Page 66 of A Tempest of Intrigue (Tempest of Shadows #4)

CHAPTER SIXTY-SIX

Ellery

The breath of the creature exploded against my skin, and it yelped. I had no idea what had happened to it as my dagger was still in hand, and I hadn’t released any lightning.

Something suddenly tore its weight away from me. Rolling, I prepared to unleash lightning on whatever came next, but all I saw was the black dog vanishing into the leafy bowers above as the tree branch through its middle pulled the dog away.

My heart sank at the sight of the intertwined trees overhead. The branches were all wrapped together as if they were holding hands and supporting one another.

The first time I saw these trees, I thought it was magnificent how they strengthened and supported one another. That was before their roots started erupting from the ground and trying to eat me and Ryker.

Then they’d sent treelike creatures from the ground to drag us into their shadowy depths, where I was sure they’d impale and drain us dry like a spider did a fly. They weren’t going to share their meal with the dogs.

Great. Like I need another thing trying to eat me right now.

Rolling back over, I ignored the agony in my battered body as I shoved myself to my feet and raced toward Mouse. More roots had risen from the earth, and now that I knew what they were, I could see the gaping places where holes and mouths should be on these monstrosities.

Their roots snaked through the air, moving past him as they approached me. They wove a tapestry of brown all around him as the dirt falling from the roots bounced off the ground and him.

I re-sheathed my dagger before throwing one hand forward. Lightning whipped through the air to hit the creature closest to him, and behind me, something cracked.

“Lery!” Farley screeched.

I twisted my head in time to discover one of those treelike creatures behind me. It had eye sockets but no eyes and a gaping mouth but no tongue or teeth.

The roots rising from the top of its pointed head weaved like Medusa’s snakes as more slithered from its mouth. They snaked toward me in a rhythmic, eye-catching pattern meant to disorient their prey, but I refused to let it deter me.

I hit it with a bolt of lightning as something smashed against the back of my head. The impact lifted me off my feet and flung me forward.

Stars burst before my eyes. I was sure my skull had shattered and all the broken pieces were digging into my brain; my fingers twitched, and gurgled sounds escaped before I hit the ground.

Unable to move, I lay on my side, trying to regain my vision. Fingers scrambled over my arms, and I blinked away the white light to see Mouse with more roots stretching toward him.

“No!” I gasped, or at least I think that’s what came out; I couldn’t hear anything beyond the ringing in my ears.

Grasping Mouse’s arms, I pulled him down and rolled over to shelter his body with mine. I lifted a hand, but I wasn’t sure if it was lightning at my fingertips or the starbursts from my eyes.

Before I could do anything more, a branch encircled my wrist and jerked it down to pin it to the earth. I had no idea where the black dogs had gone, but I suspected they’d tucked tail and run once trees started rising from the ground.

“LERY!” Farley shouted as more roots rose around us.

Mouse’s fingers entangled in my free hand, and he whimpered beneath me as the trees pulled us further into the dirt. More branches encompassed my wrists and legs, cinching me down.

Lightning fired across my fingers, but it did little good now that they’d buried my hands in the ground. They were going to kill and, most likely, eat us, but I couldn’t get free of the powerful roots.

The ground gave way further until darkness closed over my eyes, and I choked on the dirt filling my nose and mouth. My chest felt like a giant was stepping on it and driving me deeper.

My lungs burned, and my body screamed for oxygen as the earth consumed me.