Chapter 74: Vines and Thorns
Ren knew something was terribly off the moment she saw her subordinates armed to the teeth. Yet even in her darkest nightmares, she hadn’t imagined that Soul Suckers, the monstrous spirits mothers invoked to frighten unruly children, could be terrifyingly real.
Once her racing heart settled enough to allow color back into her pale face, Ren took in their grim surroundings. They stood at the outskirts of the Cave Temple, precisely where she’d described to Agara.
Her breath caught in her throat at the ominous scene unfolding before her eyes. Time was slipping away, faster than the trickling life of the girl they sought to save with the Devil’s Heart flower. Her magic still refused to flow, leaving her vulnerable; a tempting vessel for any wicked being craving passage to channel darkness into their world. Prudence was essential now. Death held no terror for Ren, but the thought of being overtaken and possessed by a vile Soul Sucker chilled her soul more profoundly than any hellish nightmare, this one gave her goosebumps.
"Can you walk?" Arkilla’s voice broke through her grim thoughts.
"Yes, I’m fine. Rail?"
Arkilla glanced over her shoulder. "He’s shaken mentally. Shadow portals always drive him sick."
Agara steadied Ren, his voice gruff with concern. "Your husband will have our heads if he finds out we used that portal to get you here."
"I’ll convince him it was my choice to come and save the girl," Ren replied resolutely. "I refuse to lose anyone else, not even to a scratch. I can’t just stand by and watch death claim another soul."
Despite dizziness threatening her balance, Ren moved forward, her footsteps crunching through the bitter snow. The frigid wind tore at her skin, a stark contrast to the warmth they’d just left behind.
"That’s where I saw the flower. Pray it still blooms." Ren pointed toward the startling depths of the Cursed Garden at the base of the mountain, earning wary frowns from her companions. There was no way to reach there but to cross the edge of the garden.
"You never mentioned the garden!" Arkilla protested sharply.