Bryce darted into the trees and returned with flint while I gathered dried bits of wood from the edge of the forest. I worked fast; every second that Poppy and Bella remained in the wood weavers’ clutches was a second too much.
I built the fire as close to the river as possible, but didn’t light it straight away. First, I found a large stick that would work as a torch. The top of my shirt was dry, so I shrugged it off and pulled off a few strips to wrap around the stick and… Shit. “We need some kind of accelerant to keep the torch lit.” I hadn’t thought this through fully.
“Wait…” Bryce sniffed the air then bounded into the forest. “Over here.”
I joined him by a slender tree. “There’s sap in this one.” He stabbed the trunk with his claws, and thick, dark sap bubbled out. Perfect.
I scooped it up and coated my makeshift torch with it. “Now to light the fire…”
“You’ve got this,” Bryce said.
“Be ready to shake your fur and soak any salamanders that form.”
Above us, wings flapped as I set to work with the flint. Come on. Come on. If I couldn’t get this lit, then we were fucked. Fire was our best weapon against the wood weavers. The only way we’d be able to get Poppy and Bella out of their grasp.
One spark, then another—yes! The fire caught. I blew gently, coaxing it to life.
“You did it!” Bryce said, clearly impressed. “And no salamanders.”
It was too soon for relief. I lit the torch and held it high. “We can’t get it wet. Can you carry me back across?”
“Damn straight I can.”
I grinned at him. “Let’s go get the girls back and kill some Horrors.”
CHAPTER 36
It shouldn’t be possible, and yet it is. If the Arcanum Imperium find out, then we’re doomed.
EXTRACT FROM MISSING PAGES OF DHARMA ONYX’S JOURNAL (VAULT ARCHIVES)
We moved stealthily in the direction the wood weavers had taken Bella. Not even the ravens made a sound as they tracked us. The torch burned bright, but for how much longer?
The forest was thick with flora here, no trail, nothing but dense canopy and the scent of rotting leaves and flowers.
“I smell Poppy,” Bryce said. “Bella, too. Blood…fresh.”
Shit. We picked up our pace.
Low moans of pain guided us, and then I spotted them. Both suspended four feet above the ground, their backs pressed to tree trunks that pulsed softly.
The Horrors were feeding. Why were they feeding? Surely the Carvers hadn’t set them up to do that. The Horrors were meant to maim, not kill—and wood weaver feeding would kill.
Bella hung limp and unconscious, but Poppy was awake. She reached for us. “Help…her…”
An unconscious Bella would be no help to us. I had to get Poppy out first. I swung the torch at the wood weaver who had her captive. It screeched as the flames grazed its bark, releasing Poppy with a wet squelch. She hit the ground hard, catching herself on all fours, blood seeping from puncture wounds dotted across her back.
“Bella,” She tried to stand but collapsed. “For the love of Trinity, help her!”
Bella was sinking into the Horror’s body. It was swallowing her!
“No!” I thrust the torch at the branches holding her. The weaver screeched and spat her out.
Bryce shielded Bella with his body while I waved the torch at the wood weaver, forcing it back. Shadows moved around us—more wood weavers circling.
“Bella, please, wake up. Wake up.” Poppy gathered her friend in her arms while Bryce prowled around us, his body whipping from side to side as he tried to keep all the threats in sight.
One torch wouldn’t keep us safe. One fire wouldn’t stop these bastards.
