26
The crew had been hiking for nearly an hour when Captain Garrett raised a hand, signaling a halt. The path ahead was barricaded. Thick vines tangled across the trail, and large trees had been deliberately felled.
Vivienne’s apprehension heightened.
"Lewis," she called, "are these the vines that shift their growth patterns?"
Lewis crouched beside the tangled mess. "No, these were cut within the last few hours."
"Enyo," Garrett growled, his grip tightening on his sword. "They’re stalling us."
"How did they know we’d come this way?" Vivienne asked.
"They assumed we’d go after our people," Cirrus muttered, glaring at the barricade. "This is the most direct route."
Commander Thorne drew his sword. "Which means they’ve funneled us into a trap."
A cold dread settled over her.Are they watching us right now?
"We keep moving," Garrett ordered. "Stay alert."
The crew pressed on, navigating the obstacles. Vivienne’s pulse fluttered, scanning the foliage for any sign of movement.
A sudden shout erupted behind them. Then the crash of bodies through the undergrowth.
"AMBUSH!" Thorne bellowed.
Enyo’s men burst from the trees, weapons gleaming. The Zephyrus crew barely had time to loose their weapons before steel clashed, shouts filled the air, and chaos consumed the space.
Vivienne dodged a blade whistling past her ear and slashed wildly with the dagger Florence had given her, slicing one attacker’s arm.
"Get to cover!" Cirrus shoved her aside, blocking an axe strike meant for her.
They were outnumbered.
"Fall back!" Garrett ordered.
The Zephyrus crew retreated into the trees, but Enyo’s men pursued.
"They’re gaining on us!" Lewis shouted.
Then, the screaming started.
Vivienne turned just in time to see a thick vine coil around one of Enyo’s sailors, yanking him off his feet. His terrified shriek cut through the air as the rainforest itself came alive. From the forest floor, a massive, gaping maw with serrated edges rose, hissing and gurgling. The sailor barely had time to claw at the ground before the jaws snapped shut with a sickening crunch.
Vivienne’s stomach lurched. "Oh my gods…"
"Mortivora arbori," Lewis whispered, his face pale.
The monstrous plants were nothing like the sketches in their field logs. Fifteen feet tall, their massive, fleshy jaws glistened a vivid coral red. Thick, root-like vines slithered across the ground, searching for prey.
A chorus of hissing, gurgling roars filled the air. Vivienne’s eyes went wide with fear.There’s more than one.
"Freeze, Viv," Lewis pleaded, barely breathing. "If they’re anything like their smaller, less murderous cousins, they can sense even the tiniest movement."
The ground trembled as the vines twitched and coiled, seeking another victim. A duet of screams ripped through the narrow clearing. One of Enyo’s men tried to pull another sailor free, only to recoil in horror as the arm came away—its stump sizzling from fast-dissolving acid.
There would be no bodies left to recover.
