To Kill A Villain (Descendants Series #1)

Waiting for the eclipse in the forest feels like waiting for my death. Beads of sweat ran down my forehead, my palms wet from it, and my heart madly thumped against my chest so hard I could almost hear it. It’s only a matter of time before the serpent rises from the ocean to consume the sun and for the corpses, Eldershades, to suck the blood out of me or maybe tickle me to death if they want the experience to be a little bit fun. My gaze settles on the plant. It has a slender brown stem and around the stem are red thorns that look like they are painted with fresh blood. Behind the plant is a giant tree. The trunk is carved with strange characters in the Manx Gaelic language, Fern-y-hooie, a marker I made as a guide to easily locate where the flower is. Nightfern is a rare flower that only blooms during the first hour of an eclipse. This flower is harmless, though when its petals are mixed with other certain ingredients, it creates a poison that would bring immense pain to the flesh of someone for a period of time. The petals are the catalyst I need to finish the poison I would need to hand over to my older brother before his journey to stop an evil mortal who dares to threaten to burn this realm to ashes. At some point, I just want to run back to my village and leave the dangers of these woods behind. The only thing stopping me is the reminder that this is the least I can do to protect my family from the mortal’s plan. I look up when a wild gust of wind threatens to sway the brown leaves of the giant, ancient trees towering over me. Practically, these trees are alive, though they seem lifeless. Their branches are stiff and motionless, resembling skeletal arms stretching out in all directions. Some branches intertwine like frozen dancers caught mid-performance. My grip on the bow I’m holding tightens as I hear a thunderous roar that shakes the ground beneath me. The sky, illuminated by the harsh light of the sun, begins to darken as a massive serpent makes its way through the sky. Its body glimmers with dark, shiny blue scales that mirror the ocean where the creature lives. It releases a rumbling roar for the second time before it stretches its mouth to swallow the glistening sun whole. Slowly, the darkness consumes my surroundings. My gaze falls to the Nightfern, waiting for the flower to bloom. The petals begin to rise gracefully, pleased by the complete darkness around them. Careful not to make any sounds, I raise my hands to pick the petals but stop mid-air when I smell rotting flesh. I am not given a second to think when I am brought to the ground as a decaying body lunges towards me. An Eldershade. Adrenaline seems to work because despite my thin legs, I am able to kick the body away from me. A piece of rotten flesh, from the body of the corpse that lunged at me, hangs on my shoulder; I almost threw up. My sight has adjusted to the dim light and I can clearly see the corpse, struggling to stand up because of its weak limbs. I position my bow and draw back its bowstring. Dark-cold smoke dances around the weapon and around my palms as I stretch it. My hand trembles at the tension of the string as it reaches its apex. The arrow hisses through the air upon release before it strikes the corpse’s body, but my eyes widen when my cursed arrow, which is supposed to suck the life out of a minor creature’s body, seems to have no effect on the Eldershade. Stupid. I should have known that they are dead and lifeless for the curse to work on them. The smell of decaying flesh worsens as, meters away, a group of Eldershades runs towards me. I have never met an Eldershade, let alone a pack of them. Their red, pointed tongues lolling back. Their bodies are stiff while running, and they are fast. Even faster than I imagined. I glance at the Nightfern, beside the Eldershade, for a second. One hour. I should be back before the hour ends. I start running across the mossy and grassy ground. I start running like the world would burn if I slow down. I start running like a desperate mortal that I haven't noticed the thorny vines in my way. I am slammed to the ground. I can feel the thorns sticking in my flesh. I look back. Move. Move. Move. Hissing, I force myself to get up and run again for my dear life. I rummage my brain for information, knowledge, or anything that might save me from these Eldershades. My older brother hasn't taught me anything about them. He simply told me not to go into the woods at night and described them to me as blood-sucking monsters who came back from their graves after they had been murdered brutally. He told me I could differentiate the Eldershades by their rotting smell, stiff body, weak joints, and— A sudden realization dawns upon me. Stiff body… weak bones… If what I'm thinking is right— I almost trip when a corpse gets hold of my neck but I slip from its grasp. They are fast. I bite my lips and begin testing my luck. I run in a zigzag manner. I run despite the throbbing pain in my neck and legs. It's almost time. I glance back and see that they are a meter from reaching me, though the joints give them a tough time changing directions. I curse in happiness upon seeing a man a few feet away from me, kneeling in front of a plant as tall as his shoulders. I blink when the plant withers away. The leaves fall tragically to the ground. I must be hallucinating. Yet he seems like a descendant of Valor, the Keeper of the terrestrial realm. In these woods, he can help me. Frantically waving my hands while running, I shout, “Help me! Please, I'm here!” A cold, harsh breeze passes through my face. I can feel his eyes finally on me. A wave of hope runs through my system but it is short-lived. Upon getting close, he laughs. Smiling mischievously at me like I'm some kind of performer and he is pleased and entertained with what's happening in front of him. He does nothing but watch me. Seconds later, I scream when a giant tree falls in front of me followed by another, and another until I can't count anymore. A heavy branch of a tree falls on my shoulder but I don't mind it and just run. However, I am suddenly slammed and dragged ruthlessly on the rough ground when moving vines catch my feet. I pull my blade out and s***h the vines wrapped around my feet. Upon getting up, I feel a painful sensation on my back. I grit my teeth. Right, I am hated by mortals. They would rather kill me than help me. I shift direction, still running in a zigzag manner, mindful of the Eldershades chasing me. The trees in my path are falling quickly, the grasses around me moving to inflict wounds on me, sharp pebbles flying in all directions, slashing through my skin. My breathing is ragged. I have to get to the Nightfern. From a distance, I see a lake. Legends say you would rather die than swim in a lake at night, where violent spirits are active. I chose the latter. Without hesitation, I jump into the water. The world goes silent for a second before I emerge from the water. The Eldershades follow me, they jump trying to reach me. I squeeze my eyes tight. I can feel my frantic heartbeats as I wait for my doom to come but nothing comes. Slowly, I open my lids and they widen when the last Eldershade’s body, which jumped mindlessly into the water, turns into maggots. For a moment, I gape. I only move when I am reminded of where I am, of the man who's trying to kill me, and the petals I came here for. Luckily, I haven't encountered any spirits as I get out of the water. I look back to the part of the woods where I came from. The woods are quiet again. I release a sigh of relief before running through the forest again only to find out that the Nightfern is empty of petals when I arrive. Someone got to it first.