Page 46 of The Ruins of the Heartless Fae

The creature snapped forward and did the same with her. Her body hit the floor and she was dragged away in the same manner. The monster smiled as it ate their flesh. It picked at the bones and munched, bones snapping and flesh slopping down its mouth.

More people screamed and backed into the doorway. They tried opening the door, but it was locked in place.

“It won’t open—”

Despite its monstrous size, it was too quick on his feet. So quick that when he charged past Kolfinna and grabbed the man, her hair blew to the side and stuck to her blood-covered face. The spikes on its body were inches away from slicing her head off.

Kolfinna covered her mouth with trembling hands. The stench of death, decay, and blood made her stomach drop. Blood spotted the floor. Eyfura’s face was gray. Blár’s back was pressed against the wall. Magni and Truda were frozen by the blood smears on the floor, as if they had tried reaching down to help before it was too late. Everyone else hugged the door as if it would save them, watching in muted silence as the monster ate their friends.

Kolfinna couldn’t utter a word at the scene. The creature had finished its meal and watched them in silence, its grin now bathed in blood. Shaky breaths filled the air; fear struck everyone into silence.

The creature continued staring, but after a few minutes, nothing happened. It felt like hours before Kolfinna noticed glowing words on one of the walls. She zeroed in on it. The runes shimmered gold.Speak, and the Jötnar will silence you forever. Her eyes widened at the name of the creature—Jötnar. A troll.

But trolls didn’t exist, and they weren’t supposed to look likethat.

Nothing made sense anymore, so she clambered to her feet unsteadily. The three who died had spoken, hadn’t they? Was that why the monster was just sitting there, waiting for them to make a mistake and utter a word? Kolfinna tamped down the fear in her heart and tried to focus on the room.

As she was thinking that, she spotted a door at the end of the hall-like room. That must’ve been the escape. On another wall, the runes swirled and curved in such a way that should’ve made it hard to decipher, and yet the meaning came to her mind instantly.

Green will burn your feet, and black will fill the Jötnar’s belly. Green and black? It must’ve meant the floors, since two of those colors filled the tiles. There were five rows of white tiles, which they were all currently standing on. Beyond that was a mishmash of greens, whites, and blacks—in no particular pattern whatsoever. Around the Jötnarwere mostly black tiles.

Kolfinna raised her finger and pressed it to her lips, trying to indicate to everyone to be quiet, but no one was looking at her. They were too focused on the imminent threat the Jötnar posed to even look her way. How would she lead them all forward when she couldn’t speak?

She had to try something. She couldn’t let any more people die.

Kolfinna cleared her mind and filled it with the calmness of the trees stirring in the wind gently, to the stillness of water puddled on the ground after rain, to the coolness of the forest’s canopied shade on a hot day—she tried to emulate the strength of her powers. The strength of nature itself. She had to focus on what she could do: get everyone to the doorway. The rest she would figure out when it happened.

Kolfinna clapped her hands. Almost everyone flinched, turning to her as if she were crazy. She placed a finger on her lips.Silence, she mouthed.

She pointed to the white tiles. They were safe, she presumed, since they were standing on them.Safe, she mouthed. A few confused looks stared back at her.Safe, she mouthed again, giving a thumbs-up. Understanding dawned on some of their faces. She pointed to a black tile and shook her head.Death, she mouthed, dragging a hand over her neck to gesticulate her point.

There were a few among the crowd who didn’t seem afraid. Blár was one of them. Despite the terrifying situation, he was calm and composed, his face seemingly carved from stone. But despite his calmness, there was a hard set to his mouth. Eyfura was trembling, but she was somewhat composed too. As was Mímir.

Maybe they weren’t as broken as she thought. They were militarized. She could still read the fear on their faces, but one by one, they rose to their feet, survival and a hardness taking over their sweaty, pale faces. The switch was amazing. They were ready to move forward.

Kolfinna’s heart was in her throat, sweat dribbling down the sides of her face. The Jötnarwatched with owlish eyes. What if it attacked them anyway? Kolfinna shook the thought out of her head. No, she had to move forward. She willed her lead-laden legs forward and waved everyone to follow her.

The black tiles were scattered beyond the rows of white ones, but Kolfinna jumped to a white one that was about two feet away. She swayed on her feet and sharply turned to the Jötnar. It watched her but didn’t move. She jumped to the next closest white tile. Once again, the Jötnardidn’t move.

Behind her, Mímir jumped on the white tile, but his foot slipped a bit and his toe touched the green tile right beside him. He quickly pulled his foot back and inhaled sharply, his face contracting in pain. Kolfinna winced. She should’ve mentioned the green tile was also dangerous.

Truda shot her a dark look, and Kolfinna averted her gaze. Everyone was already on the move, finding their own paths to the doorway at the end of the room. Some were already ahead of her, and others followed behind her. Kolfinna had to focus on the task at hand. Getting to the other side was more important than thinking too much about what others would think. Or how they were faring.

Each tile was about one square foot, so if a white tile was two tiles away, it was a small jump. But if it was three tiles away, it was a bit harder to jump and make sure she didn’t tip over and face-plant onto the black or green tiles. And they were everywhere: black and green outnumbered the white.

After a shaky breath, she jumped to the next white one. She held her breath, finding the nearest white. She scanned the tiles and made a viable path in her mind first, since backtracking was hard when there were other people following.

Sweat formed on her brow, a stress headache building in the back of her head as she focused on every jump. Her right leg felt like an anchor every time she moved. She was halfway through her path before she was a dozen feet away from the Jötnar. The next closest was four tiles away, bringing her even closer to the monster. She hesitated. Four tiles away was a big jump. Her headache intensified and she rubbed her sweaty palms on her thighs. The white tile was on an island of black tiles. Failing the jump meant death.

A loud clapping broke her from her concentration. Eyfura was ahead of her by at least half a dozen feet. Eyfura shook her head and pointed to the tiles behind Kolfinna and mouthed,turn back. Kolfinna’s brows came together; behind her, Truda was occupying the step she had been on.

It would probably be easier to turn back and find a different path instead, but going back meant making a mess of everyone else’s paths. Kolfinna mulled it over and shifted her attention back to the tile. She had to jump. It was doable, and it was easier for everyone else this way.

I can do it, she nodded to Eyfura.

No. Eyfura grimaced and she glanced from Kolfinna to the Jötnar.

I can do it, she mouthed again, giving her what she hoped was a reassuring smile.

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