At that moment, a massive spider-like beast suddenly crashed through the trees, its eight legs thundering against the ground as it charged toward her.
"What the hell!" Willow's heart lurched. She barely managed to jump to her feet before sprinting through the underbrush, her breath ragged, her pulse wild.
But the creature was fast. Too fast. Its chittering cry echoed behind her, the ground trembling with each of its strides. Just as one of its jagged limbs was about to snatch her, black smoky tendrils burst through the air, coiling tightly around her waist.
Willow gasped as the shadows yanked her upward, away from the monster and into the air before gently lowering her in front of Navian. He looked utterly spent, his dark hair disheveled, coat torn at the edges, silver eyes sharp yet weary.
"Navian!" she breathed, relief flooding through her chest.
