not obsessed,” Ruby sneers. “But I know the truth. I’ve always known the truth. There’s no way a witch brought in already past her tenth birthday could have known the things you did. There’s something wrong with you, Callie, and I’m going to find out what it is. Maybe Ruth was right all along and you are in communication with Satan.”
Hah. If only she knew.
“You don’t know when to leave well enough alone,” I shoot back, conjuring an energy ball. Binx shadows forward, followed by Freya and Pandora. But they go right past Ruby, going to the edge of the warding.
“Make this easy, Callie,” Ruby goes on. “Turn the vampire over and we won’t make a show of it. I’ll ensure his death will be as painless as possible.”
“Guys!” Kristy repeats, and I flick my eyes to her, noticing the panic. “There’s somethi—”
She cuts off when something crashes hard into the warding. We all jump, and Ruby whirls around. Magic crackles along the lines I’ve drawn, lighting up the yard and acting like a physical barrier. Whatever ran into the warding is on the ground, and suddenly the foul smell of sulfur pours from the woods.
“What the hell is that?” Kristy stammers.
I inhale, breathing in the scent of decay mixed in with the sulfur. Looking away from Kristy, I stare down Ruby. “Please tell me you invited some friends.”
She slowly shakes her head and narrows her eyes, looking out at the woods. “Me? No way. You summoned something, didn’t you, in an attempt to distract me?”
The creature on the ground gets up, and the magic settles back into place, offering a clear view through the lines which are invisible once again. The creature tips its head to the sky, letting out a harrowing roar. My heart skips a beat, and nerves prickle down my spine. My familiars hold the line, ready to attack if the thing somehow makes it past my protective spells.
“I promise I didn’t summon anything, and there’s nothing to distract you from. Like I said, Lucas didn’t kill anyone.”
“He’s not looking that innocent, as far as I’m concerned.”
“Guys!” Kristy repeats. “You can argue about that later. I think we have a bigger issue right now.” She turns her head from me and Ruby to that thing. “What is that?” She grabs my hand when it pushes against the protective lies again.
I shake my head. “I…I don’t know.” The creature lurches forward, moving with unnatural speed. At first glance, it looks like a person, with decaying skin and thick, brown blood oozing out of open sores all over its body. But instead of skin, the thing is made up of tree roots and twisted vines of ivy. Sap drips down its torso, and dark red eyes glow from deep within its skull.
“The bodies,” I say, eyes going wide. “Did they happen to be by a big tree?” I blink and see the large oak tree the demon tied me to, using tree roots, months ago. “Like propped or pinned up?”
The creature rushes at the warding again, hitting it hard. Magic crackles along the lines again, lighting up the forest behind it.
“Yes,” Ruby rushes out. “They were. That’s how we know it wasn’t actually animal attacks.”
“It definitely wasn’t an animal.” My breath leaves in a huff.
“How strong are your wardings?” Ruby asks, spreading her hands out, giving more power to the string of magic she’s holding. It glows bright blue and forms into a ball.
“Strong,” I tell her. “But I’m not going to hide behind lines of protection.” I conjure an energy ball.
“Callie, wait.” Kristy pulls my hand back. “We have no idea what that is or how to kill it.”
“Decapitation is always a tried and true method.” I give more power to the energy ball. “So is fire. I can handle this asshole.”
“What about that asshole’s friends?” Ruby says as several more root-monsters step from the forest.
“Oh my god,” Abby mumbles, slowly moving to the porch railing. The creatures all rush forward together, hitting the warding hard. Abby screams, and her wine glass falls to the ground, shattering to pieces.
“Get in the house,” I tell her, whirling around. “Binx will go with you and will keep you safe.” He shadows over, circling around me in protest. He doesn’t want to leave me out here with these…these things…whatever the fuck they are. “She needs you more,” I tell him. “She can’t protect herself like I can.”
Binx growls, not happy about leaving me, but shadows up the stairs.
“Go in the dining room,” I go on. “There’s a China cabinet next to the table. Get the white candles and light them. It will cast a protective circle around you.”
Abby nods and staggers forward, unable to tear her eyes away from the creatures lurking in the backyard.
