Page 37 of Of Nine So Bold

Fucking fly, you idiot!the broken one shouted so loudly in my mind that my wings beat the air like his fury had propelled their motion.

How had he?—

FLY!

I snarled as my wings spasmed again. To hell with them both. I would fly, but only because it was what I would have chosen to do anyway.

Beating my wings hard, I took to the air again, cradling my mate in my arms. On the far end of the clearing, the twins raced into view, breathing hard and smudged with dirt from their desperate attempt to catch up to me.

But even though I lifted my mate away from the earth, she continued writhing as if attempting to escape her pain.

Furious, I turned my eyes to the east again. Whoever cast this magic to torment her would beg me for death by the time I was through.

The fissures were fools, though. They underestimated my power, continuing to race closer like deranged arrows seeking their target, darting left and right across the terrain with every passing second.

But they weren’t like those the broken onehad seen before, when the foul Voidborn tried to enter this reality to unleash their destruction. This time, gnarled vines shot up from the darkness within the cracks, twisting and thickening with unnatural speed until they became trunks and branches.

Trees, but not like those in the rest of the forest. These reached for the sky as if they were diseased hands, their branches clawing like the fingers of the damned. Sickly leaves sprouted from their mottled bark, each encrusted with virulent pustules that steamed in the cold air.

The vampire-angel muttered another curse when he spotted the diseased trees as well. “All of you!” His arm sliced the air as he gestured. “Run!”

The humans looked around in confusion, as if uncertain whether to obey Casimir’s orders. But the giants had no such trouble. Immediately, they ran for the horses. But while Dex hauled his panicking animal around and swung up onto its back like he was accustomed to handling a horse on the verge of bolting, the others struggled.

I growled in frustration. The men were not familiar with how to control those infernal, braying creatures. Neither was I, but that would not have slowed me. The horses would have obeyed me or died.

That’s not fucking helpful,the broken onepointed out testily.But the horseswillrun from us if we come close or use any fire, so stay away.

He wasinfuriating. Surely he could see that the men needed to move? The cracks were coming closer. And while I wouldn’t have cared previously, these men were less annoying than most.

Besides, my princess would be upset if the giants and the vampire died.

One by one, most of the giants managed to clamber onto the beasts, until only Clay remained struggling.

“Here!” On a massive horse built like it was intended for war, the dark-haired woman charged toward Clay.

Valeria,the broken one snapped.Her name is Valeria, dammit. I know these names.

What was that supposed to mean?

The one called Valeria reached a hand down to Clay and then shifted her position on the horse so that he could scramble onto the large creature. “You heard the Zeniryan king!” she shouted to the humans. “Move!”

The humans and giants took off, while the vampire and that infuriating shadow mutt did the same. Beating my wings, I held my princess close and cast another glance at our approaching enemy. The fissures were moving faster now, slicing the earth like lightning bolts.

But as the fleeing horses ran, the cracks split off. As if guided by a powerful hand, the jagged lines moved to cut off any escape.

In my arms, the princess gasped, her body spasming like those tears were actual lightning striking her.

The fissures encircled the humans and giants. The horses reared and whinnied, sending several riders toppling to the ground. Trees shot up from the cracks, growing at high speed.

Their branches wove together, forming a net between me and the people below.

A furious roar tore from my throat, echoed by the beast-man as he stared up through the branches at the princess in my arms. But he needn’t have worried. I would burn these impudent trees. I would scorch them from the earth itself for daring to?—

The branches began to change.

Against my chest, the princess whimpered as if too weak to even cry out anymore.

Like bulging, jaundiced eyes glaring up at us, round growths swelled to life between the rot-encrusted leaves. As yellow as a pus-filled wound, they grew until they were the size of a human man’s fist.

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