‘You have torun,’ Ervos said. ‘The Masters know everything now. Someone turned him in. They know about the book.’ He looked at Styerra’s stomach. ‘And the baby.’
Styerra gasped.
Ervos held up his hands. ‘I just want you safe.’
‘But if I could just explain it to them, make them see reason,’ Styerra started, her hands over her stomach.
‘You can’t,’ Ervos said. His voice was almost panicked now as he glanced over his shoulder. Like someone would be rounding the corner at any moment. ‘It’s happened before, an unholy union. You’ve placed a stain in the line of the Sacred, you’ve messed with the purity of pillared magic by carrying Erath’s child. A child not meant for your womb. You know what the penance will be. Forbothof you.’
Ezer didn’t have to hear him say it.
Death.
Death for Styerra … and her unborn child.
‘Where would I go?’ she asked.
‘South. As far as you can get, with a new name, a new story. I have a horse secured,’ Ervos said. ‘We’ll go together. Right now. There’s a storm on its way. It will cover our tracks.’
‘I can’t let you risk that.’
Ervos smiled sadly. ‘I’d risk anything for you, Styerra. You know that. I’ll get you settled somewhere safe. I’ll come back, throw them off your trail. No one will harm you or the child. I swore it to Erath. And I swear it to you.’
Styerra stooped to pick up her small bag of belongings, but Ervos lifted it for her, and placed a hand on her back, and guided her from the shelves.
‘I’ll protect you,’ Ervos said. ‘No matter what it takes.’
Ezer opened her eyes for a second time to find herself in a small cave, lit by a flickering orange fire.
She was on her side, a dark wing tucked over her like a blanket, with her head upon the pillow she’d come to know and love.Six’s paw.
Safe and sound, and with her once more.
Kinlear was fast asleep a few feet away, another cloak draped overhis shoulders like a blanket. No blood pooled beneath him, but he coughed and it was a ragged thing, wet and deep from within his lungs. He fell back to sleep, folding in on himself.
Ezer groaned and sat up, this time her head wobbling a bit less. There was a rune on her hand, glowing softly. She frowned at it, trying to make sense of the shape.
It looked like … a healing rune, Ezer realized. The same crossed shape she’d seen Alaris use on her countless times.
‘Where are we?’ Ezer whispered as Six shifted and settled one large dark eye on her.
Another vision filled her mind.
Arawn, rushing through the snow on horseback. Hooves thundered as he followed Six through the dark woods beyond the wards. How she’d found him, Ezer didn’t know.
He fell before a pile of dark robes.
Ezer and Kinlear, asleep together in the snow.
With a circle of ravens around them, protecting them like tiny little sentries.
The vision shifted.
And there was Arawn again, tugging at Six’s halter in vain.
The raphon had refused to go back to the Citadel, back to the safety of the wards.
‘Please,’ Arawn begged, and his voice broke. ‘Please, or they’ll freeze to death.’
