Read Online The Beginning of Connie and Isaac: Blue Butterfly Series (The Blue Butterfly Book 3) by D. H. Sidebottom - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: D. H. Sidebottom
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cheek. “You will. You have to. You’re mine, Shadow. And not even death will take you from me.”
I FACED THE cluster of trees at the south entrance to Bleak Woods, the shadows they set on the ground around my feet a warning of how I was about to be eaten in their depths.
My team, West, were silent in the seconds before I ventured in. I could feel their despair and terror for me. Each one settled their hand on my shoulder, giving me a squeeze of comfort before they filtered away, leaving me with Isaac.
I heard his heavy swallow and turned to him, forcing a small smile. “I promise.”
He gave me a nod, his gaze locking me in his spell as he reached out and grabbed my hand. “You do what you must in there, Shadow. For the first couple of miles you’ll be safe… well, from Ice, anyway. He’s coming in from the north entrance so it’ll be a good way in before you meet him.” I nodded firmly. “Use whatever you can, and take what the woods give you naturally.”
I nodded again, desperately trying to moisten my dry mouth. “Is there a time limit?”
He shook his head. “No. You need to come back to the south exit though; that’s the only rule. Whoever exits from their respective entry point wins. If you leave from the north, you lose.”
“But I thought it was just the one out that wins.”
“Well, it is, but if you fail to leave through this point you’ll still lose. That’s all there is to it, really. Kill Ice then come back here.”
“So simple,” I whispered as I squeezed my eyes closed.
Isaac clenched my hand hard. “You can do this, Shadow. I know you can. I wouldn’t have insisted you were on my team if I didn’t think…”
“You requested me?”
“I did. So don’t let me down, pretty girl.”
His eyes softened on me for a moment. He turned to look over his shoulder, searching for the others, but when he found them further down near the bottom of the hill, he leaned forward and pressed his lips to mine. “I’ll await your return. Stay safe and use your head, my love.” He turned abruptly and walked away, leaving my heart spinning with his endearment.
Blowing out a breath, I turned back to the woods. Looking down at the shadows around me, I smiled. The shadows were on my side, their worship of their namesake giving me their strength. “Let’s do this,” I whispered to them as I ventured in.
Every creak, every whispered sound, caught my attention and I spun in circles for the first hour until I forced my heart rate to settle. I chastised myself. My nerves were my enemy and unless I got a grip of myself then I knew I would lose. I’d thought every noise was Ice, that he’d found me and I was about to kiss my life goodbye.
The density of the trees was like a manmade trap. Every now and again their gnarled and jagged branches tore at my skin, their roots causing me to stumble in the darkness of its depths. Leaves, weeds and undergrowth had me hissing curse words more than I managed to gain farther access into the forest. My body shook with a chill after I’d had to crawl through and over some streams, the bottom anything but smooth as sharp rocks and stones ripped into the bottom of my boots. The trees kept out any natural light so my clothes remained wet and heavy against my icy skin.
Stumbling through to a small clearing, I blew out my breath and plonked down onto the ground as I reached into my backpack for some water. Taking a gulp, I noticed a high and rounded pile of leaves and debris, obviously made from some sort of wildlife. Clambering across to it, making sure there were no baby animals nestling inside, a faint smile curved my lips as a plan came into my head.
Snatching up a stone and some more dry branches, I rubbed at them furiously like Isaac had taught me, a small cry of glee leaving me when some sparks leapt out and started to kindle the arid leaves. Blowing gently on it, I clapped my hands, proud of myself when the debris burst into small flames, each licking
I FACED THE cluster of trees at the south entrance to Bleak Woods, the shadows they set on the ground around my feet a warning of how I was about to be eaten in their depths.
My team, West, were silent in the seconds before I ventured in. I could feel their despair and terror for me. Each one settled their hand on my shoulder, giving me a squeeze of comfort before they filtered away, leaving me with Isaac.
I heard his heavy swallow and turned to him, forcing a small smile. “I promise.”
He gave me a nod, his gaze locking me in his spell as he reached out and grabbed my hand. “You do what you must in there, Shadow. For the first couple of miles you’ll be safe… well, from Ice, anyway. He’s coming in from the north entrance so it’ll be a good way in before you meet him.” I nodded firmly. “Use whatever you can, and take what the woods give you naturally.”
I nodded again, desperately trying to moisten my dry mouth. “Is there a time limit?”
He shook his head. “No. You need to come back to the south exit though; that’s the only rule. Whoever exits from their respective entry point wins. If you leave from the north, you lose.”
“But I thought it was just the one out that wins.”
“Well, it is, but if you fail to leave through this point you’ll still lose. That’s all there is to it, really. Kill Ice then come back here.”
“So simple,” I whispered as I squeezed my eyes closed.
Isaac clenched my hand hard. “You can do this, Shadow. I know you can. I wouldn’t have insisted you were on my team if I didn’t think…”
“You requested me?”
“I did. So don’t let me down, pretty girl.”
His eyes softened on me for a moment. He turned to look over his shoulder, searching for the others, but when he found them further down near the bottom of the hill, he leaned forward and pressed his lips to mine. “I’ll await your return. Stay safe and use your head, my love.” He turned abruptly and walked away, leaving my heart spinning with his endearment.
Blowing out a breath, I turned back to the woods. Looking down at the shadows around me, I smiled. The shadows were on my side, their worship of their namesake giving me their strength. “Let’s do this,” I whispered to them as I ventured in.
Every creak, every whispered sound, caught my attention and I spun in circles for the first hour until I forced my heart rate to settle. I chastised myself. My nerves were my enemy and unless I got a grip of myself then I knew I would lose. I’d thought every noise was Ice, that he’d found me and I was about to kiss my life goodbye.
The density of the trees was like a manmade trap. Every now and again their gnarled and jagged branches tore at my skin, their roots causing me to stumble in the darkness of its depths. Leaves, weeds and undergrowth had me hissing curse words more than I managed to gain farther access into the forest. My body shook with a chill after I’d had to crawl through and over some streams, the bottom anything but smooth as sharp rocks and stones ripped into the bottom of my boots. The trees kept out any natural light so my clothes remained wet and heavy against my icy skin.
Stumbling through to a small clearing, I blew out my breath and plonked down onto the ground as I reached into my backpack for some water. Taking a gulp, I noticed a high and rounded pile of leaves and debris, obviously made from some sort of wildlife. Clambering across to it, making sure there were no baby animals nestling inside, a faint smile curved my lips as a plan came into my head.
Snatching up a stone and some more dry branches, I rubbed at them furiously like Isaac had taught me, a small cry of glee leaving me when some sparks leapt out and started to kindle the arid leaves. Blowing gently on it, I clapped my hands, proud of myself when the debris burst into small flames, each licking
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