“Protect my sister and her family,” I tell Binx. “If anything gets through…tear them to pieces.”
Abby pauses in the doorway and turns back to me. “What about you guys?”
“We’ll be right in. Don’t worry about us. Light the candles and you’ll be fine.”
Abby’s eyes meet mine, and then she slips into the house.
“White candles aren’t going to help,” Ruby tells me, slowly looking away from the creatures.
“I know, but it will make her feel better.” Freya and Pandora shadow along the line, ready to attack. “And it will distract her while I kill these fuckers.” The energy ball grows brighter, and I narrow my eyes, focusing on the three creatures, heart racing.
Suddenly, the one pounding against the warding crouches down, plunging its hands into the earth. The ground trembles and swallows the creature whole.
I let out a breath, looking around the perimeter of the circle. Where did it go? The whole forest is quiet for a moment as if it’s holding its breath.
And then roots sprout out of the ground right in front of us, wrapping around Kristy’s ankle. She screams and jerks her foot up, but the roots tighten and yank her down.
“Kristy!” I shout and let the energy ball in my hand go. It hits the roots, and the magic sizzles along the surface. I grab Kristy’s hand and pull her back. Freya and Pandora shadow over, circling around us. Scarlet bounds over, barking and growling.
Blue embers from my energy ball dissolve into the root, and the entire thing glows for a brief second. Scarlet, in all her fluffy puppy glory, lunges forward and sinks her teeth into the root, making it release its hold on Kristy’s ankle.
I pull her back, and Ruby hits the root with the energy ball in her hand, and the same thing happens. The roots glow for a brief second, not reacting at all from being hit.
The roots erupt from the ground, twisting and tangling back into the shape of a body that towers above us. Dark eyes glow like red-hot coals in the night, and it gnashes its sharp teeth at us.
Holy. Fucking. Shit.
Scarlet is going crazy, snarling with fury. I pull Kristy to her feet and conjure another energy ball. The thing tunneled under my warding. If it did, then the others won’t be far behind.
“Callie!” Kristy yells, pushing me out of the way just in time. Another root-monster bursts from the ground, vines rising and twisting into the shape of a person, just like the other.
I throw the energy ball at the closest one, hitting it right in the chest. The magic sizzles along the surface, and little veins in the roots glow bright blue as the magic is absorbed.
Oh shit.
I’ve seen this before.
“We can’t fight them with magic,” Ruby rushes out.
“What do we do?”
I throw out my hand, telekinetically throwing the creature away from us. It flies back, rolling and getting right back to its feet. I throw out my hand again, holding it at bay while I try to think of something—anything.
Freya and Pandora go after the other creature, knocking it to the ground. They each grab an arm and pull, snapping the arms right off.
And two grow back in seconds.
Scarlet jumps at the creature I’m holding, sinking her little puppy fangs into its leg. The thing shakes her off. In her current form, she can’t do much damage. But if I took her collar off…
“We need to get into the house,” Ruby says and sends a blast of energy at the creature my familiars attacked. It staggers back, and Freya goes for it again, snapping its legs off as Pandora clamps her teeth down on the thing’s neck. “Seal it and think of a plan.”
“Can they burst through the floor?” Kristy asks, eyes wide with fear.
“There’s only one way to find out.” Ruby takes a quick step back. “Go, now!” She throws out her hands, putting up a shield to give Kristy a head start. Kristy turns and sprints up the porch steps, stopping at the doorway.
“Guys,” I call to my familiars. “Inside, now!” I look at Scarlet, who’s going back to attack the creature again, and a vision suddenly flashes through my mind. It’s a millisecond of an image played out before me, but I know what we have to do.
“There’s a way to kill them,” I say and watch as another root-monster springs from the ground, slipping beneath my warding.
“How?”
“Trees can be cut down.” Two root-monsters come at me at the same time. I raise my leg, kicking one in the chest and telekinetically throw the other back. Freya and Pandora shadow over, pulling it apart. It’ll regrow its limbs, but it buys us some time.
You’ve got hellfire inside you, kid.
“And forests can burn.”
