Page 37 of Nightbane
With a shaking breath, she turned around to face the heart of the swamp.
The swamp turned back to forest, though none of it was familiar.
She climbed out of the water and stilled—the trees lining the marsh ... they were in the shape of people. Their arms made up the main branches, green sprouted from the crowns of their heads, their bodies formed the trunks, and their legs, the exposed roots that went straight into the dark water. They were frozen in strange movements, their faces carved into the wood. Some had mouths stretched far too wide, like they had been screaming.
Isla swallowed and kept moving. Wren had been clear. She couldn’t return without a bonded. It would make her look weak, unworthy of ruling her realm.
The forest was quiet. She walked until she reached a massive tree that had tipped over on its side. Its branches were large enough to be entire pathways, rising into the air, going as far as she could see. They were covered in a thin layer of moss. She jumped, gripping the soft edge with her fingers, then pulled the rest of her body onto the lowest one. With a quick assessment of her surroundings, she followed the path, into the core of the tree.
It was far too silent. Isla had the uncomfortable feeling that there were eyes everywhere, watching her, yet every time she turned around, she was alone.
Alone.No one understood her, not really. Oro tried, he really did, but there were parts of her she would never let him see.
She wondered if a bonded animal would be able to sense every aspect of her—the good and the bad. The potential. The idea of someone or something seeing her for what she could be, instead of what she was ...
Or maybe the creatures of the forest had already assessed her, and rejected her, just like the vault. It wasn’t enough forherto feel the connection. According to Wren, the animal decided.
For now, it seemed, they had decided against her.
A rustle, and she turned to find herself facing a wolf, covered in moss and greenery instead of fur. Its tail was made of long reeds. Isla raised her arrow. Hope built in her chest. The wolf wasn’t large, but at least it was something.
Before she could let her arrow loose, the wolf was gone.
Her fingers curled painfully around the bow. Slow, she had been too slow. Is that why it had run away?
What if she didn’t see another creature?
Moments later, she realized that wouldn’t be an issue. A spider with legs as tall as trees walked by, its body casting a thick shadow around her. Isla didn’t even raise her weapon. The spider was massive, but she felt no connection to the creature whatsoever.
She just needed to keep going, she told herself. There was a bonded for her here. She just needed to find it.
Her bare feet were soundless against the moss of the branch. Tiny flowers bloomed with her every step, painting the greenery. The occasional bird swooped down to study her, before flying away. She walked down the path as it curved into a forest floor shaded by a massive canopy of treetops. A giant rib cage greeted her, with flowers growing out of its bones—the remains of a creature so large, she couldn’t even imagine what it had looked like alive.
Just then, a stag with branches for horns stepped into her path. It stared at her, tilting its head in wonder.
It was beautiful. Something in her chest thrummed to life as if welcoming the connection. She slowly raised her bow, clicked her arrow into place—
The stag stepped toward her, then froze. Its eyes focused on a place behind her. It shuffled back in fear.
What was—
A deafening roar shook the trees at her sides. Birds flew away, in the opposite direction. Hot breath heated her body as she was covered in spit.
Slowly, arrow still raised, Isla turned around and looked up. And up. And up.
A giant bear stood on its two feet, with a crown of horns that could skewer her in a moment.
Was this her creature?It would certainly mark her as a strong ruler. Isla released the arrow, trying her chance, but the bear knocked it away with a paw, breaking the wood in two.
Her only arrow, gone.
Isla wasn’t thinking about the fact that she wouldn’t be able to find a bonded now. Panic had taken over. She dropped the bow. The bear roared again, getting close to blowing out her hearing, and Isla realized why Wren had seemed so intent on leaving the swamp.
Venturing to this area of the newland was a risk. Her people were endangering their own lives by letting her complete the ceremony.
This was the first step in them trusting her, she realized. A leap of faith. They believed she was strong enough to survive it.
So, she would.
