Page 70 of Secrets of Ruin

Alina landed beside Lexi and unleashed a wave of fire on the goblins no one could see.

CHAPTER SIXTY-NINE

Screams rent the air as Alina torched the goblins. Their magic slipped, making the small creatures visible while they streaked through the jungle with fire trailing them. As they ran, the vegetation shriveled and dried as more of it caught fire.

Anarchy ruled the jungle as more goblins brought down their allies, dragons swooped down to destroy some of the ophidians and goblins, and more serpents flooded the area. Lexi sprinted from the flames, unhurt by them as her clothes burned away.

Silver, scalelike dragon markings etched Lexi’s skin as it glowed beneath the sun’s rays. Brokk wouldn’t be stunned to see her take flight like the dragons as rage emanated from her.

She unleashed more fire on the goblins swarming over Cole, careful to keep it under control and away from him, as she torched the little fuckers. Together, she and Cole successfully destroyed the goblins trying to take them down.

Brokk hacked through the middle of an ophidian while Kaylia used some of the flames from Alina’s blast to throw a ball of fire into the faces of the ophidians closest to her. Lightning continued to bombard the jungle, exploding those it hit and leaving craters behind.

Blasts of wind swirled up from the amsirah and witches; they flung some of the ophidians into the trees, where either flames engulfed them or dragons ate them. They bit the monsters in half and spat out what remained.

Body parts and blood littered the area as the fire spread around them. Brokk carved through more of the ophidians as he and Kaylia made their way toward Varo, who was fighting off a horde of goblins a few feet away.

Unable to see the hideous monsters, Brokk plunged his sword into the air, keeping it away from Varo. Blood stained the tip of his blade, the creatures wailed, and together, he and Kaylia freed Varo from the unseen mass.

Across the way, Orin, Maverick, Del, and Sahira fought off the horde of ophidians surrounding them. Brokk hacked through more of the ophidians and kicked off a goblin that latched onto his leg.

He couldn’t see the creature, but its claws bit into his flesh as it slid down his leg. Swinging his sword down, he sent the creature flying in a spray of blood that showed bright red against the sky.

The goblin turned visible ten feet away from him as it tumbled through the air. A wave of dragons swept over the earth, one right after the other; they unleashed a torrent upon it, tearing it to shreds and flinging debris everywhere.

A lightning bolt shot straight past Brokk’s head. It crackled against his ear, his hair stood on end, and a jolt of electricity vibrated against him before it struck the ophidian he hadn’t seen approaching from behind. The bolt hit the creature and flung it into two more.

He nodded thanks to Ryker as the amsirah general lowered his arms. Dozens of brownies raced past him, screaming as they charged at more ophidians.

The small creatures clambered up their tails, scaled their backs, and tore at them with frenzied motions. They were relentless as they used their weapons, hands, and teeth to savage the ophidians.

When another ophidian spun and lashed out with its tail. Orin and Sahira jumped to avoid being whipped by it.

Zeth caught the offending appendage and, with a violent wrench, jerked the tail up. He lifted the ophidian ten feet off the ground before slamming him down.

Flames blazed from Lexi’s hands as she set another ophidian on fire, and more goblins screamed as the shadows tore them in two. Swords clashed, and Maverick transformed into his wolflike state to clamp his teeth to the end of another ophidian’s tail.

He lifted the serpent off the ground and whipped it back and forth. He finally bashed it into a tree and released it as a dragon dove to scoop it up. Beside him, Kaylia used more of the fire to send a flaming ball at the ophidians.

Smoke drifted through the jungle, the dragons roared, trees splintered apart and crashed to the ground with resounding thuds, flames crackled, but a strange calm descended over the land. The ophidians were retreating, and Brokk had no idea what the goblins were up to, but they must have fled as no one was getting attacked anymore.

Brokk turned to Kaylia as, over her shoulder, Ryker, Tucker, and two other amsirah fighters plunged into the woods after the ophidians. This battle was winding down, but they still hunted their king.

Brokk was tired of fighting; he was battered and bloodied but couldn’t let them go alone. “Stay here,” he said to Kaylia.

Before she could respond, he plunged into the jungle after Ryker and his men.

CHAPTER SEVENTY

Kaylia didn’t hesitate; she would never stay behind while Brokk went after Ryker and the ophidians. Running into the jungle after them, she ignored the slap of the vegetation against her, the crackle of the flames leaping through the trees, and the fiery debris falling around her.

Some of it landed on her clothes, and when it did, she pushed aside or slapped away the sparks before they could worsen things. She battered at the foliage trying to suffocate her within its thick depths and keep her from Brokk.

Before, it always felt like the jungle was moving around her, changing and shifting while holding them back, but now she was certain of it. She didn’t know if it was malevolent or trying to help as it snagged in her hair and clothes and entangled her wrists; she didn’t care to find out.

Her lungs burned, and her skin felt like it did when the ophidians flogged her as the branches and leaves whipped at her. Sweat soaked her clothes, adhering them to her and turning them into a cloying monstrosity bent on taking her down.

Kaylia was only seconds behind Brokk but couldn’t see him through the thick vegetation. She heard him though, somewhere ahead… or maybe it wasn’t him… maybe it was something far worse.