Page 121 of Veil of Night & Flames

The maw widens. And then mares—terrifying, horrible, toothy mares—pour out through the twisted roots of the Widow Maker, brushing past me and making me shudder as they scatter across the quad in a black, snarling flood.

No. No. No.

I claw the grass, desperate to get free, but it’s still no use, and despite fighting and pulling and bracing my legs against the massive tree’s roots, I’m still being pulled toward that dark cavern amidst the roots that just barfed out an army of mares.

Then I remember Chase pulling a keycard from the sky and telling me that one day, I could, too. And I remember a battle on dragonback and the word that had come to me. The word that had saved our lives.

And I call upon it again, willing whatever power is inside me to burst free. To protect me. And then I thrust my hand out and cry “REVERTI,” just as I had in the Nightmare Realm.

It works!

I feel the strands of rot around my legs loosen. And for just a moment, the dragging stops. I manage to roll over and get on my knees, then tug my leg free.

Then I’m pushing myself up, and I’m about to sprint free when the coils snap back, tighter this time, and I shout the word again. And again. And then once more.

It’s no use.

I have magic—I felt it all through me.

I just didn’t have enough to get free. And now I don’t feel that magic at all.

Oh god oh god oh god.

Terror cuts through me as I scramble and dig my heels in and claw for purchase at the rotted earth. This is it. This is the end. And for a moment, I’m actually jealous of Professor Valdez. Her death, at least, was fast.

There’s a sharp tug, and I’m suddenly jerked toward the maw, and I scream for Chase, who isn’t even here. Who probably doesn’t even know yet. And then I see Mr. Griffin, surrounded by mares that he’s slicing down with a speed and fury I’ve never seen before as he tries to battle his way toward me.

But it’s not enough. It’s miles away from enough.

And then, just as my feet are dragged into the breach, I gasp at the sight of gangly limbs, a lean, gaunt face, and onyx eyes full of determination as his blades fly in battle against the mares. And then More Hunters appear from thin air behind Whistler—six, eight, ten of them, their weapons up as they spread out, battling the mares as I struggle against the snake-like rot even as relief floods through me with so much intensity it almost hurts as I watch Whistler and his team hold the line between the mares and the rest of the world.

He takes a mare down with one stroke and pivots to the next, and that’s when I realize—the mares aren’t interested in me anymore. Instead, they’re holding the breach point open. Protecting it.

Which means they know what’s coming through next—Kali.

I suck in a sharp breath as I see her emerge, standing inside. Not coming through. Just watching. The silver in her black hair catches the light as she steps from the maw, then turns to watch me being dragged toward her.

And then, from behind her, something else comes through.

The Threnir.

It doesn’t touch me. It doesn’t need to.

It just watches as terror seems to climb up my body like spiders, and everything is black and pain and fear inside my head, and I am breathing too hard, and my hands are clawing the grass and I’m making a sound I don’t recognize because there is nothing in my head anymore but the fact that this terror inside me is only the beginning. And when it ends, I’ll be only a shell.

The Threnir tilts its head, watching me like I’m the best thing it’s seen in forever.

“CORA!”

I twist to see Tia running flat-out across the quad, her hair flying, her face white with terror.

And behind her, breaking off from where Whistler and his Hunters are still slicing through the press of mares at the breach, I see⁠—

“TIA! Behind you⁠—”

She turns just enough to see it.

A mare. Coming for her.