A wave of malevolent magic swarmed up the stairs in a foggy cloud.
Kat made a squeaky sound more suited to a mouse than a mountain lion. He blushed red at Jared’s amused expression. “Shut up.”
“I didn’t say anything.” Jared held up his hands in defense.
“Are we continuing?” Rance paused at the top of the stairs.
“Yes. Stay close to Jared. I’ll be right behind you.” Kat wasn’t leaving until they found his mate.
They might have to take Rance with them, but they would protect him the best they could.
At the bottom of the stairs, pulsing gray-black vines lined the walls like smoky sludge.
“What the fuck is this?” Jared whispered.
The trio stayed carefully in the middle, away from the scary vines.
“Someone twisted nature,” Rance said, his face pale and eyes wide. “Corrupted it.”
Kat swallowed to keep the bile down. What would a person have to do to reach this level of corruption? How hollow and sick must they be inside?
“Welcome, guests.” A smooth, pleasant man’s voice echoed down the hall. It is more eerie for its friendliness amid the horror.
“I don’t feel particularly welcome,” Jared replied.
“Come join the others,” the voice invited.
Kat had never felt less like entering a hallway in his life.
“Kat, run!” Xavier’s voice sealed Kat’s determination.
No one was going to harm his mate!
With purposeful strides and terror in his heart, Kat marched through the vine-covered corridor, avoiding Jared’s hand when he reached out to grab him.
“Don’t,” he hissed. “I’m not letting them have my mate.”
They ended up in front of a row of cells, where the same scary vines that covered the walls wrapped around people instead.
“Mother!” Rance cried out.
Ah, these must be the dryads. They all had grayer skin than could be healthy even for another species.
“I told you to run.” Xavier’s faint voice had Kat’s focus snapping over to his mate.
Held apart from the others, thick vines wrapped Xavier from chest to toe, unable to move more than his head.
“Darling, you know I’d never leave you.” Kat blew him a kiss.
“Nice to see love alive.” The voice they’d followed into this hellscape didn’t match the man before them. Man is a relative term when humanoid might be a better definition. His skin had a bark-like texture, black and peeling like the vines lining the stone around them.
“Who are you?”
“I’m Blight.” The being grinned.
“Sounds like a supervillain name,” Rance snarked.
“Aww, the little branch has spice,” he mocked. “I was once like you. Do they call you names, too? My darling little sister has always been a bitch.” He waved a hand, and a vine around one of the women started whipping back and forth, shaking her like a rag doll. “Octavia has always thought she was better than me because she’s a woman, or as she calls herself, a real nymph. She ran away to an entirely different forest after she poisoned me, turning me into this. Imagine her horror when your leader grew a boy.” His smile was filled with sharp white teeth shaped like thorns.
