Snakeroot

A living nightmare

Adne had never fainted before, but now, even on her knees, she couldn t keep her balance. Black fog poured into her mind, blotting out the real world and forcing her into a waking nightmare.

She knew the scene immediately, but somehow being in the garden amplified her awareness that this dream was something more than a product of her own imagination. She was too aware of the earth beneath her, how alive it was. With her hands on the ground, Adne could feel everything the channels and pathways of roots and rivers, minerals and magma. And the earth knew her. Beneath her palms, it shuddered.

Very good.

Adne squeezed her eyes shut. She knew the voice but refused to acknowledge it. This is not happening. He is not here.

She wished she could close her ears along with her eyes so she wouldn t hear the footfalls that brought him next to her. His presence was overwhelming. Powerful, and inexplicably alluring.

I love this place, Bosque Mar said, his voice cool as silk. The garden was what brought you to me. This is our place.

Still huddled with her eyes closed, Adne whispered, No.

Bosque laughed. Such a fighter. You remind me of her.

Stop. Adne felt tears rising in her throat.

He was close. Too close. She could sense his body as he crouched beside her. It s time for you to come with me.

Adne screamed, rolling away from him. No!

She lashed out with one arm, finally opening her eyes. She struck at nothing but the air.





ADNE HAD LEARNED to live with nightmares years ago. Since the day her mother suffered and died, tangled in the shadow grip of Bosque Mar s evil wraith, Adne often woke trembling, covered in sweat, with a throat raw from screams. Wanting to show a brave face, she hadn t told anyone not her father, not even Connor how frequently the night terrors shook her from sleep, sudden and violent. But

Andrea Cremer is the internationally bestselling author of the Nightshade series, which includes Nightshade, Wolfsbane, Bloodrose, Snakeroot, Rift, and Rise. She is also the author of Invisibility, which she co-wrote with David Levithan, and most recently, The Inventor's Secret and its sequel The Conjurer's Riddle. When she's not writing novels, Andrea puts her PhD to work teaching classes in writing and history at Macalaster College. She lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Visit Andrea online at www.andreacremer.com and follow her on Twitter @andreacremer

Praise for Snakeroot

"The swift pace, romantic sensuality, and powerful magic will keep readers glued to the page."--Booklist

"Cremer, as always, keeps the narrative moving along briskly . . . Plenty of suspense sets the stage for continuing this hit series."--Kirkus Reviews