But then I freeze, too.
Everyone does.
The captives, too.
Because we hear it.
It’s…
It’s impossible to even knowwhatI’m hearing.
It’s an echo of a beast’s roar.
It’s the deafening splash of a violent waterfall.
It’s the shout of trees as they’re battered to pieces—
Holy.
Fucking.
Shit.
It’s the bay.
It’s the water.
It’s coming for us.
The second the fright spears through me, Samick has grabbed me by the scruff of my jacket and hauled me closer.
I smack into him, spilling over his lap, just as a shout splits the camp—
The general’s command blasts through the meadow.
Samick jumps to his feet, and I’m hoisted with him.
I have just a moment to grab at my backpack—but my fingernails graze over it before I’m lifted off the ground. My hand scrapes his satchel, and I take the chance and fist my grip on the strap.
Samick hauls me away—and, dangling over his forearm, I watch the heels of his boots kick up as he races for the centre of camp.
They all run.
Every warrior—even the humans.
I hear shrieks, stumbles, cracks, falls, cries…
Then I only hear the tidal wave coming, crashing into the trees, splitting them, blasting them into fucking splinters…
And it’s a roar all around me.
The firelight reaches up the heights of the trees, andI fucking see it, I see it, oh my god—
A grunt shoves out of me.
Samick slams us into a wall of stone and brick.
But then, I drop to my feet and the smell of leather is all around me.
