Total pages in book: 125
Estimated words: 120974 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 605(@200wpm)___ 484(@250wpm)___ 403(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 120974 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 605(@200wpm)___ 484(@250wpm)___ 403(@300wpm)
Oh fuck, as Valen would say. I did do that. But speaking of Valen, where is he? He could threaten this tree-thing with his fire and make it leave me alone if he was here.
“Valen!” I shout as loudly as I can, but the forest seems to muffle my voice—it’s like screaming into a blanket. Still, I try again. “Valen! Help me! Valen!”
The crack that serves the tree-creature as a mouth turns down at the corners.
“Calling for help will do you no good. Your companion has not broken the laws of the forest—you have.”
“But…but I didn’t know I was breaking any laws!” I plead with it. “Please, just tell me what I have to pay and I’ll pay it!”
“You must pay in blood and pain!” the tree creature declares, and the knothole eyes are suddenly menacing. “Blood and pain, girl—no other payment will do.”
As it speaks, the green vine around my left wrist sprouts long, curving thorns. It tightens and they dig into my flesh, drawing crimson rivulets of blood that run down my arm and patter on the dry leaves of the forest floor.
I shout at the sudden, piercing pain and yank at my arm. But now more vines are growing. They invade my shift and wind around my breasts—a sharp thorn pierces my nipple and my cry of pain becomes a shriek of agony.
“Come now, missy—don’t be upset,” the tree-thing says. “Everyone who comes to Thornmere has to pay one way or another.”
The crack-mouth opens wide revealing a horror—long, jagged splinters of wood which must be the thing’s teeth. Some are longer than my arm and they gnash together hungrily as the thorny vines around my left arm drag me towards it.
It’s going to eat me—oh my Goddess, it’s going to eat me! yammers a panicked voice in my head.
Suddenly, I remember something—only that morning, when he was packing our meager possessions into the burlap sack he stole from the smokehouse, Valen handed me the knife with a broken point.
“Here,” he said gruffly. “For self-defense—in case things get hairy in there.” And he’d nodded at the forest.
I had taken the knife without comment and slipped it carefully into the pocket of my shift. It’s still there now—if it hasn’t fallen out—and thank goodness, it’s on the right-hand side, since it’s my left arm that’s encircled with vines.
I reach into my pocket and find the smooth wooden handle. I pull out the knife and begin sawing at the vine wound around my wrist. The green outer layer parts at once and sap that looks like bright red blood begins to drip sluggishly to the forest floor.
The tree creature roars in pain, its mouth growing terrifyingly huge as the jagged splinter teeth gnash together.
“You little whore!” it snarls at me. “You’ll pay for that—YOU’LL PAY!”
I pay it no attention but keep sawing—I’m desperate! If I don’t get away, it’s going to eat me alive!
The first vine parts and my wrist is suddenly free. I start to saw at the vines around my breasts, but they are already slithering away. I feel their thorns dragging through my flesh as they go and I wonder how badly scarred I’ll be when this is over.
But in order to have scars, I have to live. And that’s my main intention. I stumble backwards as the vines leave me, but the tree-creature isn’t done. It reaches for me with one of its long branches, no doubt meaning to scoop me into its maw.
I duck and turn, running as fast as I can—as fast as the forest will let me. I have to dodge and squeeze my way through the massive trunks. My heart pounds and dry leaves crackle under my feet. Stray branches whip my face, nearly blinding me and leaving cuts and welts on my cheeks. They tangle in my hair and tear at me, but I won’t let them stop me.
I have no idea where I’m going—if I’m running towards the path or away from it. I only know I have to get away from the tree-thing—far, far away so it can never find me.
But in the back of my panicking mind I realize something—if I’m not careful I’m going to be lost in Thornmere forever.
33
VALEN
It takes me some time to realize she’s not behind me anymore. I’ve been busy, trying to look ahead and use my Drake’s senses to see if we’re any closer to the Sorceress and her lair. I don’t like the idea of being stuck here after dark. I should have Shifted before we entered the forest and done a fly-over to see how deep it is and how far it goes. Supposedly the Sorceress is at the very center of the forest—I just wish I knew how far away that was.
But my thoughts give way when I hear someone calling my name.