Page 129 of The Orc Chief's Baker
The water was so loud he could barely hear anything else. The desperate need to turn back and look to ensure Trinia was still out of danger was overwhelming.
He couldn’t. One wrong move and the tree would topple.
The tree buckled like it had been struck by lightning. The sound of the ground tearing out from under the tree was deafening.
The sinkhole was taking the willow.
“Brovdir!”
Trinia’s scream made his teeth gnash, and he heaved his weight backward, hoping it could shift the tree away from the swirling death trap of water.
It leaned andleaned.The water wasright there.
And then the treeswung back.
“You’ve got it! Keep going!”
Trinia’s voice drew his attention, and he saw Sythcol at the edge of the sinkhole on his knees. The swirling tendrils of dark magic hooked into him like blades, tearing through his arms and carving jagged black patterns in his flesh. His face was screwed up tight and he let out a roar that chilled Brovdir right to his core.
But there was no time to fear for the conjurer. The willow was going down. He had to jump.
Brovdir took his chance and leaped from the willow’s shuddering branches toward the leaning wall.
He hit the oaks hard. His hands scrambled, his feet kicked to find a foothold among the tightly twisted, twining branches.
He found a hand grip first. Then another.
There was a tremendous splash as the willow fell into the water. He watched in horror as it contorted, breaking up. It was sucked beneath.
And disappeared.
The water continued to rage, and the wall was wavering, threatening to fall.
A shriek pierced the air and made his blood run cold.
He turned to find Trinia panicked at the edge of the sinkhole, trying to drag Sythcol’s unconscious body away as the water sucked the ground beneath her.
She wasn’t going to make it.
He bellowed in terror.
Chapter
Forty-One
TRINIA
Sythcol was dead weight and his feet were already dipping into the sinkhole.
He’d used the last of his energy to save Brovdir! She couldn’t let himdie!
But he was so heavy, and the sinkhole wasright there.
“TRINIA!”
Brovdir’s agonized cry tore through her and gave her the strength she needed.
She could not die here. She couldn’t leave him now.
