“We’ll round up the others,” one said. He had a stocky build, and a long scar down his right arm. “Most are still gathering supplies.”
Sean nodded. “Everyone needs to meet us as soon as possible beyond the border. We’ll be in the first town, Dobrava, at the eastern outpost. They have until sunset—then we head north.”
“It will be done,” said the soturion. He nodded at me and Rhyan, lowering his chin in respect. “Go.”
I quickly gathered my bag, and handed Rhyan’s back to him. We pulled our hoods up over our heads, and without another word, we ran.
My feet were flying as we crossed through the shadows that I’d called down, shadows that were still cloaking the dead soturi. My power was becoming easier to use, less taxing. And it was all from the red shard. But even that wouldn’t hold for much longer—not with magic being so weak by the border. It was truly a testament to how powerful the shards were that I’d done as much as I had. Even Rhyan had struggled with traveling here the first time, and we hadn’t been this far west.
The meadow lay ahead, and the hills leading to the Wall of the Prince.
Rhyan took my hand as we approached the valley. The collapsed cave at the foot of the mountain looked like a tomb. My stomach dropped. If Rhyan hadn’t freed himself from the rocks, it would have been his.
He squeezed my hand like his mind had gone to the same place, and at the same moment, I had that strange feeling again, like there were eyes on me. Like I was being watched.
The akadim. It had to be. They could come out in the daylight, and we hadn’t seen any since last night, but they were near. I was sure of it.
When we reached the valley, Sean turned, heading north. He was taking us around the mountain. There was no way through. Not anymore. Not that I’d have ever entered the Wall of the Prince again.
When we came to a small woodland, we stopped for a short break, catching our breath, leaning back against the trees.
“You okay, partner?” Rhyan asked.
I walked into his arms, leaning my weight against him.
“I’m fine. What about you?”
“Fine,” he said, averting his eyes from the cave.
I shook my head. It was so like him. He was the one without power this time. And he was still more worried about me than himself.
“I don’t like it here,” he said quietly.
“Me neither.”
“Are you two all right to keep going?” Sean asked.
Rhyan kissed my forehead, his eyes darkening as he glanced at the cave ruins. He stretched out his legs, then nodded. “Let’s do it.”
We ran. Our path leading us around the mountain bordering Korteria. After an hour, when my body was ready to collapse we crossed into Dobrava, the human lands. The place where magic stopped working.
I slumped against a tree trunk, leaning my head back and wiping sweat from my brow. A strange feeling crawled up my spine.
A tree branch snapped. There was an intake of breath. Not from me, or Rhyan, or Sean.
Eyes were on us, watching. The same feeling as before. But it was stronger. Much stronger.
Rhyan went preternaturally still, as did Sean, all of us wordlessly sensing the threat and reaching for our swords.
Someone appeared in the shadows, a silhouette of a man, who seemed to be wearing rags. A cloth had been strapped to one shoulder and hung down to his waist. Another appeared wearing only pants from the outline I could see. And yet another appeared, wearing only a scrap around his waist.
The kind of clothing worn by akadim.
Five more appeared, and then a dozen. Rhyan and I slowly inched toward each other—Sean joining us, until we were all back-to-back. “The akadim,” I hissed. “The ones that escaped.”
“I recognize them,” Rhyan said, his voice hushed and shaking.
My heart pounded. I had the red shard, Rhyan had the green. But more and more were approaching, their faces concealed in the shadows, their silhouettes dark.
