I moved as quickly as I could, while keeping my eyes peeled. The glen
had the same flora as the outside but none of the animals, which hopefully
meant there wouldn’t be any of those monsters.
The shadows probably had eaten them all.
My sense of direction was shot, and the deeper I moved into the glen, the
darker it got.
“Where the hell are you?” I hissed in frustration.
All around you, just take a look.
I jumped at the whispers. Was that the darkness answering?
“I’m looking for a bloodstone. Where is it?” It didn’t hurt to ask.
The air cracked around me, and the whispers turned into growls. You
can’t have it. It’s ours. OURS… like you are ours, little sister.
Oh, hell, no.
I kept moving, even though the fear that had taken root in my heart urged
me to curl up in a ball. I kept my mouth shut and focused my intention on the
heart of the woods.
Ahead, the crumbling wall of an ancient building blocked my path.
Want some claws? my wolf asked.
I’ve got this, I answered, feeling her challenge.
Grabbing hold of the vines snaking along its side, I hauled myself up,
praying that I’d be able to see the pillar from the top.
Chest heaving, I finally reached the top of the wall, and my heart leapt. In
a small clearing ahead was a black pillar of stone with a ruby-red gemstone
sitting atop it.
I moved to climb down the other side when something beneath me
shifted. Stones skidded, and then the face of the wall caved in beneath me. I
landed hard as the limestone and rubble showered down around me.
I struggled to get up, but my body jerked. My foot was stuck.
Grunting, I shifted my weight backward and saw that my leg was trapped
beneath a huge limestone block that had tumbled over. Fuck.