It’s #bookqw and a ‘fast’ escape isn’t possible for my heroine!
Today’s excerpt is from Chapter 4:
Apparently, yonder was in the evergreens they flew toward. The ridge of oak trees gave way to a wall of pines spiking far above the regular trees’ height.
“Wow,” Fern whispered. “They’re huge.”
“Watch yourself,” called Rescuer Guy. With rapid wing beats, they rose at a stomach-rolling angle, pulling her with them. Wide, prickly treetops blocked the way, and instead of going over them, they flew between branches, passing what looked like full-sized trees growing on limbs of other, more massive trees. Her legs dangled precariously low, the soles of her running shoes skimming needled branches.
A clearing opened up. Across it stood a huge trunk with a hollow among a thicket of branches. They zoomed closer. Burns scorched the edges of the cavelike opening. Dammit, they were going to hit it if they didn’t slow down.
Fern didn’t want to look, but she couldn’t not look, and at the last second, they soared into the tree hollow and crashed to the floor, skidding as she screamed. They rolled over and into each other, scraping to a stop in what felt like crunchy dirt.
This place smelled of fresh pine, and the floor felt warm beneath her…though moving. In sharp gasps. Fern opened her eyes. She’d landed half on Rescuer Guy, and his chest was heaving up against hers.
She scrambled up so fast her head swam. She caught herself on hands and knees, pausing as dizziness blinded her and that weird finger-tingling started up again. Fern pressed a hand to her belly, feeling through her wet T-shirt for her pouch. Thank goodness—her teardrop hadn’t fallen. Then she slid her hand along her cargo pants. Her phone was still there, if it wasn’t dead from the soaking. The island had service, but Gran didn’t have a phone, and if Fern had to call Mom—crap, for this, she would.
The lightheadedness passed, though the floor was still swaying—the big tree was moving.
Raven was already getting to his feet, his black wings folded.
Fern shoved up into a crouch and tried to stand, but promptly had to drop to a squat again. “What the—” Be nice. She ground a fist into her forehead and looked around. The hollow in this massive tree was bigger than her loft bedroom. The dim space held a cot, neatly made with blankets, and a chest. Several shelves lined the walls, with pegs mounted below, one holding a green woolen cape similar to the brightly colored ones Fern borrowed from Gran when the weather turned cold.
Her gaze found Raven again. “Why did you bring me here?”
He blew out an exasperated breath. “To fetch you help. In a place that’s dry. Out there, it’ll be raining in a quarter hour.”
The other guy rolled to his side, eyes closed as he gasped. “Sometimes,” he hissed, “you have the most harebrained ideas.”
“I do not!” snapped Raven.
“I don’t buy it either.” Queasiness rolled through Fern—the weird portals, the muck, flying, the swaying tree. “Rain or not, I have work to do. Why couldn’t we go to Hillux?”
Someplace she knew.
“Believe me, I’m askin’ myself the same thing.”
~~~
I hope you’ve enjoyed this excerpt! I’m working on enrolling in Kindle Unlimited for a 90 day period to give those readers a chance to enjoy the story. For now, the ebook and paperback are available at
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