Stolen Enchantress by Amber Argyle

Author:Amber Argyle [Argyle, Amber]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Forbidden Forest
ISBN: 9780997639032
Amazon: 0997639032
Publisher: Starling Books
Published: 2018-04-08T23:00:00+00:00

* * *

Larkin trekked through the forest for hours. Her chest heaved, and she had to fight to make her legs bear her weight. She concentrated on putting one foot in front of another. When her knees buckled, she glanced toward the sun dipping toward the western horizon. Wraiths rising from shadow, infected eyes, smoldering blades. She forced herself to keep going.

Finally, they wove through the last trees, coming onto a dark stretch of rock pockmarked with deep, narrow pools filled with stagnant rainwater. In a former life, she might have peered into the pools coated with moss or examined the porous rock. As it was, she simply stood at the edge of a deep ravine, the river running swift and white far below. The river’s roar came to her; she’d been so exhausted she hadn’t noticed before.

The taste of coin on the back of her tongue, she collapsed into a heap, not sure if she could summon the strength to rise again even if a wraith lunged at her from the shadows. Alorica staggered a little way down and collapsed as well.

Crouching beside Larkin, Denan offered her warm water, which she drank thirstily, and some dried bread that tasted like ashes. He tugged at her bandage. “Let me check—”

She shoved his hand away. “Leave it!”

“I need to check—”

“You would have murdered my friend!”

He gave a frustrated growl. “Killing Venna would have been a kindness. What she will become . . .”

She slapped him, her hand stinging. “Never!”

He reeled back, seeming to understand she meant much more than her letting him tend to her. Jaw tight, he pivoted. He and Tam busied themselves unloading rope from their packs and speaking in low tones.

Larkin watched the unwavering line of trees, as she waited for Talox to come through with Venna, knowing he was racing against the sun and his own body. If her guess was right, he had less than half an hour of light. And Denan had hinted at another danger—something the wraiths would send after them.

“Larkin?” Alorica said, her voice a dry rasp.

Larkin couldn’t look at her. “It’s your fault.” If only she’d listened when Larkin had tried to warn her.

Alorica choked on a sob. “I know.”

Denan and Tam continued to work. Larkin didn’t watch them, didn’t know what they were doing other than that it involved rope and a grappling hook.

Finally, Talox appeared. “They’re hunting us, but they don’t know where we are yet,” he panted to Denan and Tam, who picked up their pace.

“What is hunting us?” Alorica asked.

“Something worse than gilgads,” Tam said.

Larkin forced herself up against her body’s protests. She took the pack from Talox as he set Venna down. With the ravine to her back, Larkin knelt next to her friend, Alorica on the other side, Talox at her head. The jagged black lines had crawled up Venna’s neck to stain her cheeks. Her breathing was rapid and shallow, her skin hot and paper dry.

“Please,” Larkin begged Talox. He sagged, his shoulders shaking in silent sobs.

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