I sense the two powers surging within me, my demon power combining with my wolf’s energy in a way it hasn’t before. With a burst, my wolf twists, still midair, her outstretched claws catching the bat’s wing.
We crash into the ground together. The bat lands on its back, my wolf pinning it to the ground.
The bat shrieks, opening its mouth to spit at us again, but my wolf tears through its jugular in a single savage bite.
Finally, the creature lies still, but I’m surprised when its body decomposes at a startling rate, turning into ash at our feet within seconds. My wolf’s growls break the silence as she snarls down at the pile of dust that remains.
My heart is pounding. Crone said that some of us wouldn’t make it back alive and I’m beginning to see why. I’ve only been in the Wilds for a few hours and I’m beaten up, my anxiety levels are high, and my energy is draining with every passing minute.
Taking a chance, I shift back into my human form—and immediately regret it. Although I’m clothed in my protective suit again, it can’t protect me from the pain I’m now feeling.
The acid the bat spat at me has burned my left shoulder, the thorn remains in my right shoulder, and my hands and arms are cut and bleeding beneath my suit.
I take advantage of the adrenaline surging through me when I reach the nearest tree, using it to work through the pain in my hands so I can climb as high as possible.
Balancing precariously on the uppermost bough, I poke my head up into the moonlight.
Above me, the sky is a dark blue. The stars are beautiful. Another illusion, maybe. It’s difficult to see for sure, but the far-off lights on the distant horizon are the only indication of where Zilron may be located.
It’s far, far beyond my present location.
Miles and miles of jungle sit between here and the city.
Miles between me and my sisters, my wolves… and Roman.
With a groan, I drop my head into my hands. I tell myself that if the other royals were dropped in other parts of the Wilds equidistant from the city, then they’ll take just as long to get back as I will. Although… that’s a bigif. Crone never promised that the trials would be fair. She could have transported Arga only a mile outside the city for all I know.
I can’t allow myself to be defeated yet.
I have to keep going.
Climbing back down, I survey the space around me—including the canopy—before I drop to the ground, prepared to shift back into my wolf form so I can travel faster.
Before I can brush the rune to unclothe myself, a deep, low growl makes me freeze. It reverberates around me with such strength that my senses go haywire.
This.
This is the immense life form I sensed when I first fell through the vines.
My wolf’s energy rises inside me and so does my demon power, both clashing and melding, a spiral of power that builds within me as the growl continues to trigger my senses with an explosion of sound.
I turn slowly, my pulse pounding at how achingly familiar the growl sounds—confusingly similar because my demon wolves aren’t here right now, and none of them has a growl this powerful.
Crouching low as I swivel, I brace, my hands up in front of me.
A beast prowls from the shadows on the other side of the clearing, its eyes glowing violet slits, its head held low, and its lips drawn back over its sharp teeth. It bears three glowing claw marks across its right eye, savage-looking cuts that have healed over but not without scars.
Even at a distance, I can see that it stands nearly to my chest height, its powerful muscles bunching as it creeps forward.
The largest demon wolf I’ve ever seen.
CHAPTERSIXTEEN
The wolf’s steps are quiet in the ashy undergrowth, its head kept low, its eyes bright and filled with the same intelligence that my demon wolves show.
The creatures I’ve encountered in the Wilds so far haven’t hesitated to attack me. Creatures, souls, plant life, they all seem geared toward destruction in the quickest and most brutal fashion, but this wolf moves differently. Slow, prowling, as it closes in.
I hold both of my hands up before me, trying not to wince at the tugging pain that follows the movement. “I’m not here to hurt you,” I say, keeping my voice low and calm. “If you let me continue on my way, I’ll be gone from your territory before you know it.”
