The late afternoon sun dappled through the canopy, casting long, lazy shadows across the forest floor.
Kael groaned.
The sound was deep and gravelly, scraping against his dry throat. He blinked his eyes open, expecting to see the dirt of forest floor. Instead, he was lying on a surprisingly comfortable pile of large, waxy leaves.
His entire body felt like it had been chewed on by a rock monster. His ribs throbbed in time with his heartbeat, and his skin felt tight and bruised.
He turned his head slowly.
Seated on a fallen log a few feet away was the Snake King.
Syris looked as pristine as ever, his black silk robe unruffled. He was casually picking bright purple berries from a bush and popping them into his mouth one by one.
"Those are Nightshade," Kael rasped, his voice strained. "They kill a bear in ten heartbeats."
Syris paused, a berry halfway to his lips.
"I'm not a bear," Syris commented dryly, tossing the berry into his mouth and chewing slowly.
