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.