I nod once, confirming we’re going.
I break into a jog, keeping up as Oliver disappears between the trees. Kalix follows a step behind me as we push forward, and soon, the forest swallows us. Branches whisper overhead as we move.
Thankfully, Kalix’s eyes are just as adjusted to the dark as mine. I don’t have to worry about leading him; he keeps pace, ducking branches, leaping over fallen logs, and stepping around roots looking for unsuspecting prey to entangle.
The cave’s entrance is nearly invisible, camouflaged beneath thick ivy and moss that blend into the rocky incline. If not for Oliver hovering impatiently by the opening, we might have missed it entirely.
He’s been grumbling the entire way, throwing dirty looks at my legs and muttering faint complaints about the inconvenience of traveling with wingless creatures.
“Me Misses is inside, so is eater of cow.” His voice is a peculiar mix of a screech and squeak, quieter now that he is not booming it across a field. With a small, clawed hand, he pulls back the ivy curtain revealing the cavern beyond.
Kalix exhales sharply beside me. “I don’t fancy whatever is down there,” he mutters in distaste. The singing of metal cuts through the night air as he draws his sword from his sheathe.
I follow suit, gripping my hilt. The red gem embedded in the handle pulses softly beneath my palm.
No sounds come from the mouth of the void.
Nothing stirs within the shadows.
The stench that rolls from the entrance is unmistakable. Thick, putrid—the same sickly rot that clings to the cattle, slithers into my nostrils.
I wrinkle my nose, “Cow eater, huh?” I mumble more to myself than anyone else. I reach out with my magic. Nothing. No aura. No magical marker. It’s becoming a pattern. Whatever theNorth is meddling with, it either knows how to cloak itself, or it’s something else entirely. Either way, it makes me uneasy.
There is something I can feel, a familiar storm of chaotic energy like a raging wildfire that swirls in blue and black. It churns deep within the cavern.
Millicent. She’s active.
“Our witch is down there,” I whisper as the weight of the cave presses down on us, “And she’s not alone.”
Kalix’s grip tightens on his sword.
The cavernous hall opens before us as we begin our descent. Its vastness swallowing the dim light from behind. The deeper we go, the more the space changes. The walls tighten, the ceiling lowers, and the passage shrinks.
Soon, we’re forced to shimmy through a narrow corridor, the rough stone scraping against our chest and backs. I hold my breath, trying to avoid inhaling the dirt and debris crumbling around me, but it’s useless. The grit stings my eyes, blurring my vision. I blink rapidly, forcing the irritation away. I can’t afford to lose focus. Not down here.
Then, beneath my boots, I feel them.
Bones—not just scattered fragments but piles of them. The further we go, the more they gather. This isn’t just a cave; it’s a feeding ground.
The narrow corridor expands into a vast, dark chamber. I drag myself free from the constricting passage. My muscles tense almost the moment I step forward. My instincts flare, and I scan the room for movement, for any threats lurking in the shadows. The air in the chamber is thick, saturated with the familiar energy that clings to Millicent. If I focus, I can see it: a thin, flickering veil of black and blue power.
I take another step forward, then freeze.
A panther the size of a horse prowls from behind a stone outcrop.
My pulse quickens. That is no ordinary beast. Atop its sleek, dark body are six massive anaconda-like snakes that coil along its spine. Their heads shift, tongues flicking the air in unison, but their eyes burn with a familiar, piercing blue.
The beast snarls, stepping fully into view. Its muscles ripple under the black sheen of its coat, but my gaze is locked on its face—on the way it moves. Its jaw unhinges, not just wide, but too wide, splitting apart with a sickening pop. I watch with a mix of curiosity and slight horror. A second row of fangs glistens behind the first, lining the cavernous opening of its throat.
Then both its cheeks open. Like gills, they flare outward, revealing even more rows of jagged, predatory teeth. Its tongue flicks, serpentine, ending in a needle-like tip. It moves like the snakes on its back, mirroring their eerie synchronized motion.
I don’t breathe.
Behind me, Kalix swears. “What the fuck—?”
He moves forward, but I throw out an arm, stopping him from getting closer. The beast watches us, sapphire-blue eyes gleaming with hunger—with something else.
Something intelligent.
