The spiders followed their progress through the grove, but not one came near them. No net was cast on them to delay them. Just as they emerged from the trees onto the edge of a clearing, birds screamed and dove at them, coming straight at their eyes with razor-sharp beaks and wicked talons. It seemed as though hundreds of raptors flew at them, attempting to drive them back into the trees or claw their eyes out.
Luiz threw up his hands, and the birds slammed into an invisible barrier. Feathers fell like rain. Shrieks filled the air as some fell to the ground, hitting the barrier so hard they broke their necks. He wove a complicated pattern and then indicated for Adalasia to run straight across the clearing to the trees on the other side. She didn’t wait, although it was difficult to force her body to take those first few steps out into the open again.
Overhead, the birds went into a frenzy, but she kept running, her gaze locked on the grayish twisted trunk of a kapok tree. She realized as the raptors scraped at an unseen barrier over her head and all around her that Luiz had created a tunnel. She had no idea how long it would last against the violent beating the birds subjected it to, so she ran with Carpathian blurring speed, cognizant of keeping her heart rate the same and her lungs breathing steadily.
She reached the thick grove of trees, took two steps in and halted, Luiz nearly slamming into her. “There is something here.” She felt the malevolence.
Behind them, the birds continued their shrieking, but they didn’t follow them into the dark forest. They couldn’t skirt around the patch of trees, not with the birds flying and darting back and forth, sentries to keep them captive.
Her skin began to crawl. The hair on her body stood up in protest. For the first time, she used the blood bond between the ancient and herself. It had seemed too intimate when she didn’t know him. Every instinct told her she needed to face this enemy alone. Hide yourself. He cannot know you are with me.
Luiz didn’t question her; he simply vanished. Even knowing he was close and the guardians were crouched there in her mind, she continued in the direction Sandu was pulling her in with great trepidation. Luiz’s physical presence with his immense power had been a protection she hadn’t realized she’d counted so heavily on.
She forced herself to walk at a brisk pace, scanning all around her. The deeper she went into the forest, the more confused she felt, as if her mind were becoming foggy. Things moved in the shadows around her, keeping pace with her. She caught glimpses of shapes slinking around the trees, great hulks of furred creatures. Twice, she saw glowing red eyes when the beasts drew her attention, and once, yellow malevolent eyes stared at her from the branches above her head.
The air was thicker beneath the heavy canopy, and it was much more difficult to breathe with the heat and humidity. Each breath she drew in made her feel as if she were choking on evil. Halting, she ignored the creatures surrounding her. She knew them for what they were: demons hidden in the bodies of forest animals under the command of something far more frightening than a mere wolf.
Whatever malevolent demon she was facing was fogging her mind. The confusion was making it difficult to get a firm lock on where Sandu was. Slowly, she turned in a circle, looking for his direction again. She didn’t dare take in deep breaths and draw in the poisonous air.
Once more, she slipped her sword out of the scabbard and held it aloft with both hands. This time, the light glowed bright, throwing the dark shadows into relief. The beasts, looking like a cross between wolves and saber-toothed tigers, rushed away from the light, growling aggressively low in their throats but retreating all the same. Above her head, she heard the flutter of wings, and the yellow eyes disappeared.
“Very nice, my dear. You must put away your childish sword, Adalasia, while we talk.”
The voice came out of the trees, seemed to surround her. Sweet. Charming. A hint of male amusement. Not in the least threatened or threatening. Still, goose bumps rose on her skin. That voice was too sweet, too charming. She felt a slight push toward her mind, as if someone were knocking on a door, trying to get in. Adalasia held firmly to her shields, resisting that enticement.
She refused to engage, turning toward the direction she was certain Sandu was in. She didn’t reach out to him, certain if she did, Sandu would suffer for it.
“You came all this way to free your lifemate from the shadow world, Adalasia. See? I know you. I know your name. I have been a great admirer of you for some time and had hoped we could visit and get to know each other.”