The red-hot charcoal dashed across the seeper’s face, sinking into the gloopy liquid it was made of and burning. There was something in all that rot that liked fire. Liska could see flames start to form inside the creature’s head. Sparks that landed in its mouth caught light as well and then it was rolling on the ground, beating its body against the earth, trying to put itself out.

Liska looked across to the second seeper and saw Fishbone on its back ripping out hunks of grey steaming goo with his claws and yowling fit to burst. The seeper danced around, trying to knock the kittimew free with its gummy oozing claws, but it was too slow. Fishbone danced up and down its back like a rodeo rider, scratching and tearing, clawing and gouging.

Lug was still praying, mittened hands raised to the sky, safe out of danger.

That just left—

Before she could turn to face the third seeper and Thresher herself, Liska was hit from behind. She was knocked to the ground, face in the cold moss, and a wave of rotten stink rushed over her.

Liska fought to get up but the thing was too heavy. A paw of rancid goo came down on one of her beautiful eagle wings, pinning it flat, crushing the delicate bone and tearing at the pin feathers.

‘No!’ she growled, seeing dripping jaws above, lowering towards her head. She looked across to watch Thresher leap the fire and swing her spear in a wide, flat arc that hit Fishbone across the back, knocking him off the seeper and sending him flying into one of Nammu’s massive roots.

‘By the sacred segments of Nematus, I smite you with the power of all wormkind!’ Lug stood and threw a handful of stringy, pale things at the hunter – the best worms he could summon. They spattered over her shoulders then slithered off like slimy rain. She looked mildly surprised.

‘Oh, not again!’ Lug wailed.

Between them all, they had lasted two minutes, if that. Now Thresher just had to finish them off and her hounds could tear apart Embla before she was properly reborn.

Liska closed her eyes.

She could feel the seeper’s jaw edging down, tickling the hackles at the back of her neck, ready for the final crunch that would crush her spine.

Closer . . .

Closer . . .

Chapter 14

Liska heard a sound. A ripping: a wet tearing, splintering mixed with a scream of pure boiling rage and agony.

She opened one eye a crack and saw Embla – or rather the thing Embla had become – pulling at its half-formed hand, wrenching it from the trunk of Nammu.

Tendrils frayed and snapped; soft, white heartwood splintered and flaked. Slowly, painfully, the fist came free, breaking its last few connections with a chorus of pops.

And then Embla was charging towards them, her wooden face bent into a scream of fury, her new eyes glowing blue with pure magic.