Reaching his free hand around her waist, he clawed at her breast, fondling it.
“Be good,” he whispered into her cheek, his tongue taking in her white powder.
White feathers sprang from between Eilee’s shoulder blades. His hands released her breast and wrist.
She dove forward and whirled around.
Waller hopped at her, like a frog mounting a log.
She slipped her sword before her, allowing him to impale himself on it.
As it tore through his belly and protruded through his spine, he gazed into her eyes.
He giggled.
“Such a pretty, violent thing,” he said, massaging his fingertips against her cheek.
***
As Treycore freed himself from the vines, he saw the amputated Waller on Eilee’s wing, his fangs chewing at the bone as his claws ripped into the feathers so that they flew all around him.
Eilee’s scream filled the chamber as Treycore raced up behind Waller, wrapped his arm around him, and slid his blade across the creature’s neck.
Waller started to scream, but it transformed into a gargle as Treycore sawed into his throat.
The glipper elbowed Treycore so that he fell back, but Treycore’s damage was done, and the beast gripped onto its throat, collapsing to Eilee’s side.
Treycore sliced the occasional vines that approached him as he made his way to Eilee, who hurried across the chamber, tears streaming down her face.
He searched around for his enemies. Raph used what parts of his arms remained to crawl across the floor, slowly, in pain, and there was no sign of Finter. Treycore wasn’t going to stick around to find him, either.
Eilee snatched her blackened dress.
“What are you doing?” Treycore asked. Now was not the time for her to be concerned about her clothes. He seized her wrist and pulled her behind him toward the entrance the vines had now entirely blocked.
As they tore through the barricade, Treycore saw a dark blue light illuminating through the foliage before them.
Just a little farther.
He felt a sharp sting at his leg. As he checked for the cause of the pain, he saw Raph, one of the serpents from his scalp biting into his ankle. The bite was like having a hot poker jammed against his flesh.
Treycore cried out. He twisted around and sliced the serpent’s head off, and then went for Raph, who screamed as Treycore drove his blade through the monster’s throat.
The vines continued grabbing at him, but he and Eilee fought them off until they reached an opening that let them out into the forest, covered in a dark blue light, like just after sunset on Earth.
They stumbled for several yards as they attempted to regain their bearings.
Sweat rushed across Treycore’s face. His heart raced. His breathing intensified. Whatever snake Raph had attached to him had filled him with a potent venom.
As they reached the top of a small hill, Treycore collapsed, falling from it, into a pile of damp, fallen leaves.
Eilee fell on top of him, breathing heavily.
They panted together, their bodies in a harmonious rhythm as they’d been in previous passionate encounters. As Eilee gazed at him, she looked as she had after such moments. She attacked him, pressing her lips against his.
Treycore, in intense pain from Raph’s bite, released his sword and pushed her off.
“Eilee! What’s wrong with you?”
