Here I am and so far, nothing bad has happened. Okay so sure, the forest is pretty spooky, and with all the fog, shadows, and strange floating beings it’s hard to see much in any direction, but it’s peaceful. So that’s a plus.
As time passes and nothing happens, my mind wanders, and my attention goes to my portal ring. The one my bestie Blake, the demon queen, gave me. I’m tempted to activate the magic of the ring. For the first time since arriving in the shadow realm, I’m outside of the academy walls. That means, the magic of my portal ring will work, and I could finally tell my bestie where I am. After the hunt, I explained to my mates all about my relationship with Blake and my time in the demon realm. Unfortunately, they pointed out that if I use my portal ring in this realm, the shadow queen will be able to sense it, and she’lllikely send soldiers to investigate. Which is kind of a problem considering I’m trying to lay low.
Then there’s also the fact that if I tell her where I am, Blake will try to rescue me, and things will get real complicated because as much as they can be a pain in the ass, the idea of being away from my mates makes my stomach churn. Not to mention I still haven’t figured out who I am. And then there’s the shitstorm that would happen if the shadow queen and demon queen were to both turn up at the same time.
Still, I stare at the tiny crow molded into the metal. It’s nice feeling like I have a backup plan if things go sideways tonight. Even if it’s a terrible one. I tell myself, that once I’m immortal and I have my memories, I’ll contact Blake and explain everything.
My thoughts are interrupted when an icy breeze cuts through the forest. A strange sense of familiarity goes through me, and awareness prickles along my skin. I peer into the darkness of the trees, but the forest remains quiet, and slowly the sensation fades.
“Okay, when you said this might take most of the night, I thought you were kidding,”I whisper to my guys, covering my mouth as I yawn loudly.
“All in good time, treasure,”Galen responds calmly. There’s rustling near a tree on my right, and I wonder if he’s somewhere over there.
“Okay, but as long as that time is soon, because I’m going to need to pee if it’s much longer,”I send back. I’m not kidding, either. Stupid me didn’t go before we left, but in my defense, I hadn’t expected so much waiting around.
Raith’s laughter brushes against my ear.
“I’m serious,”I grumble.“Too much longer and I’m going to have to pee behind a bush or something.”
That’s followed by more laughter.
“Trust me, this isn’t a place where you want to get caught with your pants around your ankles,”Thane growls in warning.
Raith’s laughter cuts off, and he groans instead.“Great. Now I’m imaginin’ her with her pants down.”
Wanting to change the subject so I’m not thinking about needing to pee, I ask instead,“So why do you need the nemins for the games, exactly? What do they do?”
“It’s probably best you don’t know, lovely,”Galen answers cryptically.
“It’d be better if she did. A little fear would do her good,”Knox counters. It’s the first time he’s spoken in a while, and I’m not sure why I’m surprised he’s suggesting something mean.
I poke my tongue out, hoping he can see me.
“Mmmm I love it when she’s angry. She’s so cute and tiny,”Raith comments.
I would be offended, but then again, I am small so I can’t really argue with that.
“The nemins sense fear,”Thane explains as if he’s the voice of reason.“Knox is right. You’re not scared enough for them to think you’re appropriate prey.”
I’m about to protest, but I pause, thinking about what he’s just said. When I do some soul searching, I realize Thane is right. For whatever reason, I’m not that afraid. I can’t tell if it’s because I know my mates are watching me, and I don’t think they’ll let me be harmed, or if there’s another reason, but even though I’m here like a sitting duck out in the open, I don’t exactly feel vulnerable. Which is weird…
“Oh,”I say softly.“Well, I guess…continue then?”
“I don’t like this,”Galen murmurs.
“Neither do I buddy, but I also don’t want to be stuck out here forever,”I reply, wiggling against the boulder a little as I try not to think about my full bladder.“Okay, hit me with it. What horrible things do the nemins get up to?”
There’s a beat of silence, and it’s Thane who speaks.“The nemins hunt in groups, called a hollowing, preying on the weak. In the shadow realm, fear is weakness, just as much as injury or an inability to use powers. This land wasn’t built for those too terrified to walk it.”
“They don’t simply kill their prey, either,”Knox adds. His voice is cold and emotionless, and I wonder if the guys agreed to let him talk because they knew he would have the most impact.“No, they toy with you. Going for the feet first.”
I wince.“So they have a foot fetish?”
“They start with the feet so it will take longer for you to die. First, they paralyze you using one of their poisoned darts. Once the toxin enters your system, only your head is left mobile so they can enjoy your screams as they consume you piece by piece, keeping you alive for as long as possible.”Knox pauses.“They like fresh meat and seem to have a particular fondness for humans. They’re also very superstitious.”
Bile creeps up my throat at the images he’s placed in my head. I’m not sure if he’s trying to frighten me or make me throw up.
“Of course, while you may be paralyzed, the toxin does not block your pain receptors,”Knox continues, much to my dismay.“So you would suffer and endure excruciating agony, completely helpless to stop them. The higher your fear, the slower they will devour you, as they will want to savor every last scream that comes from your lips.”
