Free Beguiled (Book 2 Immortal Essence series) by Rashelle Workman

trees thick trunk yawned a weathered face. The eyebrows were tilted in anger. Empty crimson eyes stared at nothing. Its nose was a tangled branch and its mouth was opened . The top of the tree sprouted winding branches filled with blackened leaves. Strange creatures hid within them . A snake , with flowing red hair and the tail of a n angelfish , curled around an upper branch. Monkeys with curved beaks and wings hung by their tails. On a lower branch sat a le opard-man with a forked tongue. A child kneeled in the sand , playing with a shovel and pail. Near the boys’ big toe was a crab about to pinch, and behind the boy slithered a giant snake with a tiger’s man e . Beneath the sand were the trees ’ roots. They feathered out like veins. Sharire, octopi, and whaletins circled hungrily below.
    “Seriously creepy,” Palmo added.
    “Stand back,” Zaren said. “I’m going to open the door.” H e pulled on the diamond and ruby encrusted handle. Nothing happened. He pulled again.
    “Let me try ,” Dervinias said, shouldering Zaren out of the way.
    It didn’t budge.
    “There’s got to be something else,” I said, scrutinizing every inch of the picture . The child smiled . I brushed away a piece of dirt near his cheek. At my touch, the child ran away, disappearing from the picture , and strange writing appeared.
    “Freaky,” Chev said .
    “Will you read it, Venus,” Zaren asked.
    With an unsteady voice, I began :
    My first is in hauntingly but not in laughingly
    My second is in generator but not in regnant
    My first is in burnout but not in brunt
    My second is in temple but not in melt
    My third is in rasher but not in harsh
    My fourth is in pertinence but not in receipt
    My first is in into but not in ion
    My second is in whither but not in rewrite
    My third is in scrubber but not in scrub
    My first is in prude but not in upper
    My second is in ornament but not in remnant
    My third is in secretion but not in strictness
    My fourth is in confiscator but not in ossification
    My first is in prosperous but not in propose
    My second is in shaver but not in heaver
    My third is in patella but not in plat
    My first is in constituency but not in incestuousness
    My second is in intercontinental but not in tricentennial
    My third is in enthusiastically but not in synthetically
    My fourth is in transitiveness but not in inattentiveness
    My first is in filing but not in lining
    My second is in restoration but not in ornateness
    My third is in nonferrous but not in forerunner
    My fourth is in alternate but not in learner
    When I finished, Palmo let out a frustrated groan and stomped around like a kelni child who didn’t get his way . “What the helker does it mean? I heard the words, but it makes no sense .”
    “Zaren? ” I questioned , hoping he had a clue.
    “I’m not sure.”
    “It’s a riddle,” Dervinias chimed in , taking Chev’s hand in his, and patting it . “They’re popular on Earth.”
    “Right,” Chev agreed, perking up at the mention of her planet.
    “What’s a riddle?” Palmo probed, obviously still confused .
    “It’s like a n amere ,” Dervinias said , lacing his fingers together . “ Ea ch piece must be joined precisely, in its proper place, or it’ll fall apart.”
    As if to emphasize the point, the room started to shake violently again , careening us into each other. Chev clung onto Dervinias, and I grabbed Zaren’s arm.
    “Now what?” Palmo yelled .
    “It looks like we’ve got company.” Dervinias indicated the other side of the room.
    Zaren and I turned as though we were a solid unit. Three creatures , their faces furry and spotted like a leopard stood at attention like so ldiers awaiting their orders. Their eyes held no pup il, and glowed red. They wore silver tunics with matching pants and shoes that reminded me of slippers . The fabric on the tunic shone like a dying star giving off its last light . Around each waist was a belt filled with varying weapons, and crisscrossed