Page 50 of Kingdom of Chaos
Swamp water surges into my nose. I choke and instinctively inhale, sucking in more sludge. My lungs burn. I gag, vision spinning and darkening at the edges.
Then the fire fades.
The arms wrapped around me shift, dragging me upward. We break the surface and I gasp for air, collapsing into a violent coughing fit, spitting out swamp water. Talon hauls me to my feet, both of us dripping and slick with black sludge.
“Come on!” he yells, urgency in every line of his body.
I stumble after him, still wheezing. “You didn’t have to hold me under so long,” I rasp, coughing again.
His eyes cut to me, intense. “I was trying to keep you from getting roasted.”
“I know,” I mutter, my voice softer this time. “Just, maybe next time give me a warning?”
He huffs, half a laugh and half exasperation. “I think what you mean to say is, ‘Thank you for saving my life.’”
Despite everything, a reluctant smile tugs at my lips as he all but drags me toward where Ensley, and now Imogen, are standing.
Another roar splits the air. I glance over my shoulder as we stumble-run toward the gate and spot Titus locked in battle with Fluffy. Thank the Creator he still has my pendant, as he’s using his magic to bind the monster with vines, dodging fireballs as he goes.
When we reach Ensley and Imogen, I whip back toward the fight just in time to see Titus misjudge one of the beast’s attacks. A fireball slams into his shoulder, sending him cartwheeling through the air. He crashes into a tree and collapses into the water with a splash.
The monster bellows in rage and thrashes, tearing at the vines holding it down.
“Help him!” Ensley cries. Her face is pale with terror as Titus struggles to rise.
“Stay here and be ready,” Talon says, sprinting toward him.
He reaches the white-haired fae just as the monster breaks free. With a screech, it lunges and swipes. Talon and Titus barely dodge the claws, and break into a sprint, racing toward us and the gate.
It’s like a nightmare unfolding in slow motion. The rabbit’s mouth opens, fangs glinting as it lunges again. This time, it strikes. Talon jerks mid-stride, his body jolting from the impact. His face twists in pain, and he stumbles, one hand flying back?—
But there’s no blood.
The beast’s claws tears through his backpack, shredding fabric and supplies; the gear taking the worst of it. He staggers, and falls to one knee.
The monster coils to pounce again, and Titus throws a wild burst of magic. Vines erupt from the ground, snaring its legs and yanking it backward. It howls, thrashing against the hold, buying them precious seconds to escape.
Titus reaches down for Talon, but he waves him off and staggers upright, shouting at him to get the lunacite pendant to us.
Titus hesitates for only a heartbeat before sprinting toward the knoll.
He reaches us, and he, Ensley, and Imogen fumble to find the right spot to insert the lunacite to awaken the gate. But I can’t help. I can’t tear my gaze away from Talon.
He’s still too far. And the monster is free again, barreling toward him.
A sudden flare of white light erupts around the four of us, shooting straight up into the sky as the gate comes to life.
The beast screeches, furious, seeing its chance slipping away.
Talon’s not running straight for us, he’s zigzagging, dodging through muck and brush to keep the monster occupied. It’s right on his heels.
Our eyes meet through the shimmering wall of light, and something shifts in his expression. Something that looks a lot like grim resignation. My stomach drops.
He’s not going to make it.
He knows it. And he’s planning to hold the beast off so we can get away.
“No,” I whisper.
