Page 62 of Magic Hunted
Shanyirra threw her hand out toward the humans charging us. A streak of magic flashed from her fingers to cover them in brilliant white, leaving nothing left when the light disappeared. An elf leaned to scoop Shanyirra atop his warbug, settling her behind him.
“Get everyone out. I’ll make sure there’s nothing left of the village,” Shanyirra yelled, before her rider veered away.
“She’s going to destroy the village?” I asked.
“There’s nothing left for us. Our life here is done,” Taredd said.
Elves charged toward us, leaping onto warbugs. Some mounted three or four at a time.
“Fall out!” Taredd yelled. With a wrench of its antennae, the warbug skittered toward a series of tunnels bored into the rocky wall of the cave. The elves carrying my mates darted behind us, keeping close behind. My panther rose under my skin, desperate to keep her mates safe while my fingers nearly punched holes in Taredd’s thick armor.
I snatched a last look at the village and the flames reaching for the cavern ceiling before the darkness of the tunnel enclosed me. Thankfully, moss scattered on the walls illuminated the rough walls so we weren’t plunged into complete darkness. The warbugs’ tarsal claws clacked like gunshots on the rocks, which split beneath them and splintered around us.
The tunnel was only narrow enough for one bug to pass at a time and I lost sight of my mates. I clung to Taredd and turned, searching for them.
I glimpsed Ashir behind me, locs streaming behind him. The mass of warbugs behind him blocked out the tunnel entrance. A brilliant flash of white magic absorbed the raging inferno before fading to darkness, leaving nothing. Shanyirra had done her job.
I clenched my eyes, facing forwards, and sent a prayer to the universe that the families of the humans who perished would be spared Titan’s wrath. My chest hollowed, knowing they would not.
Muscle pulled and bunched beneath Taredd’s tunic as he worked to control the warbug. We passed down tunnel after tunnel with seemingly no order. It was impossible to determine how far we’d gone, or even where we might be. We ran for hours and hours—so long my mouth was dry and my fingers cramped holding onto Taredd. I’d almost lost feeling in my hands when the tunnel took an abrupt turn upwards. We plunged into darkness with no moss to light our way.
“Hang on tight,” Taredd said, his voice tight.
I dug my heels against the side of the bug as it climbed. It was all I could do to hold on to Taredd, clench my thighs and work through the cramping in my hands. Finally the darkness gave way to gray light, illuminating rough stone in angles of jagged ridges and shadows. The light gradually grew until the brilliance of the sun blinded me. The warbug plunged upwards and into the dazzling world of sunshine and vibrant greens.
I sucked in a breath of humid air, eyes watering from the brightness after being underground and in semi-darkness for days. I peered behind me as the blurred shapes of bugs poured from a hole in the ground hidden by thick, shining leaves. One after the other they scrambled away so more could come through.
“Ashir!” I called. I twisted when I heard him yell my name in reply, but there were too many bugs, too many elves to find him. Everything was confusion.
“Magic!” Dias yelled from my other side.
I clung to Taredd and clenched my thighs around the warbug that skittered and scampered on the jungle floor. A sharp crack whipped to one side of me. A bolt of blue magic struck the ground. Elves cried out as the earth exploded. Bolts of magic struck all around, shrill screams echoing around me, mingled with the thunder of blasts and explosions.
This wasn’t an escape.
This was an ambush.
Dirt and jungle debris rained down as silhouettes emerged from the jungle. Two figures stepped forward, crackling with Titan’s magic, brighter and thicker than the humans. Their burning eyes locked on me, filled with crackling, familiar hatred.
My blood turned to sleet and my chest hollowed.
Peder.
Sinon.
My heart cracked against my ribs, breathing extra-fast when the side of Peder’s mouth ticked up.
Why the hells were they here?
My mind churned the murky waters in my head, coming up with one answer. Theonlyanswer.
They were waiting for us. They’d known where we would be.
Chapter Thirty-Two
A human grunted to my right when an elf slashed his chest open. Humans leapt from behind shrubs and bushes. Magic streamed past me, exploding into the ground and sending up a spray of debris.
“Hold on to me,” Taredd yelled.
