Witch Song (Witch Song #1)

Chapter 25

25. TANGLED

"Did the tree get Wardof?" Joshen panted.

 Too out of breath to answer, Senna slumped to the ground. Her head ached like someone had dumped gravel into her ears and shook her.

Joshen took one look at her and started gathering kindling. "You need some more of that tea."

The jungle seemed to slide sideways. Her stomach twisted. Wardof. Was he still after her? "I didn't see," she managed after a few deep breaths.

Joshen dropped handfuls of leaves in a little jar of water and nestled it in the fledgling flames. His gaze kept darting from the tea to the jungle that surrounded them. "That was really amazing, Senna. What exactly can't you do?"

Senna grunted, her throat too raw for a proper laugh.

Joshen dipped his finger in the tea and sucked in his breath. "Yup. Plenty hot." Using the corner of his blanket, he pulled it from the fire and wrapped it up before handing it to her. Without bothering to strain it, she sipped. She fished out a few itnot leaves and held them to her eye. Within moments, she felt better—as if her body healed itself as she drank. Tipping the jar, she drained it and wiped her mouth. She leaned back against a tree as the remaining ache lifted from her head. She sighed with relief.

Her relief was short-lived.

A cord yanked across her neck, cutting off the blood to her brain. She clawed at it. It tightened. She choked and gagged. She scratched at the sausage-like fingers holding the cord. Garg. Joshen lunged for him, but Wardof grappled him from behind. The two rolled to the ground. Senna twisted. Garg pulled her in tighter and wrapped his legs around her torso.

Air! She had to have air!

She rammed her elbow into Garg's paunch. He let out a gush of air, but managed to hold tight. Senna scrabbled to gain her footing, but Garg had the advantage of position and size. Her vision turned red. In a cascade of sparks, blackness edged in.

The cord around her neck went limp. She gasped and coughed. Garg forced something between her teeth. In one quick jerk, he tied a gag.

After a few deep breaths, her panic receded and her senses returned. Garg had feared her song. But he'd underestimated the rest of her. Her fingers searched through the rotting foliage. She found something hard and rough. Twisting, she smashed the rock into his temple. He reeled back, stunned.

Rock still in hand, she ran, but she hadn't managed two strides before he grabbed her from behind. Scraping her shoe along his shin, she stomped on his foot and threw her head back. She felt his nose crunch.

Garg released her and stumbled back. Twin ribbons of blood flowed from his nose, forming a crimson mustache.

I should've finished this long ago, she thought grimly.

He lunged for her, grasping her forearm. But this time she was ready with a small seed. As he came at her, she stepped into his arms and shoved the seed into his mouth.

His eyes widened in fear. He desperately started spitting and clawing at his tongue. But the seed imbedded itself on contact with a human mouth. If he wanted it out, he'd have to carve out his own tongue and it was fast becoming too late. Vines sprang from his mouth. Garg clamped his jaw shut, but it was too late. He vomited vines that circled his body like a green shroud.

Senna watched, her anger mounting. What had she ever done to Garg, Wardof, any of them? They'd taken everything from her! Everything! They would not take Joshen! She yanked at the gag. But Garg had tied it so tight her jaw ached. Her lips cracked and bled, but it wouldn't budge.