Page 29 of Unleashed

Balir focused on the calls anew and understood what Aduun meant after a few moments. There was a panicked note to the sounds, and recognizing it made his skin prickle.

The changes in the trees came more rapidly as they advanced. Larger and larger trunks, thicker and thicker branches jutting ever higher overhead. The normal forest sounds diminished — rustling foliage and creaking wood, the distant snapping of branches, the whisper of dead leaves falling to the ground — all fading to something far-away and dreamlike.

A faint tremor pulsed through the ground.

“Stop,” Balir called.

The others halted, turning to face him as he crouched, brushed aside the leaves, and pressed his palm to the dirt.

“What is—” Vortok began; Balir silenced him with a hiss.

The rumbling slowly gained strength. Balir closed his eyes and listened; the startled gasps of his companions signaled the moment they became aware of the vibrations underfoot.

“Do you hear that?” he whispered.

“Hear what?” Nina asked.

No, they couldn’t. Not yet. But he knew what that distant roar meant. Fear pulsed through him, locking his muscles and stilling his heart.

Nina ran to his side, dropping a hand to his shoulder. “Balir, what’s wrong? I can feel your fear.”

Balir’s thoughtsblasted into Nina.

—water, a flood, need to get to safety—

“Get to high ground,” he said, and then raised his voice. “Climb! Now!”

Fear slithered down her spine as a distant sound grew audible — rushing water. She straightened and swung her gaze from side to side, seeking the source of the noise, only to realize it was coming from all directions at once.

They sprinted the short distance to the nearest tree. Without hesitation, Aduun leapt onto it, burying his claws in the wood. Nina tilted her head back to stare up at the massive trunk. The bark, though rough, offered no evident handholds. Her thunderous heartbeat battled the growing roar of fast-approaching water.

Vortok tugged her spear out of her grip. He’d already taken Balir’s spear; holding all three in one hand, he jabbed them into the ground. Then he turned to her, circled her waist with his huge hands, and lifted her off her feet.

“Vortok?” she asked, concerned, confused,terrified. The rush of approaching water was reaching a deafening volume, punctuated by the snapping and cracking of wood.

These trees would hold, wouldn’t they?

Vortok made no reply. He lifted his chin, and Nina followed his gaze up to Aduun, who was latched onto the tree with his claws embedded just beneath the lowest, thickest branch. The two exchanged a nod.

“Catch his hand,” Vortok said just before he threw her straight up in the air.

Nina drew in a startled breath as she flew upwards. Her eyes locked with Aduun’s as he twisted and extended a hand, palm open. She swung her arms wildly, straining to reach him, her heart in her throat. The pain of his powerful grip around her wrist was the sweetest sensation she’d ever known. She clung to his forearm with both hands, digging her fingers into his skin, just before her upward momentum faltered.

Her stomach lurched as she dropped, but her fall halted almost immediately. The strain on her shoulders was immense, but Aduun’s grip didn’t relinquish so much as an inch.

From her peripheral vision, she saw Balir scramble up the trunk, his hook-like claws tearing into the bark to propel him over Aduun and onto the nearby branch.

“Balir will catch you,” Aduun said.

“Wait!” she cried, looking down. “What about Vortok? He has no claws!”

Aduun didn’t answer her. He swung her away from the branch, and between her dangling feet, she watched the first floodwater crash around Vortok, spraying his face as it broke against the tree to leave him thigh-deep in dark, dirty water. He spread his arms and clamped them on the trunk, anchoring himself in place.

She lifted her gaze to see angry waves, churning with debris, racing toward them. “Vortok, hurry!” she shouted as Aduun reversed the direction of her swing.

Nina’s focus leapt to Balir. Aduun released her arm, and she hurtled toward the branch. She screamed, flailing in the air, barely able to hear her own voice. Her midsection took the brunt of the impact with the branch, knocking some of the air from her lungs. She curled around the wood, wheezing and clawing desperately for a solid hold.

Balir hooked a hand under her arm and supported her as she swung her legs onto the wide, surprisingly sturdy branch. For a few moments, she lay on her stomach, trembling. When she braved a peek over the edge, she immediately regretted it; the height of the branch and the violent water below made her head spin. Aduun drew himself onto the branch beside her and briefly placed his hand on her back.

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