The clearing exploded into a sea of pale, writhing flesh. The distraction was over, and the thousands of offspring that had been fighting the soldiers were now flooding back to protect their Mother. The sound was like a million dry leaves skittering over stone, mixed with the wet, heavy thuds of the giant protectors.
"They're here!" Skall shouted over the noise.
He didn't look back. He was already a blur. He moved toward the wall of six giant protector worms that stood between them and the Mother.
Behind them, the first wave of the returning swarm hit. Thousands of smaller worms poured into the clearing like a flash flood. Lena felt the ground shake. She knew that if they stayed in one place, they would be buried in seconds.
"Vane! Ollen! Give me everything!" Lena's voice echoed, amplified by her demonic power.
