I cursed and lunged upright, grabbing my sword. “Get Puck on his feet,” I called to Ariel a, crossing the f loor to the entrance. “We’re leaving now!”
The first hobyah rushed into the shack, saw me, and lunged with a howl, stabbing his spear at my knee. My sword f lashed down and sent the hobyah’s head rolling toward the corner, before both parts dissolved into a pile of writhing salamanders. Another darted through and hurled its spear at my face. I ducked the projectile and sent one of my own at the hobyah. The ice shard hit it square between the eyes and it slithered away in a tangle of snakes and lampreys.
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Stepping outside, deliberately blocking the entrance to the hut, I raised my sword and met the horde of hobyahs swarming me from every direction.
“Hobyah!” they screeched as they rushed me. “Hobyah hobyah hobyah!” Spears f lew at me, though I managed to dodge or block most of them, lashing out at any hobyah that got too close. The pile of newts, frogs and snakes grew at my feet, but there were always more attackers, more hobyahs dropping from the trees, erupting from the water, or climbing over the roof to leap at my back.
A huge black bird suddenly exploded from the hut behind me in a f lurry of wings and feathers. With an enraged caw, it plunged down, sank its talons into a hobyah and carried it high into the trees, the hobyah struggling and howling in its grip. The others hissed and snarled, craning their necks to follow it as Ariel a stepped out beside me.
“I assume there’s a plan?” she asked, pale but calm as a mass of frogs and snakes suddenly rained down from the trees. Puck dropped onto the roof of the hut with a crash, daggers already in hand. I smiled at Ariel a.
“Always.” As the swarm of hobyahs began edging forward again, I put two fingers in my mouth and blew out a piercing whistle.
A sudden, haunting howl echoed it. The hobyahs cringed, spinning around, their eyes going wide with fear.
The Wolf hurled himself into the midst of the hobyahs with a roar that shook the ground, and the creatures screamed in panic. “Dog!” they shrieked, throwing up their hands and running about in terror. “Dog!
Dog!”
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The Wolf bared his teeth. “I. Am not. A dog!” he roared, and lunged for the nearest hobyah, grabbing it by the head and shaking it viciously.
I took Ariel a’s hand and pulled her away, Puck close behind and muttering curses. The hobyahs didn’t try to stop us. Together, we f led the camp, hearing the Wolf ’s roars and the hobyah’s squeals of panic echo behind us.
“Ash,” Ariel a said, grabbing my arm, “wait! We’re not being followed.
Stop for a moment, please.”
I staggered to a halt, ignoring the urge to put my hand against the nearest tree to stop the ground from spinning. The chaos in the hobyah village had long faded behind us, but I’d wanted to get as far from the creatures as possible, in case they decided to come after us once more. If the Wolf left any alive.
My chest and shoulder still burned where the hobyah shaman had spat on me. Ignoring the pain crawling down my back, I leaned against a cool, mossy trunk and gazed around, trying to get my bearings. The trees here were giant, ancient things, and you could almost feel their eyes on you, cold and unamused by the intruders in their midst.
“Well, that was all kinds of fun.” Puck blew out a breath and raked a hand through his hair. “Just like old times. Except for the whole getting drugged and having to be rescued thing. That’s gonna sting later, I just know it.” Groaning, he sat on a nearby rock, rubbing a bruise on his shoulder. “Nice of you to come after us, ice-boy,” he drawled. “If I didn’t know better by now, I’d almost think you cared.” I forced a smirk in his direction. “It wouldn’t be nearly as satisfying if I didn’t get to kill you myself,” I replied, and Puck grinned.
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A cool hand touched my cheek. I looked up into Ariel a’s concerned gaze. “Are you all right?” she asked, placing the other palm on my forehead.
I closed my eyes against the softness. “You’re burning up. What happened?”
“You smell sick, prince,” the Wolf growled, coming out of nowhere.
“Like weakness. You won’t make it to the End of the World like that.”
“The shaman,” I replied. “He…spit on me. Did something to me, I think.” The burning in my chest and shoulder had gone numb and was now spreading throughout my body. I realized I could no longer feel my arm.
“Hobyah venom is hall ucinogenic,” the Wolf continued, curling his lip.
“You’re in for an interesting night, little prince, if you wake up at all.” The trees were beginning to move strangely, centuries-old giants swaying like will ows. I squeezed my eyes shut to clear the visions, and when I opened them again, I was lying on my back while tiny lights danced and swirled over my head.
Someone’s face bent over me, starlight eyes filled with worry. She was beautiful, a vision come to life. But she was fading, growing dimmer and dimmer, until only her eyes were left, staring at me. Then they blinked, and the world cut out altogether.