“Found it!” Seth called. “This way.”
Eleos swung himself into the saddle and took the reins. Whisper must have picked the trail back up; the hound flew through the underbrush, tail pointed skyward.
A familiar sensation bloomed in my chest: unease and nostalgia. A strange cocktail of emotions that made me feel both like a small child and a woman moments from facing her death. Writhing beneath the growing pain, I gritted my teeth.
“Stop!” I hissed.
Seth whistled to Whisper, calling the dog back. He turned to me, but froze. In the silence, we all heard the same thing: men speaking and twigs cracking.
Leaping off his horse, Seth tied it to a nearby tree and crept forward, taking shelter behind a trunk and peering into the darkness.
“Stay here,” Eleos whispered. He moved to dismount, but turned back to me. “Do you trust me?”
“For the moment, why?”
“Because I’m worried about you.” He gently brushed my cheek, and for a moment, I thought he intended to kiss me. Leaning forward, he cupped my face in his hands and pressed his forehead to mine.
A strange sensation sparked between us, a slight pain beneath the surface. Releasing me, he leaned back.
“Can you hear me?”
I started, realizing his mouth had not moved. He’d spoken into my mind.
“I’ll take that as a yes.”Dismounting, he hurried after Seth.
Eleos’ voice rang against my skull, jarring but not unpleasant. I touched my head. Psyches were more dangerous than anyone had led me to believe. Closing my eyes, I tried to think at him.
“Could we do this all the time?”
“No. It’s taxing for both of us.” He responded, though his shadow had disappeared into the trees.
“Can you hear all my thoughts right now?”
“Only if you shout them at me.”
Trying to put a clamp on my whirling mind, I caught my breath, deciding how I felt about this revelation. A useful skill, to be sure, but I didn’t trust anyone enough to let them fully into my mind.
Wincing, I leaned forward, hoping to make out anything in the dark. A horrible realization struck me: Seraphim still had the Bloodstone. We had no defense against the Empty.
Pulling my leg over the saddle, I managed to drop off the horse, though the landing sent painful reverberations through my wounds. Catching myself on the tree, I tied the mare’s reins to Seth’s and limped after the men, crouching beside Eleos. He didn’t look surprised to see me.
“Stubborn one.” He spoke into my mind. “Just stay behind us, alright?”
Shadows danced in the distance. I could make out four or five men in the glade ahead, one kneeling or perhaps forced to his knees and bound. The distortion in my chest grew, suffocating me.
Seth pressed his back to the tree and motioned for Whisper to lie down. “Now we wait.” He whispered.
The guards quickly finished the unpleasant work. Two seemed nervous, eagerly backing away from the glade, hands on the hilt of their blades. One turned around and perhaps gave an order. Two men practically turned tail and fled, the third marching behind them.
The fourth remained, standing before the bound captive. If he felt guilt, said a prayer, or spat in Percy’s face, I couldn’t hear. Eventually, he turned away and hurried to join his brethren.
Seth waited until the sounds of their footsteps disappeared. Bolting from our hiding spot, he drew his dagger and rushed to Percy’s side. Eleos motioned for me to remain behind, but my fears over the damnable rock wedidn’t havesent me chasing after them.
Eleos’ lantern illuminated the chains bolting Percy to a stump, the splotches of blood on his face, and a gash across his brow. Relief flooded his face when he saw us. “Seth!” He whispered. “I can explain.”
Grabbing the chains, Seth scanned them for a lock. “You idiot. I don’t need an-”
“We’re in danger,” Percy panted. “Someone targeted me. He knew who I was. Knew whoyouwere.”
