I handed Helene an ordinary steel knife in a sheath. “Belt it around your waist.”
She did as I commanded, fumbling with the buckle. “Where are we supposed to go?” Her voice shook so badly I almostcouldn’t understand. “We have no friends left. No allies who could help us.”
“The Dags will take you to Yargoth,” I said firmly, entirely uncertain if that was true.
We had no plan. We weren’t ready.
“To Dagriel? That will take days.” Helene swayed.
Ruru smiled brightly. “It’s an easy trip, and you’ll love the mountains. Lots of animals there,” he said with a wink at Isabel.
Helene stared at him as if he had two heads.
I slung Nikella’s medicine bag over my shoulder. “It’s death here or a short trip to Dagriel, Helene. Your choice.”
The woman stiffened, a defiant gleam emerging in her eyes. She clutched at her chest, which crinkled strangely like paper under the bodice of her dress. “Very well. Lead the way.”
I marched into the tunnel. Pax darted ahead of me, and the others followed close behind.
The sudden hush and darkness of the tunnel jarred me. But for the first time, I wished we could stay in it longer. Nothing good awaited us outside.
A wet nose nuzzled my palm. I clenched my teeth to keep from yelping. Pax must have decided the way ahead was clear.
Sweat tickled my skin as I trudged the last few steps, bumping into the ladder.
“Ruru,” I whispered. I was carrying too much extra weight.
He slid past me and climbed up to push the trapdoor open. “All clear,” he whispered back.
He heaved himself out. I handed him half of the weapons, then clambered into the dark forest.
No one jumped at me from the shadows, but that didn’t mean they weren’t watching.
Flames engulfed the manor and the surrounding buildings. Horses shrieked and galloped around fleeing and fighting figures.
Had Aiden and Nikella left through the back door?
I couldn’t see their faces, but if there was still a fight, our people must still be alive.
Ruru reached into the hole and pulled out Isabel, who was still carrying the death-defying lizard, then Helene.
“How do we get Pax out?” he muttered.
Isabel leaned into the hole. “Pax, climb!”
A skitter of paws, and Pax vaulted out of the hole as if he’d run up the ladder.
I clutched my bow, peering into the melee in the yard. I hadn’t practiced much with the bow, and I wanted to help, but I might hit the wrong person.
Andwherewere Aiden and Nikella?
A shout rose, and my heart leaped in my chest. Maz. He lifted his bloody axe above his head and roared into the night.
They’d won. I counted three golden-haired Dags and the silver-haired Jek. They rounded up some of the panicked horses and urged them into the woods toward us.
“Help them with the horses,” I told Ruru. “And give them these.” I shucked off a few of the extra weapons I carried. They would have to sort them out later.
Ruru gripped my hand fiercely. “I’ll be right back.”