“Cut them with what?” Ruby shoves another wall of energy at one of the creatures. Another pops up, just feet from her, and springs forward, red eyes glowing and mouth wide open. It extends its arm and, with vines twisting from its hands in place of fingers, grabs a handful of Ruby’s braids, yanking her back.
I drop to the ground, throwing out my leg and spinning, knocking one of the creatures off its feet. It falls backwards into another creature, and I send a pulse of energy across the yard, knocking the creature that has a hold of Ruby back.
It tumbles back, taking Ruby with it. Shit.
They both fall, with Ruby landing hard on her back. The creature rolls over, hissing and snarling as it tries to bite her.
“Ruby!” I yell and throw my hand out again, trying to send the creature flying. But another sprouts from the ground right in front of me, and the force of the energy blast snaps its head back, hanging at an unnatural angle.
Freya and Pandora shadow over to me, tearing another apart. I push myself up and sprint forward, magic sizzling around my fingers. I grab the root-monster’s shoulders and try to yank it off Ruby. The thing is strong—too strong for me. It reaches back, smacking me hard in the face. I stagger back, nose stinging with pain. I blink, stars dotting my vision, feeling as if my nose is broken. Fighting through the nauseating pain, I jump forward again.
“Get off her!” I yell, and a bit of blood drips from my nose. It lands on the creature’s arm and sizzles, burning a tiny hole in the roots. Startled, the creature looks at its arm, releasing Ruby. She scrambles back, eyes wide, and throws out her hands, knocking the thing off its feet.
“What did you do?”
“I…I don’t know,” I say and bring my hand up, wiping my bloody nose. I bring my hand back and look at my blood.
Holy shit.
These things are demonic.
I’m half angel.
You’ve got hellfire in you kid…and something else.
Witchcraft can’t kill them, but I have more than just witchcraft in my blood.
“Whatever you did, do it again,” Ruby says, stepping next to me. My familiars shadow by, knocking another creature to the ground and tearing it apart, limb from limb. We need you, I call to Binx, and he’s here in an instant, knocking down and tearing apart as many root-monsters as he can.
But as soon as they go down, they come right back up.
“Fuck,” I mutter, turning and looking at all the root-monsters. My familiars pulverize them again, knocking them down like bowling pins. Evil bowling pins that want to rip our flesh from our bodies.
Ruby backs up to me, holding her hands out in front of her. “Protegam eum,” she says, throwing up a shield. Energy waves around us, but it’s not enough. One of the creatures reaches through, swiping a thorny hand in my face. “Protegam eum!” she tries again, but it’s not enough.
I grab her hand, turning to look her in the eye. She nods ever so slightly and gives my hand a squeeze.
“Protegam eum,” we chant together, right as my familiars do another sweep through the root-monsters. The shield goes up, putting up a physical barrier that will hold for the time being.
“Now what?” Ruby asks, not letting go of my hand. We take a step back, moving toward the porch. The root-monsters push against the shield, and I grit my teeth, squeezing Ruby’s hand as we keep the magic going in front of us.
“I have one more plan.” We move back another foot, and I look at Scarlet. “But you have to promise you won’t freak out.”
“We’re surrounded by killer trees. It’s a little late for not freaking out.”
“Right. But just…just promise.”
“Fine, I promise. If you have a plan, then do it now! I…we…we can’t hold them back for much longer!”
“Scarlet,” I call, and the puppy bounds over, tail wagging. I turn back to Ruby. “Hold the shield.”
Before she can ask why, I drop down and reach for Scarlet’s collar. The second my fingers touch the buckle, the letters of her name, etched into the leather, glow for a brief second before fading. I hesitate right before I let the collar fall to the ground.
There’ll be no going back after this. Ruby will know I have a hellhound, and she sure as shit won’t let it go. She’ll threaten to turn me in, and it’ll all come out that Tabatha and Evander have known about Scarlet from the start.
And she’ll demand to know how I got Scarlet in the first place.
But when a dozen more root-monsters sprout from the ground, surrounding us and pressing harder against our shield, I know I don’t have a choice.
These things will push in until they close in on us. They’ll rip us to pieces, and then will go after my sister. And I’m not putting Abby, Penny, or Phil at risk.
