A Slave to Magic by Lana Axe

Author:Lana Axe [Axe, Lana]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: AxeLord Publications
Published: 2015-04-13T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 14

The following day was bitterly cold, but otherwise uneventful. The two trudged on, attempting to keep their spirits high despite the freezing weather. Kwil worked on a spell to keep his body warm, but he failed in his attempt to share it with Nera. Attempts to teach her the spell ended in failure as well. Either she didn’t have the skill, or she didn’t have the drive. Kwil gave her an extra portion of his own food to help her keep warm as they walked.

By the middle of the third day, the forest began to change. No longer were the trees a familiar silver. Instead, they were deep brown, some of them black in color. Dark red and purple leaves littered the forest floor, and unseen creatures scurried beneath them. Long, thorn-covered vines descended from the treetops. Despite the lack of a leaf canopy, the light of the sun barely reached through the forest. The trees were densely packed, their dark coloration absorbing the majority of the light.

“I don’t like the look of this place,” Kwil said, taking in his surroundings.

“Is it different from the stories you read?” Nera asked.

“No, it’s just how I pictured it,” he replied. The entire area was dark and foreboding. With every step, he expected something to jump out and grab him, exactly as it had the characters in the stories he had read. If any of those stories were true, all manner of strange creatures lived within the borders of this forest.

“If it’s what you expected, why are you so nervous?” Nera asked, making note of his rapid breathing.

“It’s one thing to see it in your mind,” he said, “and another to actually walk in it.” A shrill cry rang out, the young man crouching in response. “That sounded close,” he said, swallowing hard.

“That was miles from here,” Nera said, her ears turning to face the sound. “Come on.” She stepped forward, gesturing for him to follow. “I’ll keep you safe,” she promised, grinning.

“What manner of creature makes that sound?” he wondered aloud.

“Let’s hope we don’t find out,” Nera responded.

Pressing deeper into the Dark Forest, Kwil sensed a change in the air. Not only was it denser, there was a strong presence of magic, and it was not friendly. “Something is nearby,” he said, his voice cracking slightly.

“What?” Nera asked. “A person? A creature? A trap?” She swiveled her head in all directions, taking in her surroundings. Yes, the area looked ominous, but she felt nothing out of the ordinary.

Kwil shook his head. “I’m not sure. I think we should be on our guard.” The uneasy feeling would not leave him. It might have been the stories he read about the forest, but it felt more real than any tale from a book. There was something in these woods that didn’t want him there, and he could feel its eyes staring at him.

“Look!” Nera shouted, startling Kwil. She pointed to a long, thin strip of a glistening substance covering the ground. “What is that?”

Kwil knelt next to the silvery strip and said, “It looks like something left a trail.

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