We spoke little as we continued north. When Aiden rode past us, I turned my face away.
Dawn came and went. The air grew colder, stabbing at my nose. The golden trees faded away, leaving only a blanket of fuzzy pines.
Nikella passed me dried meat and apples for lunch, but we never left the saddle. As the sun set again, I was beginning to think I’d never be able to fight if I couldn’t regain feeling in my ass.
But I forgot all about my aching body when we heard the horns. Faint, but blowing fast and frantic. Fear rippled through our party with grim expressions and stamping hooves.
Jek shouted, “Onward, faster!”
Everyone galloped down the path. I clung to Nikella’s cloak.
Please, Holy Four, help us get there in time.
We burst from the tree cover onto a ridge that rolled down into a valley. A wide river snaked through the bottom. And on the other side, a behemoth mountain pierced the sky. The setting sun bathed the valley in bloody light.
Arduen’s Mountain sparkled with snow and flecks of light like fireflies. A beautiful, dream-like scene. But the valley below was a nightmare. Waves of fire engulfed the large Urzost village spread out before us. A ship floated on the wide river, its catapults flinging balls of fire into the village.
I gaped, unable to take it all in. Unable to comprehend.
The distress horns had fallen silent.
Nikella kicked her horse, and I nearly flew off the back.
We roared down the ridge in a flurry of hooves and furious shouts. My heart felt as though it would jolt straight up my throat.
Terrible screams filled the air as we neared. I squeezed my eyes shut, hiding for just one more moment.
But then Nikella yanked her horse to a stop and leaped to the ground. She tore off her cloak and unsheathed her spear, then looked up at me with a fierce calm. “Get them out.”
She charged into the burning village on foot while Maz and his sisters galloped after her. They shouted a one-word war cry I couldn’t make out.
A black horse reared amid the cluster of stampeding Dag warriors. I locked eyes with Aiden. Fury lined his face. He lifted his sword in a salute, then rushed after Nikella and Maz.
Gods, what if they didn’t?—
A flaming barrel hit a lodge, tearing a hole in the roof and showering the air with oily fire.
High-pitched screams sounded within. I slid from the horse’s back and raced toward the lodge. My boots slipped in the icy mud, but I didn’t slow down.
The heat from the burning lodge seared my skin. Black smoke billowed out, and I coughed. Ripping off a chunk of my borrowed cloak, I tied it around my mouth. I tried to open the wooden door, but it wouldn’t budge.
Fucking Four, come on!
I shoved harder, grunting, my eyes tearing. A child’s voice cried out from within, shredding my heart.
With a roar, I kicked the door, and it finally gave way the tiniest bit. I peered inside, but all I could see was a piece of wooden furniture that blocked the door.
I seized a smoking board nearby and wedged it in the gap. I threw my body against it. The door shrieked open another few inches. Enough for me to stick my head inside.
Smoke blasted my face, blurring my vision and raking down my throat. I coughed and blinked rapidly. “Hello? If you’re still in there, come out this way!”
A child’s sob reached my ears. I craned my neck further and saw a small girl huddled next to a larger body crushed under a burning timber.
“Please,” I choked, sticking my arm through the gap. “Come here, I’ll get you out!”
The girl looked at me, her blond curls a tangled, sooty mess, her cheeks streaked with tears. “Mama,” she cried.
“I know,” I rasped, tears burning my eyes. “I’m sorry. But your mama wants you to be safe.” An ominous groaning filled the lodge, and I looked up to see the rest of the roof caving under the vicious flames.
