Something fluttered in the trees. Quiet laughing whispered through the forest. Chills prickled my skin as at least a dozen forms materialized from the trees’ shadows, though I could only make out vague details in the darkness. They were the size of wood sprites, and they held long spears with tips that glistened in the moonlight.
With spears lowered at us, they charged. Kull swung his sword, knocking several back, but one of the sprites dodged the sword and rammed his spear into my thigh. The pain made me scream and fall back. I hit the ground as more sprites rushed forward.
Without thinking, my magic reacted. Blinding amber light radiated from my hands, exploding in a heat so intense it immediately blistered my fingertips. The sprites’ bloodthirsty screams turned to shrieks of pain.
Fire blazed around us, disorienting me as it flashed like strobe lights on the scene unfolding. Kull’s sword reflected the firelight as he swung at several dark creatures. Despite his efforts, more rushed at him, their sheer numbers nearly overpowering him. He swung with deadly accuracy, knocking back several creatures at a time. Every time I watched him fight, I had trouble remembering he was mortal. There was something preternatural in his ability to move with such fluidity and accuracy. He never faltered, a feat I wasn’t sure any other mortal could accomplish. After only a matter of minutes, the battle ended. Those who still lived retreated, leaving us alone in the forest.
Kull knelt beside me. Gasping for breath, he inspected my wound.
Inky black liquid oozed from the gash, mingling with my blood. It burned worse than my blistered fingertips.
“It’s poisoned,” I said. “I’m not sure what type of poison they used,” I bit my tongue as the burning increased, “but I feel like my leg is on fire.”
He ripped the tear in my pants, exposing the rest of the wound for closer examination. Greenish, web-like marks spread outward from the puncture.
“Are you familiar with the poison?” I asked.
“Yes,” he answered. “It’s not good.”
“Why? What is it?”
He didn’t answer immediately. “We must get you back to camp. If we cannot find the cure soon, you will die within the hour.”
Chapter 15
I held back a scream as the pain in my leg increased. Kull and I entered the elder tree, and he helped me sit on the blankets. Heidel awoke as Kull pulled open his pack and began rummaging.
Tears stung my eyes as the pain blinded me. I clutched at the wound on my thigh. It was such a tiny gash, but the pain was raw and all consuming.
“What happened?” Heidel asked as she crawled toward me. Her hair was disheveled, and she blinked several times as she tried to focus.
“We were attacked in the forest,” Kull said.
“What attacked you?”
“Some kind of wood sprites,” Kull answered. “They used spears tipped in seranic spider venom.”
Her brow creased. “Are you sure?”
“Yes, you can examine the wound for yourself.”
“May I see it?” she asked me.
My hands were clamped over the wound. Slowly, I pried my hands away, surprised to see how quickly the infection was spreading. The greenish, vein-like marks now encompassed my entire thigh.
“Have you any antivenom?” she asked Kull.
“No.”
Heidel’s face paled. “What are we to do?”
“I don’t know.”
The pain intensified, sending sharp stabs of heat through my nerve endings. I gripped the blanket so tight I was surprised I didn’t rip holes in it.
“A poultice, perhaps?” Heidel suggested. “Doesn’t the elder tree bark have healing properties?”
“It will only dull the pain,” he answered. “It will not stop the venom from spreading.”
“Then I will prepare the poultice to help with the pain.” Heidel gathered a few scraps of bark and left the tent.
The room spun in my vision. I couldn’t seem to catch my breath. Sweat formed on my neck and made my hands feel clammy.
Kull returned to my side and made me lie down on a few pillows he’d propped beneath my head. He spoke to me, but I couldn’t understand his words. The pain was too much. I wanted nothing more than to pass out and be free of the fire that consumed me from the inside out.
My heart pounded loudly in my ears. When I felt as though I couldn’t endure the pain any longer, it spread into my joints. I froze, unable to move, until someone held a cup to my lips and told me to drink. The liquid had a bitter flavor that was laced with something sweet. I managed to swallow only a few sips.
After what felt like an eternity, I finally drifted. Softly spoken voices floated in and out. Soon, my muscles relaxed, and the fire that burned through my joints lessened. As I opened my eyes, I found sunlight streaming into the tree through the open doorway.
Kull sat beside me with his legs crossed and eyes closed as he leaned against the tree’s inner wall. Patches of light fell across his hands and head, making his hair shine golden in the morning sun.
I moved an inch, trying to sit up, and winced at the discomfort of sore muscles. Except for a bitter taste in my mouth and stiff muscles, my pain was gone. I moved the blanket away and found the wound wrapped in white cloth. Faint purple lines remained where the webbing had been.
But how was this possible? How was I alive?
Kull woke as I moved my blankets. “You’re recovered?” he asked.
“It seems that way, but how? I thought you didn’t have an antivenom.”
“Indeed, I didn’t, but I was able to use the venom from one of the discarded spears to create a poultice. You are quite lucky to be alive. I feared the cure had come too late.”
So, he’d saved my life. How convenient.
I hated when this happened—Wults always expected something in return for this kind of thing. But I’d saved his life once already. Maybe that counted. I lay back on my pillows, supposing I owed him some kind
