Page 39 of A Blightress of Wrath
Withoutanother thought,Icalled to the tree behind her, glowing an eerie dark purple in its center where it consumed the power of the channeler it held.Athick branch whipped around her throat, pulling her upwards slightly.Shechoked and pulled at the black wood encircling her neck, keeping one hand wrapped aroundRevich’sthroat.
“Lethim go orIpull up,”Ithreatened through gritted teeth.
Agargled laugh came from her, thoughIdid not miss the surprise in her face as she replied, “Doyou really think to stop me with my own syphoner trees?”
“Mostcreatures on this isle cannot live without breathing,”Ispat. “Shouldwe see if you’re one of them?”
Iyanked on the branch and she squeezedRevich’sthroat harder.Shehad bound his arms to his sides with black vines reaching through the snow at his feet.
“He’dbe dead before you had the chance to see just whatIcould survive,LittleSprout, so here are your two choices.”
“Karus…”Figuerah’svoice came as a warning, andIstole a glance behind me to see the three beasts slowly rising, their head wounds healing over into thick vines ofBlight.
“Youcan walk with me through that portal,” theBlightressoffered, jerking her chin to where the black abyss remained. “Or, you can let your lover die, andI’lldrag you through instead.”
Ididn’t miss the flicker of movement onRevich’sface or the way his eyes darted across the small clearing to each of our people, landing onFiguerahand giving the slightest nod disguised as a struggle to be free.
TheBlightedbeasts left their circle, easing slowly towardTalon,Mychael, andRell.
Ianswered, “Yourcreatures leave first.Then, you letRevichgo, andIwill enter that portal.”
Shetsked and gave her response. “Youspeak as if you have the upper hand here, whereas we both knowIcould destroy every one of you without a thought more, soIsuggest you get into the portal,Karus.”
Ipulled at the branches around her throat with my power, and she attempted to lift herself higher.
“Let.Him.Go,”Iseethed.
“GETINTHEPORTAL!” she screamed, her fury pulling at my own in a vicious rage of all we had left to see through in our story together.
Thebeasts pounced, andIturned in time to seeRellfalling to the ice.Thecreature dragged her toward the portal, her shield no match for the beast’s jaws.
“No!”Rennscreamed, pulling on her sister’s arms.IlyennayankedRennaway, slamming her to the icy ground before she could follow her sister asRellwas pulled into the darkness.
Ilet the rage take ahold of me, simmering through my veins and siphoning from that charred maple tree of my mind, demandingAdaynthgive me everything from that place whereIkept him locked away.Firepoured from my hands like liquid heat, spreading over the ice and snow, melting a path to the syphoner trees and flickering over the grove, licking its way up each one.
Anotherbeast pounced onMychael, dragging him along the ground.Hereached for his sword and cut over the black vines at the beasts’s throat.Ityelped, releasing him.Herose and rushed toTalonwho fought against the last beast.
Myflames burned hotter, andIshaped my green light into a dagger, slicing down theBlightholdingRevich’sarms at the same timeIlifted the branch around theBlightress’sneck higher.
TheBlightresslet him go, digging at the tree limbs wrapped around her throat as she was lifted into the air, slamming into the tree alight in my flames.
Revichgrabbed my hand, pulling me toward the center of the clearing, rotating his arms to produce five shimmering portals, calling for everyone to get out.
Figuerahraced towardNyeimah, ducking just as two enormous black cats bounded over her head, pouncing on theBlightbeast still draggingTalontoward the black portal.Snarlingrippled through the air as the muri fought against theBlightbeasts, biting, maiming, slicing through flesh and vines alike.
IlyennapushedRennthrough one ofRevich’sportals, and it closed in a resoundingthwap.Shethen bolted forTalon, bringing him into her arms for a moment, before urging him toward another portal.
Hand-in-hand,RevichandIflew toMychaelat the base of theBlightress’sportal, pooling together our magic in an attempt to pull him back.Bloodtrickled from his jaw where the beast had sliced through his flesh, leaving an open slash from his cheek down to his collar bone.
Ipulled on my fire, now burning fiercely through the syphoner trees and set the creature aflame.Ityelped and retreated quickly toward the portal, refusing to let go ofMychaelin its jaws.
Thescent of burned flesh hit my nose as a hand gripped my chin, claw-like nails digging into my cheeks. “You’vebrought this upon yourself.”TheBlightressshoved my face away, erecting a wall of iridescent light in her wake, forcingRevand me to fall back into the snow.
“No!”Icried as she palmedMychael’sface, lifting him with inhuman strength and tossing him into her dark abyss.Hisscream washed over me whileIpounded on the shimmering wall separating us from the darkness that two of our channelers had been pulled into.Hercreature dove through and she turned her head back to me.Itwas then thatIsaw the charred flesh that puckered and blistered over the side of her face, the ring of bruised skin at her throat, and the blood that flowed from her burns down to the top of her breasts.Atthat moment,Iunderstood why she did not want us to follow.Thefire burned bright around us, decimating her syphoner trees, killing her power source and weakening her enough that she would not risk a further fight.
“Hedidn’t listen,” she growled, spitting blood into the snow and wiping under her lip.
Revichpounded his fists at the wall of iridescence, calling out theSimulairSolumspell.TheBlightressflinched and shielded her eyes.Thewithering sound of theBlightbeast behind us met our ears, but we kept our gaze on the darkest threat.
