Behind My Shadow - Book Three

67. My Voice Comes Out Screaming

The vines that cover the ground over this section of the maze suddenly come to life and savagely wind up around my legs, forcing me, Adisonia and my dad down to our knees before the serpent-like tendrils savagely start coiling around our throats.

I hiss with effort as I frantically try to keep one hand between my throat and the vines that steadily tighten their strangulating coils. I give a cry of pain and fury as I summon fire and now coat all of the vines surrounding me aflame. The vines hiss as if with pain and swiftly unravel from around me, retreating into the shadows.

I scramble up to my feet and summon earth to force the vines into releasing Adisonia and Dad. "Thanks," Adisonia gasps as she rubs her throat. "But they'll be back. Mother's Talent is control over flora."

"Great," I roll my eyes. "Just when I thought she couldn't be any more of a force of nature."

"Literally," Adisonia huffs.

"Regina won't be able to control these plants if she doesn't have any though," I quickly summon fire again and this time I ignite the entire Maze of White Roses in a cloak of crackling, crimson flames. Everything starts to burn; ash fills the sky above us like snow and waves of suffocating heat roll like a shimmering tide over us.

I suddenly sense danger and Regina herself appears at the end of the burning alley. She swiftly lifts her hands, and, in a flourish, enormous roots explode out of the ground and dive towards us. They glow red under her influence and crash into Dad and Adisonia before either of them can react, I nimbly dodge past the roots as they surge past me.

Dad and Adisonia are flung back and forth savagely through the air, their weapons fall from their grips as they're violently slung like ragdolls.

I desperately summon my own command over earth and force the roots to release them before I have to whip around and face Regina as she rushes at me with her seis. 

I drop to the knee and sweep my leg under her feet, knocking her to the ground before I dive for her arm, ripping a sei out of her grip as I roll past her. We both spring up to our feet in a flourish, our blades clash with a bang and the light from the roaring fire around us makes the blades appear to be glowing.

"I've never wanted to kill anyone more than I want to murder you right now!" Regina grimaces as she seizes my wrists with her free hand and tries to force my sei down.

"The feeling's mutual!" I snarl and swiftly swivel to the side to kick her off balance.

Regina summons her Talent again and suddenly the maze springs to life and thorn-studded vines covering in burning white roses lash out from the hedges and envelope me in a burning net. 

I scream with pain and frantically call off the fire before I fall to the ground, bleeding and burned as the thorns dig into me more aggressively and the vines begin tightening around my throat.

"No! Darie!" Adisonia frantically kneels beside me, desperately trying to cut the vines strangling me. "Let her go! Stop this!" She wildly demands, urgently slicing through my confines with her seis. More vines keep growing free from the torn ones and now they wind around my face, the thorns cut at my lips as the vines attempt to force themselves down my throat.

Dad suddenly springs for Regina, his sword glances off her armor as he attempts to stab her but now he swiftly brings his sword down over her boot, stabbing the blade entirely through the top of her foot. Regina screeches with pain and her connection with the vines is finally disrupted. Adisonia anxiously pulls me free.

Danger suddenly blazes through spirit and I feel my heart seize with agony and fear. This warning isn't for me though.

"Dad!" I scream as I fly to my feet.