I sighed, turning to face him.
“He'll come around,” I promised, though my heart wasn’t in it.
Kane noticed.
“And if he doesn’t?” he asked.
I opened my mouth to answer but found I truly had no response to that. And anyway, I could seeGryfonglaring at us from the opposite side of the camp, raising a brow in warning as the rest of the pilgrimage was filing out around him.
“We’d better go,” I told Kane instead. “We don’t want to get left behind.”
The walk to the river was as short as ever and the cave wasn't far beyond. Some of the people ran their hands in the water as they passed, muttering silent prayers and wiping the liquid on their brows. Kane glanced my way but I only shrugged and strode forward with the rest of them.
Hugh andZyafound us by the time the ceremony began. One glance around and one meaningful look from Kane told me Roxy had stayed behind as well. I frowned, knowing anotherconversation with Darius was likely right around the corner. Not that it ever went well for me these days.
“As it was,” a voice boomed out suddenly. “So it shall be.”
I craned my neck to peer over the heads of those in front of me in time to seePrima. She raised her arms high, the billowing sleeves of her emerald robe falling down around her thin elbows. She gazed up at the starry sky for a moment before turning and striding toward the entrance of the sacred cave. She paused just outside, peering up at the dozen or soZverthat laid in various positions on the rocky surface above and around the cave opening.
“Brothers and sisters,” she said in greeting, dipping her head in a reverent bow.
I could have sworn the beast closest to her bowed its head right back. Then she was entering the cave, vanishing into that ancient darkness. The people around us fell silent, bowing their own heads as their lips moved in a language no longer used for anything but ceremony. Kane, Hugh,Zyaand I looked around, feeling remarkably out of place. This was ritual, this was religion, and one we weren't privy to, one we didn't belong to. No. Our religion had beenworshippingtheir enemies.
A long time passed. The moon rose high in the sky, reflected on the pious crowd’s faces even lowered as they were in prayer. What did they pray to? If not theGeist, who did they believe answered their call? What higher power existed that they could appeal to?
Suddenly, as quickly as she'd gone,Primareturned. Her face was streaked in dark crimson paint that ran from her eyes down to her neck and disappeared beneath the collar of her robe. It made her look as though she'd been crying but her tears were composed of blood. It was a jarring image, particularly so paired with the broad grin she released on us now.
“This isArchí!” she screamed suddenly, interrupting the long held silence with her cry. “This is the beginning!”
A cheer went up from the crowd. It was so loud I couldn’t help but cheer with them, so loud Kane, Hugh, andZyawere grinning as they cheered as well, so loud we didn't hear the screams. Until they grew louder than the cheers.
Kane’s eyes grew wide as he whirled to find a soldier advancing at his back. It took me all of one moment to realize his armor was not of the camp. Quick as lightening, I was between him and my friend, twisting his arm so his weapon fell to the ground. He cried out in pain as he dropped beside it, cradling his broken wrist.
I stared down at the staff he'd released and hesitated. I could hear it there, humming with some foul power that called out to mine. But my own magic shrunk away from it as if repulsed by it. Still, it came to the surface, ready to strike if I could only figure out how to let it loose.
“It’s her,” the soldier was saying and my eyes snapped back to him. “It’s the girl. It’s the one who—”
A dagger through his throat silenced him.
I turned in horror to seeZyastanding behind him, chest heaving as she clutched another dagger in her left hand, ready to use should the first one fail. Our eyes met and I saw the terror in her eyes. Pain, but not regret.
“He would have told,” she whispered.
I nodded once to show her I understood. Then someone was pulling me back. I stumbled over a rock before righting myself and running alongside Kane as he led us to the trees.
“There’s too many of them,” he shouted.
There was. I hadn’t noticed at first but there was. Scores of Pavosiansoldiers were pouring out of every inch of the forest beyond the river and from the top of the cliffs the cave was set within. TheZverwere already tearing some of them down,sending men falling to their deaths through gnashing teeth and deadly claws.Primaand her circle of warriors were holding many back as well, fighting with cold eyes full of hatred.Gryfon’s warriors were holding their own but the civilians of the camp, the mothers and children and servants and old men, were screaming in terror as their throats were slit. Their blood joined the water of their precious river, flowing downstream to the life beyond.
“Zya!” I screamed, reaching in terror for my friend. Her fingers brushed mine as we ran, her eyes wide as she clutched her dagger in bone white knuckles.
I stumbled once, tumbling to the soft earth below as Kane swung his sword in a wide arc, cutting down a soldier that was so much younger than I expected. Hugh knelt and lifted me to my feet.
“Come on, Adrian,” he said, his voice somehow gentle even in the chaos unfolding around us. “We have to run. You have to keep going.”
I scrambled to my feet, allowing Hugh to bear my weight for only a moment before rising and running on my own. Somewhere behind us, a tree exploded, sending jagged shards of wood raining down around us. We dove to the side, leaving the path in an effort to disappear within a denser part of the forest.
“This way,” Kane shouted from somewhere up ahead as we fled blindly through roots and underbrush.
