Years ago, the Trolls were banished into the Nether, a void of evil and darkness between the magical realms. With their greed and treachery locked away, peace has reigned throughout the worlds. But not for nineteen-year-old witch, Aramina. Being dis...
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Launching onto Baskus, I spear my dagger into his back. Blood squirts back at me, burns my eyes and blinds me. He trips forward, barely, and flinching, he thrust me from him. I slam back against a tree with a resonant, paralyzing snap. The rough bark digs into my spine one second. The next there's cold and darkness as I crash down, my face buried in the ground. Pain shoots through me, yet winded, I dig my fingers into the earth and try to stand. To breathe.
Baskus spins back to Roane. He stiffens, gasps at the arched blade that Roane drives through his chest. His knife falls. His knees fold and give out beneath him. Roane slips the blade out, slowly, and wordless, he grips Baskus by the hair and drags him to cliff's edge. One kick in the back, and he sends him to fly with his brothers.
The blade in his hand bursts into a cloud of black smoke, and I see it reappear on his skin through a rip in the back of his shirt. He turns and walks to me, his eyes locked on mine. White clouds gather and vanish at his mouth with each ragged breath. The aura of battle makes his frame rigid, deadly, but he extends a hand to me that stands for so much more than help. Whether human or Troll, we're in this together.
I slide my hand into his and let him help me up. We stand in silence for a moment, our breaths, the hush of the trees, and the roaring waves the only sound.
"Come on, before any more of them come," he murmurs and tilts his head toward the bridge. I make to turn, but he clutches my arm and stops me. I open my mouth to speak but swallow my words when a faint green glow illuminates his face and reflect in his eyes.
"The Sprites," I breathe.
He nods and takes a careful step back. I mirror his lazed speed when turning. A mass of bright green light drifts toward us. It stops just outside of the last line of trees. The mossy green cloud of Sprites parts and reveals a cloud of blue light within. The blue Sprites then bloom like arms reaching to either side, and in the middle is a group of red Sprites.
The red swarm draws closer. I step back, but Roane tightens his grip on my arm. "It's their Queen. You'll offend them."
The red Sprites snake around us and form a circle with Roane and I in the middle. Droplets of iridescent liquid drips from each individual orb. Roses bloom at our feet, their thorny vines tangled into one another. One rose, much bigger than the others, buds.
"Their Queen lives in all of them," Roane says as the rose blossoms, revealing a rainbow light at its core. Beams of spectral light spear into the darkness and illuminate our gathering.
The light dims as it nears us. In the middle of the glowing orb is a small figure, its outline of a girl. I focus and can make out her small face. Large, almond shaped eyes too big for her heart-shaped face stare back at me. Her hair flows and waves like a cascade of pastel watercolor. Her wings flutter quickly and streak the air with glittering light. She nears us a little more and the sound of wooden chimes in a summer breeze resounds. It's a soothing sound, but urgent.
