I brushed past him.
But he shouted. “Spy! She’s a spy!”
“Run!” Ruru yanked on my arm, and we sprinted past the tents.
Something dull and heavy hit me in the back, but I kept running. Jek and the others were waiting, already atop their horses. Nikella held the reins of Ozlow and Ruru’s horse.
Footsteps pounded behind us.
The two guards at the fence stared with open mouths.
“Stop her!” the soldier chasing us roared.
The guards whipped out their swords. Jek, Sigrid, and Yarina pulled out theirs and charged them.
Nikella aimed her bow and an arrow at us. “Split!”
Ruru and I veered away from each other, and she loosed her arrow. It streaked between us. A grunt, and something crashed to the ground.
Ruru and I swung onto our horses.
Metal clashed as the Dags fought the guards. Sigrid stabbed one while Jek and Yarina knocked down the other.
“Go!” Jek roared, jerking his horse to the north and taking off at a gallop.
The rest of us tore after him.
I twisted around to glance back at the encampment. No one pursued us. Shouts and clanging bells still rose to the sky with the sparks I’d set.
We rode hard to the stream and splashed back through to the other side.
The plan was to wait here until Aiden and Maz were back.
We dismounted, panting and sweating. Ruru groaned, still on his horse.
“He was . . . injured,” I said, breathing heavily.
“Get my supplies,” Nikella said as she helped Ruru dismount.
I staggered to the bushes where we’d hidden our bags and other weapons near Wicked, Valiant, and our packhorse. I grabbed Nikella’s bag.
But then a rough hand clamped around my mouth. Cold metal slid against my throat.
“Scream, and I’ll gut you here and now, girl.”
Chapter 29
Aiden
The fire drewsoldiers from every direction. Except two that stayed in front of the mine entrance.
I took a deep breath and stepped out of the shadows, Maz at my side. We strode forward like two Wolves who had every right and reason to enter that gods-forsaken mine.
One soldier’s eyes darted to my mask, then away. He wouldn’t risk stopping us.
We brushed past them and descended the stairs. Deeper. Deeper. The worn soles of our boots made little noise even in the stone tunnel.
No torches lit our descent. I always thought that was purposeful. To instill fear in the prisoners being dragged down here. I remembered scrambling up these steps like a desperate rat when we escaped.
