Page 291 of Cursed Evermore
Zyrra and the rebels vanished, phasing into the air as the portal swallowed me whole.
Within moments, I was dragged into the same suffocating darkness I'd experienced that night in Griffyn Forest when I’d portaled. But this time, there was no transition. I was engulfed in a fog of blackness then falling.
Wind whipped past my face as I tumbled through the void, my stomach lurching with each twist and turn.
Silent screams trapped in my throat, lost in the roar of whatever magic was carrying me away from Vyrenth Hollow. Away from safety, away from home.
I couldn't tell which way was up or down, couldn't see anything but endless pitch stretching in every direction. Then, suddenly, I slammed into solid ground, hitting the forest floor.
Pain exploded through my body as leaves and dirt went flying up around me. I lay there gasping, every breath sending sharp spikes of agony through my ribs. The taste of blood filled my mouth, and when I tried to move, the world spun violently.
Tall shadowy trees surrounded me. Dawn was just breaking through the canopy, but shadows still cloaked the forest floor.
Where was I?
And where werethey?
Just as I managed to lift my head, rough laughter echoed through the trees above me.
"Well, well. Look what fell from the sky," came a rough accented voice.
Footsteps sounded, then four figures appeared before me. They were the rebels from the house. I expected Zyrra to appear next, but she was nowhere to be found.
"The little princess finally joined us," one of them sneered, his teeth filed to sharp points. "Took you long enough."
I struggled to push myself up, my hands shaking as I tried to get my bearings. I wasn’t carrying Wolfe’s dagger anymore. I must have lost it in the portal.
Every muscle in my body screamed in protest, but I had to move. I had to get away from these monsters.
The tallest one reached for me. I swatted his hands and tried to move away from them.
“Get away from me,” I cried.
"We have ourselves a feisty one, boys," he cackled, coming closer.
“I wonder if she’s a screamer,” said another. His face was a map of scars, and when he grinned, I could see that half his teeth were missing. “We’ll just have to see. See if she’ll scream for me when I’m buried deep inside her.”
Panic gave me strength, and I scrambled to my feet. Ignoring the fire shooting through my ribs, I bolted toward a gap between the two rebels in front of me.
I made it three steps before a massive hand caught me across the face. It belonged to the one with the sharp teeth. The backhand slap he gave me sent me sprawling on the ground.Stars exploded across my vision as I went down hard again, and my poor body felt like it would shatter like glass.
"Where do you think you're going, little bird?" He loomed over me, his boot pressing down on my shoulder to keep me pinned.
My cheek burned like fire, and blood dribbled from my split lip. “Let me go!”
"No, no, no. We've got plans for you before the master takes you.”
Rough hands grabbed me, hauling me upright despite my struggles. I tried to fight them off, but there were too many, and they were too strong.
They bound my hands behind my back with coarse rope that bit into my wrists, then shoved me down against the trunk of a massive oak tree.
Pure terror clawed its way through my body, panic flooding my system like poison.
They're going to hurt me. They're going to—I couldn't even finish the thought.
Horrific images flashed through my mind of what they meant to do to me, and bile rose in my throat. Wolfe would never know what happened to me.
I was completely at their mercy, and they had none.
