Page 39 of Welcome to Bone Town

“Should you really be grabbing an unknown plant like that? What if it’s poisonous?” She’s got a point. Even Archer doesn’t know what this thing is, and if it’s been living down here for thousands of years, goddess knows what kind of prehistoric secretions it could be oozing out. I don’t say anything, but I do release the vine, wipe my hand on my pants, and step back to look at the group.

“Well, I think we’re gonna have to touch it unlessRambo over here has a secret machete hidden up his ass.” Bear hikes a thumb at Jax who shakes his head.

I bite my tongue to keep from reminding them that we could go the other way,awayfrom the vines. It seems like their minds are made up, and not only am I not wandering off into the unknown alone, I’m sure as hell not leaving Cora with that Captain Jack Sparrow wanna be.

Turning back to the natural wall, Bear parts the vines gently with both hands, leading the way. I direct Cora to go next, following behind her with the torch. Archer and Jax fall into step behind me.

“Try not to damage the plant too much. I’m gonna want to come back and study it once we get out of here. It’s remarkable to find such a thriving vine without any access to sunlight,” Archer comments.

Instead of a curtain like we thought, the foliage is thick, a veritable forest hanging from above that stretches on much farther than I expected. The trek is eerie, the source of the blue glow still not visible. I’m reminded of the fairytales parents tell their children, the dark forest teeming with hidden dangers. The stories that kept kids from wandering off alone where they shouldn’t. Stories ingrained in the human collective consciousness.

A sense of foreboding blankets every step, and a nervous energy thrums through the group. We’re silent as we hold vines back for each other and walk forward in a tight line.

“Do you hear that?” Bear whispers after the last of the vines closes in behind us, making it even darker than it was before.

I listen intently, but all I hear are five chests breathing and the soft padding of our feet as we walk. As I focus back on Cora in front of me, she reaches to pull a vine out of the way like we’ve been doing the whole time. Except this time, it falls to the ground, wiggling and writhing.

“Snakes!” Cora screams, and all hell breaks loose.

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My scream is deafening after we’ve been quiet so long, but I can’t help it. A slithery green snake is thrashing on the floor near my feet. Instinctively, I dash sideways to get out of range in case it tries to bite me, not looking while I step further into the verdure.

The men are all yelling, asking me questions I can’t hear through the roaring in my ears. Looking up, I see more of the vines undulating, glossy scaled bodies mixed in with the leaves. Now that we’ve disturbed them, more snakes fall as the guys spin and flail, trying to fling the reptiles from their bodies.

A smooth, sliding sensation caresses the back of my neck, and I freeze. My muscles tighten as something brushes softly past my ear, entering my peripheral vision. Not daring to turn my head, I slide my eyes as far left as I can as a hissing noise sends shivers down my spine.

That kicks my body into overdrive as I screech again,slapping at the vermin that’s perched across my shoulders. It falls, but my panic is taking over. I flail, feeling as if they’re everywhere. Strong arms wrap around me, pinning my limbs to my chest while I struggle even harder. The sweet scent of absinthe breaks through the haze, and I whimper as I go limp. My mate has me. Jax is dragging me forward, no longer treading lightly, as our group dashes toward the blue light at the end of the proverbial tunnel.

Not wanting to think about that analogy, I focus on breathing until we break through the foliage, finally stumbling into the open air of the temple. Jax pulls me several more feet before setting me down. He lifts my hair and studies my neck and shoulder, searching for bites that aren’t there.

“I’m alright,” I whisper as a muted sound of pain comes from one of the men.

Roman has a green snake latched onto his forearm, its teeth sunk deep into the flesh.

“Roman!” I cry, rushing to his side. His jaw is tense as he backs away, looking at his arm like he has no idea what to do now. What the helldowe do now?

“Hey, hey. Hold still, let me look. It’s okay.” Bear speaks calmly, like he’s approaching a wild animal. And he is, I guess, but it’s Roman he’s addressing, not the snake.

Roman does as Bear requests and stops moving, the latter reaching out toward the snake.

“Be careful.” Archer says.

Bear never looks away from the serpent but replies, “I’ve got this. Trust me.”

We’re all holding our breath as Bear inches his hand closer and closer to the snake’s head. When he’s about three inches away, he shoots his hand forward, gripping the snake right behind its head and squeezing tight. Its body begins to thrash at the new perceived threat, but it unlocks its jaw and releases Roman from its grasp.

The animal stops thrashing, falling to hang limp from Bear’s grip. Did he kill it? How?

Jax steps up to examine the creature. “Damn. Looks like the thing struggled so hard it broke its own neck.” He looks to Roman, who is holding his arm protectively to his chest, then snaps his gaze back to Bear. “Where’d you learn to do that?”

“Grew up on a farm.” Bear drops the snake. “Learned a thing or two about snakes.”

“Still doesn’t mean you should grab it like that!” Archer flings his arms out in exasperation, voicing my own sentiment. I can’t believe he just snatched it like that. My relief that Roman’s okay barely overshadows my frustration that Bear took that risk.

Archer huffs out a breath. “What if?—”

Bear holds up his hand in a staying motion. “It isn’t venomous.”

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