Let me out, she told it.
The tense silence that filled her told her it did not expect to be heard. Her eyes opened once more, and in front of her was a mirror. She was standing in front of it, naked. Her own grief-stricken eyes stared back at her.
You cannot scare me, she continued.Let me go.
The mirror vanished into smoke. Everything spun around her. And then—
She gasped for air, thrown back into reality as a ragdoll.
Hands were on her cheeks, and the noise of Nyssa shouting in her face made her ears hurt.
“Shut up,” she groaned. “I’m fine.”
“Drae!” Nyssa’s arms wrapped around her desperately. “Drae, I thought you were dying—”
“I’m fine, I—” a sudden pain shot through her ankles, and she pushed Nyssa back so that she could see her feet. Red hand print whelps and bubbled blisters stared back at her. She could feel the searing pain of it in her bones, and she grunted at herself under her breath.
“Come,” Lex said, wrapping an arm around Aydra, “We need to leave before they come back.”
Aydra grabbed hold of Lex’s body and nearly gave out as soon as she tried to stand. Her knees buckled at the agonizing pain shooting through her, and she shook her head quickly. “Nope, put me down. Down!”
Lex sat her back down and then hovered over her. “We have to leave. You’ll need to get on my back.”
Help.
The noise of her horse’s voice filling her ears made her heart stop. She looked up and saw it lying down between two trees ahead, and she could see the same reddened whelp around its ankle.
“No—” Aydra started to crawl towards it, ignoring the protests of Lex and Nyssa. She sat down beside it and rubbed its cheek.
It’s okay. I’ve got you, she promised it.
“My Queen, there is nothing we can do,” Lex said. “The Noctuans are waking. We have to leave.”
Aydra didn’t look away from her horse. “Go get help,” she told them. “Go. Now.”
“We cannot leave you—”
“And I will not leave her,” Aydra interjected.
“But the Noctuans—”
“Are friends. Now go,” Aydra cut Nyssa off. She looked up at them over her shoulder, her jaw tensing at the sight of their bewildered faces. “I will be fine. But I will not risk the two of you’s safety. I made a mistake coming this far inside so late. I am injured. It will call to the ones that may not heed my words. You have to get out of here. Now.”
The pair did not move.
Aydra was quickly losing her patience.
“Go! Now!” Aydra nearly shouted.
“My Lady, I cannot leave you,” Lex told her.
“Yes, you will,” Aydra insisted. “Your orders are to take care of my sister. Go to the Village of Dreams and see to it she is safe. Find someone there with a cart that can help you come back to retrieve us. I am not leaving her here to die.”
“But…” Nyssa crouched down in front of her. “What if the Venari find you?” she said with widened eyes. “What if the Noctuans—”
“My orders are to take care ofyou,” Lex interjected to Aydra.
“And I am giving you new orders. As your Queen, I demand it,” Aydra said sternly.
