Page 95 of Of Withering Dreams
I chuffed nervously, my insides churning.
The monster reared, its bulging underbelly reflecting hues from the wood and watery dome as a juicy hiss spewed from its gaping maw. Two long, curving fangs the size of my arms flanked on either side, stretching wide to reveal several needle-like teeth within a cavernous jaw. Putrid strings of slime dripped onto the man’s face, and his skin curdled and steamed at the contact. His blood-curdling scream was cut short as the spider plunged, its fangs clamping around his head, teeth sinking into his face with a crack and a squish.
I covered my mouth with my hand as bile coated my tongue.
As the spider suckled, the man’s body crumbled into dust, sinking into the stony gravel. The creature screeched, its oozing face whipping up.
A flurry of movement exploded as competitors ran away, the smaller chasm spiders chasing and leaping. Sebille’s teammate fell, rolling out of the way when one beta tried to impale him. Sebille swung her sword, slashing through the bottom joint of one tubular leg and then stabbing into the spider’s underbelly as it stumbled. It hissed, snapping its fangs at her as she pulled her blade free before darting away, tugging her peer toward the river by his shoulder armor.
It followed and then stilled as they got into the water, its jaws grasping at the air angrily. Limping, the aggravated beast scampered along the shore, avoiding the liquid along the edge.
The alpha cornered the Druik in yellow and a Draumr near the door at the opposite end. The warrior yelled, jabbing his broadsword as taupe-tinged ember flowed from the male at his side. Forcefully, a mystic gust of air pushed against the creature, its legs vibrating as it skidded back, gravel grinding.
My heart galloped as I backed away, eyes darting toward any movement.
The spider closest to us feasted on a twitching body beneath it—the Druik in green. Before he disintegrated, Rhaegar and Breena took advantage of the beast’s distraction and rushed behind it.
Kaden grabbed my arm, pulling me toward the root-covered wall as I watched a fiery orb spin between my friend’s palms. Breena thrust her hands forward, the ball slicing through four of the spider’s legs along the juncture of its abdomen. The excess energy crashed into the side of the dome above my head, its power smothering the flaming ball with a sparking sizzle. Kaden and I ducked as the sparks rained down.
The spider shrieked, falling to its side, legs thrashing in the air. Rhaegar leaped in an arch, his blazing axe swinging into the monster’s belly. It squealed, legs convulsing as it plopped on its back and stilled.
Rhaegar freed his blade, turning toward the largest spider as it leaped sideways onto the wall to escape the embered wind. Scampering along the wall, it stabbed a leg through the Pneumalian Druik’s belly. The howling male, still skewered on the leg, whipped through the air and hammered into the Draumr, knocking him down. The spider slammed another leg into the guard, impaling him while his sword clattered onto the stones.
“Watch out!” Kaden bellowed, pushing me to the side as a chasm beast landed between our fallen bodies. He jumped to his feet, his sword swinging as Breena rushed toward us.
My aura throbbed, my chest heaving. Dusty puffs of earth fluttered around me as my back pressed into the contorted wood. My vision shrank, shadows creeping around the edges. It was as if I was watching the scenes from far away.
As if I was no longer in my body.
Time slowed. The ticking of the chasm spiders and the chiming of metal stretched and echoed between my ears.
Click.
Bodies exploded into cinder.
Kaden and Breena feinted in opposite directions, slashing and jabbing at the repulsive creature.
Others were being skewered by pointed legs, fangs, and their opponent’s blades. The clang of metal and streaks of ember whooshed throughout the space, the dome glinting with every impact.
Click.
The dome that kept the crowd and Elders safe but trapped us within, ensuring our slaughter.
Click.
My breathing slowed as ember zipped over my spine, branch patterns creeping from my elbows to my wrists. For a moment, I wondered if the roots at my back had burrowed under my skin.
My head tilted, staring blankly at the carnage surrounding me. My hands stopped trembling, and I slid my dagger into its sheath, my vertebrae locking in a column.
Click.
A burning rage enveloped me, blazing through every fiber and tendon of my body.
I’d had enough.
Enough of lies.
Of being afraid.
