His eyes flash as a vine creeps up, twining around his cheekbone. “Oh, as if you don’t have a worse one of me.”
“Guys!” Marvin calls.
“Stay out of this, Marvin,” Byron and I snap at the same time.
“Well, that’s it then. I’m not saying anything nice at your funeral.”
I shake my head as I begin wriggling, trying to see if I can make it out from underneath the vine. I twist my hips as I try to rotate my body enough to snag the knife attached at the sheath in my belt. It’s a pocket knife, one that was actually given to me by Byron’s grandfather. I wonder if old Tarus ever saw me using it to try to free myself and his grandson from sentient plants. I nearly drop it when the vine tightens around me, pressing me more tightly into Byron.
“Whatareyou doing?”
“Trying to save both of our lives,” I grind out.
He smirks, his irritation from earlier fading away. He snaps his teeth at a vine that is trying to wind near his mouth before saying, “Oh, I thought that you were going to make up after our fight.”
I just barely stop myself from rolling my eyes. “Two things you should already know about me, Byron Coalbiter. I donotmake up that quickly, I need to stew in it like a bog monster in the swamps.”
I bite on the edge of my lip, focusing on the constricting vine that is now threatening to crush the bones of my leg.
“And two?” Byron prompts after a moment.
Finally, the knife snaps through and the vine flails and falls away with a muted shrieking hiss. I push to my feet, blowing a stray strand of hair that has fallen into my face away and reach down grasping Byron by the belt strapped across the front of his tunic and help hoist him to his feet, out of the hold of the vines that had nearly swallowed him into the pit. I glare up at him, taking in his gaze that is so blue it would make the sky jealous before I step away with a growl. “Two is that I wouldneverapologize to the likes of you.”
I turn away with a huff, leaving Byron looking a little bewildered. But it isn’t my fault if he has yet to realize our rivalry. It started when we were children and has lasted most of our lives. It’s his own stubborn obtuseness that would refuse to see that it’s been me or him from the start.
There can be no peace.
No truce.
No playing nice.
All of my life he has shown me up, and one of these days, I’m planning on returning the favor. If he isn’t expecting it, it just makes it that much easier for me.
I trip over a vine but manage to catch myself on the dirt wall that lines the pit. I’m eyeing it for grooves I can use to climb up. I could always have Marvin try to pull me up but I’m not sure if I trust his upper body strength or his sweaty palms for the task.
And the last thing I want is to wind up in a situation where I’m lying on top of Byron again held in place by evil vines.
I reach up, to grasp a portion of stringy root that fortunately doesn’t look sentient when suddenly warm hands envelop my hips and my feet are off the ground. I kick my legs as my hand flies to the hands on my waist and I turn a glare down at Byron.
“What are youdoing?” I hiss, but then I immediately regret it when I realize that I’m just mimicking what he said earlier.
“Trying to save both our lives.” I can hear the smile in his voice. “Hold still, silly, I’m only giving you a boost.” With a grunt, Byron lifts me higher until I’m able to grasp the edge of the pit. My arms shake a little as I pull myself up, but with Byron shoving me up from below, and Marvin rushing forward and grasping my arms, I manage to get up.
Even the damsel helps a little bit by standing off to the side wringing her hands and looking worried.
Once I’m on the ledge I turn around and lie on my stomach lowering my hand to Byron.
He stops mid reaching for a clump of dirt for purchase as he eyes my hand suspiciously. “You aren’t going to drop me, are you?”
“At least not by accident,” I reply dryly.
Marvin lies down next to me and brings his hand down. “It’s okay we got you.”
Byron presses his lips together, but a vine begins winding around his ankle. He shakes it off and jumps up, finally grasping our proffered hands and allowing us to pull him out of the pit.
Chapter Seven
Iwillbegladto leave behind that pit of vines. This whole forest really. I’m ready to make it to the Academy. While I’ve never actually been to Skyshire, and the idea of whole cities hanging suspended in the clouds boggles my mind, it’s technically the land of the fae and Commonweald down here is the home of the mortals.