I take off her collar, and the air vibrates as the glamour is lifted, revealing my cute little puppy as the terrifying hellhound she actually is.
Looking like a mix between a pony-sized Great Dane and a bull Mastiff with glowing, demonic eyes, Scarlet pulls her lips back, baring her fangs.
“Sic ‘em, girl,” I say and stand up, heart in my throat.
Ruby’s hands fall to her side in shock, and the root-monsters use her distraction to their advantage. One dives in, vines stretching and twisting around Ruby’s throat. Another shoves me to the ground, and I fall, hitting my head against the hard-packed dirt at the base of my porch steps. The wind is knocked out of me, and Binx is by my side in under a second, shadowing me back a few feet to keep the root-monster from plunging its thorn-covered fist into my chest.
“Thanks,” I pant and scramble up just in time to see Scarlet make a running leap for the root-monster that has a hold of Ruby. She knocks her off, and I run over, helping Ruby to her feet. “I’ll explain later,” I rush out. “If we make it out of this alive.”
My familiars and Scarlet plow through the army of root-monsters, but it doesn’t matter how much they tear them apart. The roots twist and grow back, taking on human forms. Ruby and I stand side by side, holding our hands up, desperately trying to come up with a plan.
“Callie!” Kristy calls, stepping onto the porch. I turn and see her holding a sword and a machete from my weapons chest. “You said they can be cut down.”
“You’re a genius,” I say, telekinetically shoving another root-monster away. The same vision flashes through my mind as Kristy slides the sword across the porch.
A woman in a long gray gown holds a shining silver sword in one hand, holding it up to the sky. She extends her other arm and brings the blade to her flesh, slowly tearing open her skin. The vision fades, but not before I see the outline of wings.
Ruby jumps back, taking the machete. She takes a breath and sets her face, ready to attack.
“Wait,” I say and grab the hilt of the sword. This thing is heavy, and I don’t have the superhuman strength of the angels. I rest the tip against the last porch step, twisting around to see my familiars and Scarlet knock the root-monsters down again.
Then I put my arm to the blade, close my eyes, and cut myself.
“Callie!” Kristy gasps. Ruby turns, mouth opening in question.
“Trust me,” I rush, turning the sword so the flat side of the blade is against my skin. Flinching from the pain, I drag the sword up, smearing my blood down the blade. Then I grab it and hold it up, feeling power surging inside me.
“Sky above me, earth below me, fire within me,” I say. “Purge the wickedness.” A bright blue light shines from within me, illuminating my blood on the sword. Going on pure adrenaline, I spring forward and take a swing at the closest root-monster. The blade slices into its torso like butter, but I didn’t swing hard enough to cut all the way through.
No. This was supposed to work. I saw it working and now—holy shit.
Fire starts to sizzle inside the root monster, and I pull the blade back, watching smoke pour from the wound. The thing lets out a screech as it falls, collapsing into a pile of ash.
I step back, eyes wide, looking at the smoldering remains of the root-monster. My wonderment is cut short when another rushes at me, popping up from the ground just inches away from my face. I swing the sword up, cutting it right between the legs.
Still lacking the strength to actually cut the thing in half, my blade gets stuck halfway up, where the naval would be if this thing were a person. And again, fire sparks from around the blade. Only a few seconds later, there’s nothing but smoldering ash in front of me.
“Ruby!” I yell, shaking myself. I run forward, grabbing the sword with two hands. Freya and Pandora knock another to the ground, pinning it down for me to stab right in the center of its chest. I wait until the blade starts to spark before yanking it back. I jump over the root-monster right as fire ripples through its body, reducing it to nothing but a charred pile of twigs.
“You…you need my blood,” I pant, holding up my arm. The blood is still dripping, and now that I’m looking at the wound, the pain is starting to register. Ruby’s lips part in shock, but she brings the machete to my skin and drags it across.
I throw out my hand, resting my palm on the blade. “Sky above me, earth below me, fire within me. Purge the wickedness.” The same blue light glows deep inside me, and I stagger back, feeling a little weak. Ruby stares at me, wide-eyed, until a root-monster takes a swing at her.
She counters, bringing the machete up. It slices its vine-covered arm right off, and fire sizzles up, burning the thing to the ground. Another takes its place, and Ruby swings the machete again, blade sinking into the head of another. The blade glows for a millisecond, and then the creature burns from the inside out, with the fire starting where the machete sank in.
I don’t have time to think. The sun is sinking lower in the sky, and the smell of sulfur is getting stronger. Gritting my teeth, I wrap my fingers around the grip of my sword and bring my arms up, slashing my way through a line of root-monsters.
They spark and fall, embers and ash filling the air. Ignoring the pain in my arm, I turn, slicing through another Binx knocked down for me.
“Callie!” Ruby yells and runs toward the house. Two creatures are trying to get into the house. Kristy stands in the doorway, holding her hands up as she recites a protective spell, barring the creatures from entering. They’re too strong. They’re going to break through.
“Scarlet,” I call. “Protect the house!”
The hellhound bounds over, tearing through the root-monsters, and grabs one from the porch, shaking it in her strong jaws as she tears it apart. Ruby jumps up the steps and brings her machete down on the other. I’m there only seconds later, turning, ready to defend my house.
“We need to take cover,” Ruby pants. “We’re outnumbered.”
My chest rises and falls, and nerves tingle along my spine. We are outnumbered. There has to be at least fifty root-monsters, and even with weapons that can actually kill these things, I don’t see how we can cut them down fast enough. More keep coming.
“No,” I say and swing at another. “I’m not running.” I turn, flicking my eyes to Ruby’s. I expect her to throw down the machete and go inside, either running away through the front door or trying to seal the house with magic.
But she nods. “You take the left and I’ll take the right.”
“I’ll have my familiars attack from behind.”
Ruby swallows hard. “Okay. Ready?”
“As I’ll ever be.” We jump off the porch, going after the closest root-monsters. I cut down two more, turning my head as they fall so I don’t breathe in smoke. Scarlet lunges forward, large paws hitting another creature in the chest. She knocks it to the ground, and I swing at another right behind it.
The root-monsters slowly go down, one by one. I look up, and my heart lurches. We’ve barely put a dent in the army. Blood trickles down my arm, and I feel my muscles failing as I bring the heavy blade up again, taking a swing at another root-monster.
This time, it counters, holding up an arm, which looks like a gnarled tree branch. The sword clashes against it and then clatters out of my hands.
I can’t reach down and get the sword without leaving myself in the open for an attack. I muster every ounce of energy I can and push it forward, shoving five root-monsters back at once. They crash together and fall to the ground. Instead of getting right back up, though, this time, two merge together, twisting and changing shape from human to a giant spider.
Holy fucking shit.
My breath hitches, and pain radiates through my arm. I’m bleeding a lot more than I thought I would, and I’m starting to feel it. Binx, able to sense what I’m feeling, shadows over and knocks the spider off its eight legs. The creature hisses and springs back up. Sharp thorns suddenly pop up along its legs, and it rounds on me, large mouth opening to reveal yellowed fangs.
I jump back and step on the sword. I go down hard, and the spider crouches, ready to pounce. Another root-monster runs at me with inhuman speed, mouth open and screeching. Binx shadows around me and goes for that one, knocking it down and pulling its legs off.
Looking up, I try to find Ruby, but she’s lost in the sea of monsters. I’m not giving up. We have a way to fight these things. But there are so fucking many.
Gritting my teeth, I push forward and go to grab the sword. Right as my fingers wrap around the hilt, the spider attacks, pinning me to the ground with two legs.
“Scarlet!” I try to yell, but the spider brings another leg to my face, and vines wrap around my neck, squeezing tight and making it so I can’t breathe. I bring my hand up, trying to zap the thing with magic in a desperate attempt to get it off me.
But nothing works.
Gasping, I claw at the vines around my neck. I can’t breathe, and it’ll only be a few more seconds before I’ll pass out…and then die. My fingers hook under one of the vines and I pull, but I’m losing strength fast.
I need air.
My mouth opens again, and I try to call out for someone—anyone—to help me. And then I see Binx, fighting off three root-demons at once. He tears one apart just to have it regrow and go after him again.
My vision starts to black out, and the vines tighten even more around my throat, giving me one last squeeze before everything goes black.